It would be difficult to imagine anyone becoming so immersed in the Utah golf community as Kareen Larson, in such a short time. 

As the General Manager of TalonsCove Golf Club, Larson is the first female winner in the nearly four-decade history of the Utah Section PGA’s Wesley Ruff Golf Citizen of the Year Award. 

She fits the award’s definition well. It goes to “the person who best promotes the game of golf in Utah by sacrificing their own time and efforts with the goal of growing the game” and salutes “professional service in a style and demeanor that reflects well on the entire Utah golf community by exemplifying the attributes of kindness, courtesy, unselfish service and integrity.”

This honor follows Larson’s 2023 recognition by the UGA Woman Award. So within barely 12 months, she was honored by the Utah Golf Association and the Utah PGA, besides earning Senior Women’s Player of the Year honors in the UGA. 

Whether the criterion is points in the UGA Player Performance Rankings or subjective in other awards, Larson is both thriving and contributing in the golf business lately, after a career in health care. She deservedly received credit for TalonsCove’s hosting of the Women’s State Amateur in July. Just as impressively, if less noticeably, she spent the next week at Soldier Hollow Golf Course, coaching Utah’s girls in the Junior America’s Cup as a member of the Utah Junior Golf Association’s Board of Trustees. 

Much of Larson’s promotional effort in golf benefits TalonsCove; that’s her job. Yet she clearly is motivated to help beyond Saratoga Springs, in the larger golf community. She’s thankful that course owner Doug Horne gives her that forum. 

“It’s just a passion I have for this wonderful game and the places it’s taken me, and just giving back to the game,” said Larson, a native Canadian who previously was oriented to hockey (her left-handed swing with a short backswing is evidence) and basketball. 

With golf, she hopes to “spark that same interest in somebody and make it meaningful,” she said. 

Larson bonds easily with golfers at all levels. Lila Galea’i, the 2021 Women’s State Amateur champion, has won three Utah Women’s Four-Ball titles with Larson and enjoyed it all. 

“I’ve always noticed the amount of effort she puts into not only her role on the course, but also her role as a friend,” Galea’i said. “For me personally, she’s always made sure I’m taken care of and I know she’s always doing the same for others.”

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media.

Matt Baird’s home-course performance in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open is a natural starting point for the summary of how he became the Utah Section PGA’s Player of the Year for the first time. There’s always more to the story, including a stop in Vernal. 

Winning this annual points competition requires both outstanding play and a commitment to playing something close to a full schedule. Baird checked both boxes in 2024, accumulating 6,123.5 points to 6,110.25 for Zach Johnson in a remarkably close race. 

Baird’s 69-68-67 showing in the Utah Open at Riverside Country Club, where he’s the longtime teaching professional, gave him 1,200 points as the Section’s top performer. Having edged Johnson in that event to put himself in Player of the Year position, Baird added the Vernal Open to his schedule in late September and finished third, again placing just ahead of Johnson. 

“It’s cool,” Baird said of the award, having interrupted Casey Fowles’ three-year run. “I’ve always been pretty close. It’s ironic that I win it when I turn 50 (in October). I haven’t made it a priority in my life, but it just helps me look back over the year, and I’m proud.”

Baird gave himself credit for patience during the Utah Open, on a rain-soaked course that played much differently that the usual firm, fast track. And he’s pleased to maintain a high-level game, while spending most of his days attending to the swings of other golfers, from brothers Keanu and Kihei Akina on the elite level to the average Riverside member.            

Now that he’s 50, Baird observed, “As a senior, you’re not trying to prove yourself, just going out and enjoying the game.” 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

Haley Sturgeon’s sixth straight Rolex Women’s Player of the Year award in the Utah Section PGA was a story of overcoming new challenges. Competition from a friendly rival who’s in her 60s and the presence of a baby boy were different dynamics for Sturgeon in 2024, while she remained in her usual place in the standings. 

Both in the overall race and in the finals of the Women’s Match Play, Nyhus pressed the 31-year-old Sturgeon. Yet by reaching that stage of the event at Alpine Country Club, Sturgeon had clinched another Women’s Player of the Year award, before taking a 3-and-1 victory. 

Sturgeon posted 800 points to Nyhus’ 650, with wins in the Palisade, Valley View and Davis Park Opens.

Playing well during her pregnancy made the 2023 season memorable; being a mother made her performance this year meaningful in another way. Sturgeon was proud of “overcoming (outside) expectations” of how raising a child might affect her game. 

“I was figuring out how to manage my job (as an assistant pro at The Country Club), being a mom and finding time to practice,” she said. “I am extremely fortunate to have an amazing support system. It allowed me to continue doing what I love and take baby Jack along for the ride.”

Her husband Davis, parents and in-laws all did their parts, while Jack accompanied her during “several rounds of golf, countless practice sessions … and a few golf vacations,” Sturgeon said. 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.

Senior competition in the Utah Section PGA is going to be phenomenal in the next several years, with a bunch of big-name players turning 50 at almost the same time. The likes of Dustin Volk, Matt Baird, Chris Moody and Todd Tanner will make it difficult for anyone to dominate the class, as Mark Owen did in the previous three years. 

Tanner took his first shot in 2024 and succeeded in a big way. As the winner of the Bob Rudd Utah Senior Open and the Senior Sidebar in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open, he posted 7,513.5 points to Volk’s 6,655 to earn the Section’s Senior Player of the Year award. 

Now 51, Tanner is “looking forward to many more years, trying for this award,” he said. 

His consistency will make him tough to beat, judging by his scores in the Utah Senior Open (66-67) at Toana Vista GC and the Utah Open (70-70-71) at Riverside CC. Tanner also won the Palisade and Brigham City Opens and tied for first in the Gladstan Open. 

Tanner credits “a great support system” that includes his business partnership with Stacey Jones in operating InMotion Junior Golf and directing the Salt Lake City Local Tour of U.S. Kids. Having qualified for the PGA Professional Championship in Florida in April, he’s happy about the chance to “compete with the young guys,” as he tries to remain at the top of his own age group in Utah. 

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

The Utah Section PGA’s Rolex Assistant Player of the Year award is subject to dynasties. Braydon Swapp’s third consecutive title marks the fifth time that has happened in the past 25 years, following the long reigns of Mark Owen, Chris Moody (twice) and Zach Johnson. 

The others moved on to become head professionals. That might be in Swapp’s future, although for now he’s focused on his continued improvement as a player. 

Swapp’s late-season surge earned him another Assistant Player of the Year award, while appreciating his wife Hannah’s support and the working environment at The Barn Golf Course in Ogden. He finished with 3,396.25 points to 2,941.5 for Thomas Cook, who won the Section’s Assistant Championship and tied for 40th place in the national tournament. 

“The Section has been growing a lot with more assistants joining the program in the three years that I have been part of it,” Swapp said. “The competition has gotten tougher and the fields deeper.”

Swapp’s run included a four-way tie for first place in the Valley View Open with a 68-70 showing, a tie for second among Section members in the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open ( 67-69-70) and a career-best tournament round of 62 to win the Davis Park Open. 

“I had been wanting a win all year, and finally getting it proved my work has paid off,” Swapp said, citing swing changes.  

Swapp was inside the cutline through three rounds of a first-stage qualifying event for the PGA Tour/Korn Ferry Tour. “The last round didn’t go how I wanted,” he said, “but I learned so much being in that position and I know I have the game to compete at the next level.”

Feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photo Credit: Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

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.