Utah’s PGA Jr. League All-Stars delivered another big splash on two levels in 2024.

Having coached a team with some of the same players to a national championship in a younger age group three years ago, Thanksgiving Point’s Tele Wightman sensed another title was coming in the 17u finals in November at Twin Warriors GC in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

But then No. 1 seed New York pulled away to a 5.5-3.5 victory. “We played really great in the finals and there were times when I thought we had it won,” Wightman said. “We played great but they were just a little bit better.”

Team members included Blake Brown, Ryder Huish, Jace Benson, Mack Herzog, D’Adiddas Notoa and Jordan Ofahengaue. Utah, the No. 2 seed, defeated Virginia 6.5-2.5 in the semifinals.

In the Regional event at Prineville, Oregon, Thanksgiving Point’s No. 1 17u team had beaten the in-state opponent Glenmoor Goats in the semifinals and then topped Meadow Springs CC of Washington.

Thanksgiving Point’s 13u team finished third in its National Championship, staged in October at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West in Texas. Drew Wilson and Emery Johnson each made a hole-in-one as Utah earned the No. 2 seed before losing 6-5.-5.5 to Florida in the semifinals. Utah then topped Virginia 8.5-3.5 for third place.

Other team members included Jraice Finau, Cove Cummings, Luke Manning, Nicklaus Miller, Logan Wilde and Crue Harward. PGA Tour player Tony Finau assisted Wightman.

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe.

The season-ending Pro-Assistants Championship took place Nov. 11-12 at The Ledges Golf Club and Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George. Known for its competitive spirit with trophies, titles, and prize money on the line, the event also offers a welcome break for PGA Professionals and their teams, providing an opportunity to unwind together away from daily grind.

“The Pro-Assistant Championship is a culmination of the season and a celebration of hard work,” said Executive Director Devin Dehlin. “It’s a chance to head down to St. George and enjoy some downtime with staff. It’s like an annual reward, where everyone can relax but still compete. We are especially grateful this year to Chad Pettingill (The Ledges) and Reed McArthur (Sunbrook) for hosting the championship, as well as to sponsors Highland Golf, Johnnie-O, and Sand Hollow Resort for their support.”

For the first time, the 36-hole tournament was played on both courses over both days, increasing the field and allowing for faster play, with rounds wrapping up in about four and a half hours. Participants also enjoyed a Monday Night Football gathering with pizza and drinks at the Marriott Courtyard following the opening round.

“The Monday Night Football Social has been a staple for over a decade,” Dehlin added. “It’s a laid-back setting for professionals to catch up and celebrate their season’s successes and challenges. With around 100 attendees, it’s a key time for bonding, and having our sponsors present helps reinforce their commitment to future events.”

In the popular two-man team Four-Ball format, where General Managers, Directors of Golf, or Head Professionals pair with fellow staff members, the possibility of a tie often looms, particularly for teams from the same facility. This year’s championship produced just that, with Davis County’s Director of Golf Dustin Volk teaming up with both Head Professionals Zach Johnson from Davis Park and Pete Stone from Valley View, leading to a unique tie with both teams finishing at a score of (-15) 129.

“First of all, I’m grateful for good partners,” Volk said of Johnson and Stone. “Those two guys are really good and even more so they’re my best friends. To me personally, it was fitting to have both teams tie and share it with them. But, I bet if you ask them, they wish it was one shot different for them.”

Team Volk/Johnson led after a (-11) 61 opening round at The Ledges GC, while Volk/Stone closed the gap with a final-round (-7) 65 at Sunbrook GC. Johnson said, “It’s always enjoyable to spend time away from work with Dustin. Competing as a team is great, though ending in a tie isn’t ideal. But co-champing with Dustin on both teams made sense, letting us hit the road a bit sooner.”

Stone added, “Tying with Zach was a little bittersweet—the competitor in me wanted a playoff. But with everyone eager to get home, ending it in a tie felt right. Maybe it even makes for a better story.”

All three have won the Pro-Assistants Championship in the past with Pete’s father, retired PGA Professional Brad Stone, who was the longtime Head Pro at Davis Park. Pete Stone reflected, “Dustin and Zach each won several times with Brad, so winning together for the first time since his retirement is pretty special.”

“Dustin and I go way back to our amateur days,” Pete continued. “We’ve won the Wendover Four-Ball and the Section Match Play Championship, but this is our first Pro-Assistants win together, which is really satisfying.”

Kory Woodland, The Barn Golf Club owner and Head Professional, and his Assistant Braydon Swapp, finished tied for third at (-11) 133, along with defending champions Mark Owen and Dustin Pimm of Mountain View Golf Course. Six teams tied for fifth at (-10) 134.

In the NET division, Rick Allison and Jeremy Green took top honors with a score of (-16) 128 (62-66), while four teams finished a shot behind, tied for second.

The win by Volk, Johnson and Stone puts a cap on the Utah PGA championship season that saw Volk win the Section Championship in September. When asked if he’s looking forward to the 2025 season Volk said, “Those that know me the best know that I will have plenty of activities this winter. But I’m definitely looking forward to 2025.”

Click here for complete results of the 2024 Pro-Assistant Championship.

PGA Master Professional Don Rea Jr. was elected the 44th President of the PGA of America Nov. 7th at the Association’s 108th Annual Meeting at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rea will serve a two-year term, representing the more than 31,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals.

Utah PGA Executive Director Devin Dehlin said, “Don Rea will be an outstanding president. His passion and energy will take us to new heights.”

Succeeding Rea as Vice President is Nathan Charnes, PGA, the General Manager and Director of Golf of WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri, and a member of the Gateway PGA Section. Eric Eshleman, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Birmingham in Alabama, and a Member of the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section was elected the new PGA of America Secretary.

Utah’s Cedar Ridge Golf Course PGA Professional Jared Barnes was a candidate for the new Secretary position and waged a very impressive campaign. 

“We couldn’t be more proud of Jared and the way he represented himself and the Utah PGA during his campaign,” Dehlin said. “It was fun to see a PGA Professional from Utah make such a huge impact on the national level.”

The Utah Section has seen first hand the energy and devotion for PGA Professionals exhibited by both Don Rea and Nathan Charnes as both have attended Utah PGA Annual Meetings in St. George. We look forward to working along side Eric Shleman as he begins his term. Eshleman, a member of the PGA of America for nearly 30-years, received the 2019 national PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Award, the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Member.

In a testament to the growing strength of women’s golf in the Utah PGA, this year’s Women’s Match Play Championship, held Oct. 22-23, saw a record number of competitors—a clear sign of the progress and passion among the Utah PGA’s women PGA Professionals and Apprentices. And once again, Haley Sturgeon solidified her place at the top, as she and perennial contender Sue Nyhus advanced to the final match at Alpine Country Club after two beautiful fall days of golf.

The championship match pitted two of the Section’s most seasoned competitors against each other. For the third consecutive year—and the fourth time in the past six—Sturgeon walked away with the title, defeating Nyhus 3 & 1. Nyhus, the 2021 champion, put up a strong fight, but Sturgeon’s consistent par-producing game proved too much.

In the morning’s semifinal matches, Sturgeon defeated Kali Quick 5 & 4, while Nyhus, showing her tenacity yet again, battled Ana Ross to a 19-hole victory. To reach the quarterfinal matches Ana Ross defeated Dehlin-Hirsch 3 & 1, Quick defeated Emily Jones 3 & 2 and Nyhus beat Jasmine Candland 5 & 4.  Click here for complete bracket scoring.

Despite Sturgeon’s considerable advantage off the tee, Nyhus refused to go quietly. Twice during the match, Nyhus rallied to extend play, even when trailing by three holes going into the par-3 16th. But Sturgeon sealed her victory on the par-5 17th with a birdie.

Nyhus faced an additional challenge when her 8-iron broke mid-practice swing on the 9th hole. The clubhead detached, leading to a break in concentration and a bogey, putting her two down at the turn. Reflecting on the incident, Nyhus said, “My 8-iron is one of my most common clubs. I had just hit it on the par-3 7th, and it felt a little funny, but I didn’t think much of it. But when I went to take a practice swing on No. 9, the head twisted and came off. It definitely distracted me.”

Sturgeon praised her opponent, acknowledging Nyhus’ competitive fire: “Sue is such a tough competitor. You always expect her to make every putt or chip in. My goal all day was to stay in the moment, stay focused, and not let her sneak past me.”

As the defending champion, Sturgeon entered the tournament as the top seed, bypassing the opening nine-hole seeding round, which was won by Carly Dehlin-Hirsch. In the Round of 8, Sturgeon dispatched Maegen Nitta 6 & 4, a newcomer to the Section. “She was so sweet,” Sturgeon said. “On the first tee, she told me, ‘I was excited to meet you but sad I had to play you.’ It’s great to see new faces joining our events.”

Sturgeon expressed excitement about the growing field. “We had the biggest field ever for this event, and it’s just fun to watch it grow. I hope we don’t scare these new girls off—I want to see them coming back!”

Nyhus, ever gracious, heaped praise on Sturgeon. “I’m not sure people in Utah realize just how good Haley is. She’s LPGA Tour quality. I’ve seen it firsthand. I recruited her to play for me, and I know she has the game to compete at the highest level. It’s about timing and opportunity, but she’s got the talent.”

As winter approaches, Sturgeon has her sights set on a busy competitive schedule, including the Southern Utah Open, the Pro-Assistant Championship, and early next year’s Winter Classic. She’s also preparing for USGA national open qualifiers next spring.

In the consolation bracket, Cassie Campos and Shelby Jennings provided some final-day drama. Campos sank a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to tie the match. The players elected to end the match in a tie due to Alpine’s packed tee sheet. Campos defeated Annie Fisher while Jennings got by Aspyn Moosman to get into the consolation final. 

Utah PGA Women’s Match Play feature and photography provided by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson & Garrit Johnson.

For most schools, a six-year championship drought is not particularly long, but for a program as dominant as Park City golf, it felt much longer.

The Miners had won 15 state championships prior to this year’s state tournament, 11 of which were won between 2008-2018. Park City had come up short in the years since but took advantage of its slim Day 1 lead to stay on top throughout Day 2 Thursday to take home the title again.

The Miners saw big improvements from Rawson Hardy, Sam Hunt and Forest Summers on Day 2. Summers struggled a bit in the back half on Wednesday with a double bogey on No. 11 and bogeys on Nos. 12, 13 and 15, but he cleaned things up Thursday, recording only one bogey while putting up three birdies to finish in a five-way tie for ninth at 143.

However, one of the largest highlights of the day for the Miners was watching Hardy sink a put on the 18th hole, which secured the individual first place medal.

Hardy ended the 36-hole tournament at 8-under par 136, one stroke better than Desert Hills’ Brock Porter, who gave Hardy a fight until the final hole.

Read more here from Deseret News Sports writer Carson Hilton.

There were some nervy moments down the stretch, but Morgan’s Lance Loughton did enough Thursday to repeat as 3A medalist.

After lipping out a putt on No. 17 that would’ve given him a one-stroke lead heading into the last hole, Loughton stepped up and sank a birdie putt of similar length on No. 18 to clinch the individual title.

Loughton finished the tournament with a 4-under 136 to edge Ben Lomond’s Cayson VanBeekum, who shot a 3-under 137.

Rainy conditions made scoring difficult for much of Thursday’s final round at The Ridge Golf Course, but Richfield was able to navigate it better than anyone else to reclaim the 3A state title by just three strokes ahead of Morgan.

After trailing Morgan by one stroke after Wednesday’s opening round, Richfield finished four strokes better on Thursday to post a 570 team score and reclaim the state title after winning in 2022.

Defending state champ Morgan finished second with a 573 and Carbon third with a 584.

Read more here by Desert News Sports writer James Edward.

The last decade of Utah high school golf has largely been dominated by Lone Peak. The Knights won nine state championships between 2013-2022 and had one of their golfers win the individual championship four times between 2018-2022. However, last year’s Lone Peak team was dethroaned both as a team and on the individual championship by Corner Canyon and the Chargers’ Bowen Mauss.

This year, the Chargers trailed behind Lone Peak by three strokes after day one. However, in day two Corner Canyon outplayed the Knights by 10 strokes to take its back-to-back state championship with a team score of 538. Lone Peak finished with 545.

“These guys worked so hard,” said Corner Canyon head coach Derek Fox. “Lone Peak has such a good team down there and they make us get better. These boys were ready for today, they said last night they were ready to go and this was our best round of the year. They picked a great day to do it.”

Corner Canyon saw huge improvements all around from day one. The Chargers ended day one with only two players in the top 10, but improved that number to four on Tuesday.

The only thing that sligtly soured the day for Corner Canyon was losing the close individual race between defending medalist Bowen Mauss and two-time medalist Kihei Akina. The scoring margin between Mauss and Akina was razor thin, with Akina entering day two with only a single stroke lead.

In day two, Akina grew his lead to a two-stroke lead on hole two as Akina parred and Mauss had his only bogey of the tournament. Hole eight turned things in favor of Mauss as he birdied and Akina Bogeyed to even the score.

It stayed within a stroke or two through most of day two, but Akina had a monster run in the final five holes to pull away. Akina birdied on holes 14, 15, 16 and 18 to secure his third individual title.

“Me and Bowen, we were in a battle today,” said Akina. “It was cool to see him playing so well and it was really back and forth until that 14th hole where I kind of went on a run there. I’ve come up short a lot this year, so I wanted this one really badly and I went out and got it.”

Akina is just the fourth high school golfer in state history to claim three individual titles, the first to do so since 1999. But Akina’s record-breaking performance didn’t end there. He set a new state record with a 36-hole score of 127, surpassing the previous mark of 128, set by none other than Akina himself in the 2022 state championship.

Despite the record breaking day, it was a mix of excitement and disapointment for Akina, as Lone Peak once again lost to Corner Canyon in the team championship.

“It feels good to get some redemption,” Akina said. “I’m happy to get this one, but I’m a little bit sad for the team. It feels a little bit different without the team victory, but this is still cool for sure.”

Corner Canyon’s Mauss ended his 36-holes with a score of 130, which is the fourth best in state history. While it wasn’t enough to win this years individual title, Mauss still ended his high school carrer with one individual title and back-to-back state titles for his school.

“It’s been really fun, but more important than the trophies is the memories I made with them,” Mauss said. “The biggest part of it is we’ve all been playing together a long time and we got along really well. We have really good team chemistry and I think that helped us throughout the year with wanting to play well for each other.”

6A State Golf Championship recap written by Carson Hilton and published with permission from the Desert News Sports. Photos provided by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

As Jackson Shelley rolled in an eagle putt from the 14th-hole fringe, his external excitement remained pretty subdued. Internally though, the Skyline senior’s mind was screaming, ‘let’s go.’

Shelley’s eagle helped him increase his lead at the 5A state championships to four strokes, and he made the lead hold up down the stretch to claim 5A medalist for the second time after winning it as a sophomore.

Shelley finished with 13-under, 131 at Glen Eagle Golf Course in Syracuse to finish four strokes ahead of Salem Hills Hills freshman Carson Peterson. It was Peterson’s strong play that made Shelley gamble a bit and take out his driver and go for the green on No. 14 instead of laying up. He felt like he needed a jolt of momentum.

The older Shelley was the catalyst to the success.

“I just can’t say enough about Jackson. He can do everything with the golf club in his hand. I’ve never had anybody hit it as far as he hits it, and he also has soft touch, he can do everything,” said James.

In many ways, Skyline won the tournament with its terrific opening round on Monday. It shot a 274 and held a 13-stroke lead heading into Tuesday’s final round, where it shot a 279. Olympus and Woods Cross each had slight better scores on Tuesday, but the gap was too much to overcome.

“We were still trying to attack and we didn’t try and play less aggressively, but yesterday we were hot, guys were making shots, but today we played a little smarter, ” said James. “Utah golf is getting so good now, there are so many guys now.”

Shelley in particular was red hot on Monday as he shot a 9-under 63 with seven birdies and two eagles. He was 6-under through the first six holes.

“I played well, I hit a lot of good tee balls, and I was playing, so it was a good day,” said Shelley.

On Tuesday he parred his first five holes before finally birdieing No. 6. At the turn he was 12-under.

When Peterson birdied his 12th hole — he started on the back nine — he was only two strokes back at 10-under. Shelley was checking the scores and very aware how close it was and decided to get aggressive on No. 14.

East’s Sean Lampropoulos finished in third place with an 8-under 136, with Bonneville’s Josh Wallis in fourth with a 7-under 138.

The was a four-way tie for fifth between Olympus’ Will Pedersen, Bountiful’s Ty Cottle, Cedar Valley’s Brayden Hester and Shurtz.

“Really proud of Caden Shurtz. What a great job to make it in the top five, that’s amazing for him. He transferred over from Olympus and he’s fit in so well with the team,” said James.

Utah 5A Boy’s State Championship recap written by James Edward and posted with permission by the Deseret News Sports. Photos by Utah Section PGA and the Shelley family.

Everyone’s chasing Team Georgia (Duluth) following their 38-under-par day one performance in the 2024 13u National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West.

Twelve All-Star teams of 96 junior golfers ages 10-13 have trekked to the Home of the PGA of America to compete for the Championship title, broadcast live on ESPN platforms. Days one and two (Friday and Saturday) comprise four, 9-hole rounds played in a team aggregate, stroke play scramble, counting the top three of four pair scores per nine holes. Sunday’s Semifinals and Championship matches are conducted in a match play format.

Finishing five shots back from the lead at 34-under, Team Utah (Lehi) earned top play honors when 12-year-old Emery Johnson aced Hole No. 5 with the ESPN cameras rolling.

“I’ve never had a hole in one before,” Johnson told ESPN’s Michael Collins. “The wind was into us so I clubbed up a little and hit a little draw in there. I knew I hit it good, but I heard it hit the pin and I couldn’t see it. I saw my other teammates on the next hole and they ran toward me. Jraice [Finau] picked me up and everyone was giving me high fives.”

“I was really surprised,” said Jraice Finau, 12. “I thought it hit the cameraman behind. It ended up being perfect. It was instinct to pick him up like that.”

Jraice might still be waiting on his first hole-in-one, but he and the rest of the team have a lot of support in their corner with their coaches: Team Utah Coach Tele Wightman, PGA, and Jraice’s dad and official Team Utah Assistant Coach, Tony Finau.

“It [Assistant Coach] sounds funny, but this week it’s right,” said Tony Finau of his role at the Championship. “There’s nothing like being on a team. Our message to the kids is to enjoy it, soak it in and make these memories count. It’s really cool what the PGA of America has done with PGA Jr. League, and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

“I watched Georgia play incredibly, and I was proud of our team for staying with them the whole way,” said Wightman. “We’re in really good shape going into tomorrow. We’re going to continue our process and our game plan. They believe in themselves, they trust each other and they just go out and have fun.”

Finau is no stranger to playing on the national stage and on live television, and this week he’s clearly excited to see the kids experience the joys that can come with it.

“To have your first hole in one on ESPN? Come on, now. That’s what dreams are made of. He deserves all the hype he gets for that. He’s a great kid, great player and it’s great to have him as Jraice’s partner.”

Competition resumes tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. CT with two more 9-hole rounds of team aggregate stroke play, and groups and starting times will be available here. The top four teams will advance to the Semifinals on Sunday morning and play for a spot in the Championship Match on Sunday afternoon. The two teams not playing in finals will compete for third place.

For Championship scoring, news and more, visit PGA.com.

The South Sevier Rams won the school’s first boys golf state title on Wednesday Oct. 9, posting a decisive 27-stroke victory at Cedar Ridge Golf Course.

The Rams were led by senior Gunner Sorensen, who followed up his even-par 72 on Day 1 with an 81 on Wednesday to finish at 153, tying him with Parowan junior Tyler Massey for the tournament’s best individual score. Sorensen and Massey then played a sudden-victory playoff on hole No. 9, with Sorensen making par both times to win the tiebreaker.

As a team, South Sevier finished with 638 strokes, while runner-up Beaver was 27 strokes back at 665. Parowan placed third, while last year’s champion Rowland Hall took fourth.

Notably, at last year’s state tournament, the Rams shot 10 strokes better (628) but finished in a tie for third place.

“It’s the same boys we had last year. I didn’t have any seniors (graduate in 2023),” South Sevier head coach Trampas Williams said afterward. “These guys played last year, got third place, and they were just hungry to win it. They’ve been working hard since May to be here.”

Led by Sorensen’s stellar 72 on Day 1 South Sevier built a sizable 24-stroke lead during Tuesday’s opening round and were never seriously threatened on Day 2.

“Gunner was just solid,” Williams said. “He’s been knocking shots close all day and just been playing great golf. His even par yesterday was amazing. And then to stick with it and stay right there today. He was mentally strong.”

Rounding out the Rams’ top four scorers were Sorensen’s fellow seniors Keegan Johnson (79-81-160), Kyson Brown (79-85-164) and Jamen Memmott (84-83-167).

“They’ve worked hard all year long,” WIlliams said. “This has been their dream. They worked hard and they earned it.”

The tournament attracted 18 2A schools from around the state, although only 11 teams made the cut after the first day.

2A Boys Golf State Championship Leaderboard:

2A Boys Golf State Championship recap written by Desert News/Jeff Richards. Photography provided by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.