Every year, the Utah PGA Section Championship crowns a champion, sends top finishers on to the national stage, and adds another chapter to the history of Utah golf. This year at Toana Vista Golf Club, that history came with an exclamation point.

Haley Sturgeon, Assistant Professional at The Country Club, became the first female Utah PGA professional to qualify for the national PGA Professional Championship. Her 4-under par total of 140 on rounds of 71–69 earned her a tie for 5th place, inside the top seven qualifier cutoff, and with it, a spot in the 2025 PGA Professional Championship.

No woman in the history of the Utah Section has ever done what Sturgeon just accomplished.

“Being my first Section Championship, I was just so excited to finally be there,” Sturgeon told Utah Golf Radio hosts Paul Pugmire, Jan Brownstein, and Section member Tommy Sharp. “As an associate, you always dream of it—getting your Class A and earning the chance to play. To compete and qualify my first time in, that’s just unbelievable.”

Unbelievable, maybe. But make no mistake—it was also earned.

Sturgeon opened her first round at Toana Vista carding five birdies on the front nine, including a streak of three straight on holes seven, eight, and nine. She made the turn at 4-under and steadied herself on the back, closing with a birdie on 18 for a 71. Day two was all about patience and execution. With the notes she had made from round one in hand, Sturgeon played smart, steady golf. She dropped a birdie on the par-5 6th, then rolled in what turned out to be the pivotal putt of her championship—a tricky downhill slider on seven for another birdie, her 15th and 16th holes of the final round.

“That was a big one, but I had no idea what it meant at the time,” Sturgeon said. “I never once looked at the leaderboard. I just didn’t want that extra pressure. I was just trying to play smart and let it happen.”

When she walked off 18 and turned in her card, she realized what she had done. Tied for 5th. In.

“It was surreal. People started congratulating me, and I thought, ‘Okay, I had a good round.’ Then I looked at the board and saw I was T5 and thought, holy cow. I had no idea. I was just out there playing.”

Sturgeon’s finish wasn’t just about personal accomplishment. It carried weight for women’s golf in Utah and beyond.

“I thought about it on the way home, wondering if a woman from Utah had ever done this before. When I realized I was the first, it just felt incredible. Hopefully this inspires younger girls and women to know they can play at this level, too.”

Sturgeon is now part of a short but significant list of female PGA professionals who have earned their way into the PGA Professional Championship, names like Suzy Whaley, Joanna Coe, and Ashley Greer. And now, Utah has one of its own.

For Sturgeon, the focus now shifts to preparation. “Lots of TrackMan practice rounds,” she said with a laugh.

But whatever comes next, her place in Utah PGA history is already secured. At Toana Vista, Haley Sturgeon didn’t just make the top five. She made history.

Utah PGA Section Qualifiers for the 2025 PGA Professional Championship

Seven Utah PGA professionals punched their tickets to next April’s national PGA Professional Championship thanks to their finishes at the Section Championship in Wendover:

Chris Moody – Section Champion (-6)*
Tommy Sharp – Runner-up (-6)
Zach Johnson – (-5)
Todd Tanner – (-5)
Haley Sturgeon – (-4) First female Utah PGA professional ever to qualify
Tele Wightman – (-4)
Evan Wartgow – (-4)

*Won a three hole playoff

Click here for the Utah Golf Radio show recording with Tommy Sharp, Chris Moody and Haley Sturgeon.

Story and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson

While Utah PGA Section Champion Chris Moody will compete in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship next month in Florida, a new door has opened for Salt Lake City’s Tommy Sharp.

As the Section Championship runner-up this week at Toana Vista Golf Club in Wendover, Sharp, a PGA Teaching Professional at the Salt Lake Golf Academy, accepted the Section Champion’s exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort, set for Oct. 23–26 in Ivins.

Sharp and Moody each posted matching 6-under par 138 totals over 36 holes before Moody secured the Section Championship title with a birdie on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. For Sharp, the disappointment of missing a short putt to win on the first playoff hole was softened by the news of his PGA TOUR start.

“Yeah, it definitely softened the blow from missing the 3-footer to win on the first playoff hole this week,” Sharp said. “This will be my second PGA TOUR event—I played in the 2016 PGA Championship. I am unbelievably excited to play in the event. My oldest boy was only 3 years old and we actually found out that we were pregnant the night before the first round of the PGA Championship with my youngest son in 2016. It has been my goal since then to get back to a PGA Tour event so that they would be old enough to remember seeing me play. Now they are 12 and 8 and I can’t wait for them to be there with me.”

That family perspective is fueling Sharp’s motivation. “I think I’ll be more comfortable and know what to expect this time around. I have no delusions of winning the event but I think I can make the cut if I play solid golf.”

Sharp was candid about his 2024 season, calling it one of his toughest years since his 2016 PGA Championship appearance. “Overall, my season has been an utter disappointment,” he admitted. “The game has definitely changed as my kids have gotten older because I pretty much only play with them or in tournaments. As a result, my game is nowhere near as sharp as it was (in 2016), but I wouldn’t change getting to play with them for anything.”

Sharp admitted that Bandon Dunes, the site of the 2026 PGA Professional Championship, was on his mind. “Bandon Dunes is my favorite place I have ever played and it actually put an added pressure on the Section Championship this year as I wanted to qualify so bad,” 

“Making it back to the PGA Professional Championship,” Sharp said, “and the added bonus of getting to play a PGA TOUR event in my home state makes up for all of the poor golf this summer.”

In October, Sharp will get that chance at Black Desert Resort—on one of Utah professional golf’s biggest stages, with his kids finally old enough to see him tee it up against the world’s best.

Story and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.

With a 24-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at Toana Vista Golf Club, Riverside Country Club’s Chris Moody added his name to Utah golf history, defeating Tommy Sharp to win the Utah PGA Section Championship. The two matched 36-hole totals of 6-under 138 in the Sept. 9–10 event in West Wendover, Nevada, setting up a finish that was every bit as dramatic as the desert landscape.

The win makes Moody the first player to capture both the Senior Section Championship and the Section Championship in the same season—a double nobody had accomplished since the creation of the Senior Section Championship in 2008.

“I feel incredible. Honestly, I am a bit emotional,” Moody said moments after the winning putt dropped. “It’s just been, you know, what a great two week run that I’ve had. My game has just sucked all summer long. And then, you know, it’s fun to find a little game and win this championship and become qualified for the PGA Professional Championship.”

For a player we’ve grown accustomed to seeing excel consistently in Section events, Moody’s self-assessment drew laughter from the media. “That’s pretty dang cool,” he admitted, before reflecting on what he’d just achieved. “Well, I mean, you look at all the great players that we’ve had here, for as many years as we’ve had here in the Utah Section. I mean, we’ve got so many, just a great lineage of them for the last 50-60 years. And to be one of those, the only one to do that, that’s kind of a shocker to me, honestly, but it’s pretty cool.”

The championship run required Moody to stay steady in a closing stretch where the winds grew stronger in the late afternoon and the leaderboard tightened. 

“I hadn’t looked at the live scoreboard all day long, until the 16th hole after I made birdie on our 15th hole, which is number six,” he explained. “I felt like it wasn’t playing real easy. You just never know when you’re out here in Wendover. I saw that Tommy was at 6-under, and I was at five with like four or five other guys. I hit a lot of great shots coming in … on number seven, made a great drive, great second shot, just missed it right at the bottom. I hit a nice little iron on the next hole, and two putted. Then a great little wedge in there (hole 18), about 15 to 17 feet, just saw the line and made it for birdie. It was great to get into the playoff with Tommy Sharp.”

That birdie at the last proved essential, sending the two Section veterans into extra holes where neither backed down. After two trips down the 9th hole in the playoff, the dramatic finish was set on the green of the third playoff hole, the first hole at Toana Vista. “You know, it’s like one of those putts, you just see the line,” Moody said. “It was almost like it was destiny for it to go in. I hit the putt and it was just dead center. It was great. It was 24-feet. I saw the line and I putted it right. When I hit it, I just knew it was going to go in. It was just a nice tumbling roll. So, it was exciting. I don’t get excited a lot on the golf course, but it was, like, probably the most excited I’ve been in a long time. So that is really cool.”

Moody’s victory also secures his place in the PGA Professional Championship next spring, a trip he’s already looking forward to. “It’s going to be fun. I have a brother that caddies up at Bandon Dunes, and when I saw it was in the rotation, you know, I marked that on my calendar. I’m like, ‘I have to make that so my brother can caddy for me.’ So, that’s going to be a blast. I can’t even wait to go up there and play there in April.”

For a player who’s already written much of the modern history of Utah Section golf, this win adds yet another chapter. Chris Moody isn’t just back in form—he’s now part of a record that may stand the test of time. 

While Moody will be competing in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship as Utah’s Senior Section champion, the door opens for Sharp. As runner-up in Wendover, he accepted the champion’s exemption into next month’s PGA TOUR Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort—a reward that comes from the drama of their playoff finish.

Sharp will also be among the Utah PGA professionals joining Moody at the national PGA Professional Championship next year. Others qualifying from Wendover were Zach Johnson (-5), Todd Tanner (-5), Haley Sturgeon (-4), Tele Wightman (-4), and Evan Wartgow (-4). Players who finished at 3-under 141 battled in a playoff for alternate positions, with Joe Summerhays, Matt Baird, Tracy Zobell and Casey Fowles earning alternate spots in that order.

Also worth noting from this year’s Section Championship, Scott Brandt walked away with a pair of trophies, claiming both the Senior and Super-Senior division titles with a 7-under 137 on rounds of 67-70. Haley Sturgeon made history with her 4-under 71-69—140, winning the women’s division and tying for 5th place on the overall leaderboard. In doing so, she became the first woman in Utah PGA history to qualify for the PGA Professional Championship.

In the Legend Division, longtime Section veteran 71-year old Kim Thompson posted a 7-over 151 to edge Bob Rudd by two shots for the win.

2025 Utah PGA Section Championship Leaderboard

Utah PGA Section Championship tournament recap and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson

Playing in what could be labeled as a “comfortable pairing” may have been the perfect recipe for Riverside Country Club Head PGA Professional Chris Moody in the final round of the Utah PGA Senior Section Championship—an event that also doubles as the qualifier for this year’s national Senior PGA Professional Championship.

Moody teed it up alongside Mark Owen, Joe Summerhays, and Matt Baird, a group that helped keep the energy level calm despite a frustrating early morning rush hour bumper-to-bumper crawl from Utah County to Stonebridge Golf Club in West Valley City. That kind of traffic can rattle the most composed player, but Moody found comfort with fellow Section members who, as he put it, “actually want you to play well.”

Affectionately known as “Moods,” Moody opened with a splash, literally, as his first drive on the Sunrise nine found the water hazard. But he quickly righted the ship with an eagle on the second hole and never looked back. His opening-round 65 had already given him a two-shot lead over Summerhays and Baird, and with a closing 68 he added his name to the perpetual trophy.

Moody finished 11-under par (65–68) for a four-shot win, capturing his first Senior Section Championship title and, just as importantly, earning a spot in his first Senior PGA Professional Championship, October 23–26, 2025, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

“I’m pretty excited and happy with this win,” Moody said. “Haven’t really played well in the last four years and now at 50 years old it kind of gives you new life and new experiences. And I look forward to going to the Senior PPC and hopefully play well there and parlay it into a Senior PGA Championship.”

Asked if this will be his first trip to the Senior PPC, Moody said “Yes, I missed it just by a month last year, I’m an October baby. So they pushed it up a month last year because they played it up in Oregon. So yeah, it’ll be my first go at it.”

Despite a busy summer at Riverside Country Club, Moody said this championship was circled on his calendar from the beginning of the year. “You know, like, August is just a month from hell for me, honestly, because we have the member-guest tournament and then I got the Utah Open. And, you know, literally, like, on the third green yesterday, I was just looking up in the mountains. And I just almost felt peace with myself, because I’m just like, I don’t have anything to worry about. All of those events are over with. Nothing to worry about but this event.”

For Moody, the win carries extra meaning. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m missing (career win wise). That’s the beauty of being a Senior now, you know, it gives you new life, gives you new opportunities. Playing the Senior Match Play earlier this year I had to withdraw because of a work conflict, but I’ll have another opportunity next year. So it’s all good.”

And in terms of accomplishments? “Well, like I say, I just have been playing such poor golf, and for whatever reason, it just all kind of clicked yesterday. You know, I was on the range last couple of days. And I never go to the driving range. I was there for like, three days straight, and I kind of figured something out. And honestly, I kind of believe in divine intervention, with Jordan (Brockbank) passing away last week, and now hearing the news of Jason Hargett’s passing yesterday, I felt like they were part of it. I felt like they were out there helping me, giving me some peace. If anything, I dedicate this win to those guys.”

Moody credits a quick trip to Bandon Dunes with friend Bob Shay for sparking his motivation. “If that doesn’t get you motivated to play golf, I don’t think anything will. It’s such a special place. And, you know, I hit the ball really well up there, and kind of maybe figured something out up there, and then kind of brought it back and found it on the range a couple days ago. And yesterday, it was like an easy 65. Kinda reminded me of the days of old.”

Even with a shaky start to his final round—“I hit a bad shot on number one tee, into the water and was lucky to make a bogey,” Moody’s eagle at No. 2 settled him in.

“This championship was definitely on my list, ever since I turned 50,” Moody said. “It was a bummer last year that I missed it just barely. So I looked forward to this year, for sure.”

Also earning trips to Port St. Lucie with Moody were Summerhays (runner-up at 7-under), Todd Tanner and Baird (T3), Owen (5th at 5-under), Steve Schneiter (National Past Champion exemption). Also hoping to make the filed are alternates Todd Meyer (T6), Dave DeSantis (missing from photos), Dustin Volk (T8), and Ryan Rhees (10th). These players were the only ones to finish under par in the 36-hole championship.

Final Senior Section Championship leaderboard.

Many thanks to Stonebridge Golf Club for hosting the Senior Section Championship this year.

Dusty Fielding picked a good time to catch fire. Making his first appearance in the Utah Assistant PGA Championship, the former Utah Open champion stormed the Sunrise nine, his final round back nine at Stonebridge Golf Club with a 30 that included two eagles and two birdies—to reach 10-under par 134 and join a playoff with Spencer Wallace and Hayden Banz.

“I played pretty bad on Creekside nine to start,” Fielding admitted. “Even though I was even par, it felt rough. But I’ve played Sunrise side well, and I told myself I could make some birdies out there. Once I hit that second shot on No. 2 to set up eagle, everything kind of clicked.”

Fielding followed with birdies on the next two holes and added a second eagle at the last to get into the playoff. “I was just trying to stay calm and see if I could sneak into it,” he said. “Coming up 18, I knew Hayden [Banz] might birdie, so I just focused on making a good swing. I piped it, hit a perfect 5-iron approach, and got the eagle putt to drop.”

His eagle on 18 got him into the playoff and his same strategy carried over. Fielding once again pulled his TaylorMade Mini Driver he’s grown comfortable with this season from his bag, found the fairway, and left himself a chance to set up a birdie or better. After a nervy second that faded into the rough, he punched back into play and then calmly rolled in a tap in birdie to claim the championship.

It was a breakthrough not just on the scorecard, but mentally as well. Fielding has wrestled with expectations this season, especially at the Utah Open where he finished T47, but he came into Stonebridge with a different mindset. “I told myself to just enjoy playing again,” he said. “When I won the Utah Open years ago, I didn’t have big expectations. That’s when I play my best—when I stay patient and let the birdies come.”

For a player who’s seen peaks and valleys in his career, this victory has meaning. “To shoot 30 on the back nine, to get in a playoff, and then finish it off with a birdie, it feels really good.” 

As he looks ahead to the Davis Park Open and Southern Utah Open he said, “I’ll remember the attitude I had this week. That’s how I need to approach it moving forward.”

As a level 1 assistant Fielding may not be eligible for the national Assistant PGA Championship, but that didn’t take away from the moment. He walked away with the Utah Assistant PGA trophy—and perhaps, renewed confidence in his game.

Spencer Wallace and Hayden Banz are also ineligible for national playing spots. Qualifying for the national Assistant PGA Championship at Stonebridge were Evan Wartgow at 9-under par, Dustin Pimm (-6) and Thomas Cook at (-5).

Utah Assistant PGA Championship final leaderboard.

Many thanks to Stonebridge Golf Club for hosting this year’s championship.

The real prize at the 2025 PGA Family Golf Championship was time together on two of Wisconsin’s iconic golf courses. Nearly 160 golfers from 28 states and Canada teed it up August 30–31 at Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, bridging generations for two fun-filled days of family golf.

Utah PGA’s Dave DeSantis, wife Holly, and grandson Gordie Gatrell lived up to their team name “3-Peaters,” capturing the Professional Division title for the third consecutive year. The trio went bogey-free on both days with a -18 finish (126, 64-62), four shots ahead of second place. Two teams tied for second with a 14-under 130. Team Pickle Chips, made up of Matt Montecucco, PGA (Chambers Bay, Tacoma, Wash.) and his cousin Avery Marie Renggli recorded rounds of 66 and 63 and Team Vernon with Timothy Vernon, PGA, son Michael and daughter Laura (Edina, Minnesota), shooting rounds of 64 and 66.

“I boldly came up with the name this year,” Dave DeSantis said. “When you are defending a title, you definitely feel the pressure. We set a goal to go bogey-free, and we did. We all stepped up and made the putts when we needed them.”

The two-day scramble featured teams of 2-4 players, all biologically or legally related, competing in amateur and professional divisions. The professional division included teams with one or more PGA or LPGA Professional, while the amateur side showcased family golfers of all skill levels.

First round action on Friday (Aug. 30) was played on Blackwolf Run’s Meadow Valleys Course with the final round Sunday on Whistling Straits’ Irish Course.

The inaugural event was held in 2023 at PGA West in La Quinta, California, followed by Disney’s Palm Golf Course in 2024.

In sports, your team is your family. With PGA Family Golf, your family is your team. For more information about PGA Family Golf, visit PGAFamilyGolf.com.

TalonsCove Golf Club once again played host to one of Utah golf’s great traditions as the Utah Section PGA and the Utah Golf Association renewed their annual team matches in the Governor’s Cup and Goddard Cup. Played in the spirit of competition and camaraderie, the day featured Foursomes, Four-Ball, and Singles matches, with some of Utah’s best men and women professionals and amateurs teeing it up on the shores of Utah Lake.

When the points were tallied, the Utah PGA retained both trophies—decisively winning the Goddard Cup 9 to 3 and holding on to the Governor’s Cup after a hard-fought tie of 16 to 16.

Goddard Cup

The Utah PGA women professionals proved dominant in this year’s Goddard Cup, named in honor of Utah women’s golf pioneer Jeannie Goddard. The Utah PGA team swept across all three formats, winning by a commanding margin of 9–3.

Foursomes: Utah PGA 2.5 – UGA 0.5
Four-Ball: Utah PGA 2.5 – UGA 0.5
Singles: Utah PGA 4 – UGA 2

Leading the charge for the Utah PGA were Haley Sturgeon, Ana Ross, and Cassie Campos, each going undefeated in their matches. The UGA team found bright spots from Kate Walker, Kareen Larson, Whitney Banz, and Faith Vui, who secured points in each format, but in the end the day belonged to the Utah PGA women.

Governor’s Cup

As it has so often in years past, the Governor’s Cup matches came down to the results of the Singles matches. By the time the Singles wrapped, the two sides had fought to a draw—Utah PGA 16, UGA 16. With the tie, the professionals retained the trophy for another year.

Foursomes: Utah PGA 4.5 – UGA 3.5
Four-Ball: Utah PGA 4 – UGA 4
Singles: Utah PGA 7.5 – UGA 8.5

For the Utah PGA, steady play from veterans Matt Baird, Tommy Sharp, and reigning Section Champion Dustin Volk—all undefeated in their matches—proved critical. The amateurs, however, showed plenty of firepower, led by Tyson Shelley, who went undefeated en route to MVP honors for the UGA squad.

For decades, these matches have been about more than trophies, showcasing PGA professionals going head-to-head with some of the state’s top amateurs. The Governor’s Cup and Goddard Cup continue to highlight not only great players but also the camaraderie and connection between Utah golf’s allied associations. At TalonsCove this year, all of that was on display once again.

Click here for Goddard Cup full results. Click here for Governor’s Cup full results.

2025 Goddard Cup & Governor’s Cup team match recap written by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

Three years is a long time, when you’re 19. A much different version of Kihei Akina appeared Sunday at Riverside Country Club, where he showed advances in his golf game and evidence of maturity as he battled through the final round of the Larry H. Miller Utah Open. 

And now he’s the youngest champion of a tournament that will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. 

In 2022, starting his sophomore year at Lone Peak High School, Akina played in the last threesome of the final round and faded early. Three years later, it was a different story. Every time the BYU freshman showed signs of wobbling on the back nine, he steadied himself.

Akina may have given his challengers some hope, but he never fell behind. In the end, having taken a two-stroke victory over three players, he spoke of “a lot of relief right now.”

Akina added, “I’m proud of the way I fought through it.” 

He shot 66-65-68 for a 17-under-par total, topping amateur Cole Ogden and pros Spencer Wallace and Brady McKinlay. Boston Bracken, who will start his Arizona State career this month, placed fifth. With three top-five showings, this was the best Utah Open performance for amateurs since the 1930s. Patrick Fishburn, then a 25-year-old BYU senior, was the event’s most recent amateur champion, in 2017.

Akina’s victory came 50 years to the day after BYU sophomore Mike Brannan won the title at Riverside. Brannan turned 20 in late December that year; Akina will be 20 in early January, making him the youngest-ever winner by a week. 

His response to the news: “Cool.”

That’s a good description of the way Akina dealt with some back-nine adversity, while also catching a break or two. Not even a drive into the penalty area left of the No. 15 fairway fazed him, as he salvaged a par and maintained his lead. 

And on the par-4 No. 16, after his iron shot off the tee barely stayed out of trouble on the left, he made what became a clinching birdie. Distracted by “a big fly,” he hit the 30-foot putt too hard. But the ball crashed into the hole. 

“Kihei played incredible golf,” McKinlay said. “He was as steady as anybody and made countless putts.”

Akina kept Utah Section PGA administrators from presenting the traditional oversized check to the winner. First prize was boosted to $25,000 in the first year of the Larry H. Miller Company’s title sponsorship; McKinlay and Wallace earned $20,500. 

Wallace, who teaches golf in St. George, collected a $1,500 bonus as the top performer among Section members and associates. “Always fun when you can finish on top with those guys,” he said.  

McKinlay, who won four consecutive tournaments as a Utah Valley University senior, knows how to finish. He couldn’t quite catch Akina or hold off Wallace’s run, and spoke of “a lot of missed opportunities this week, to be honest.” But he was happy to make a tough par save on No. 18, worth a difference of $4,500. 

“Honestly, in this stage of golf, that’s a lot of money,” he said. 

Ogden became a Utah Open success story at age 33 as a former BYU golfer and 2013 State Amateur champion, while trying to follow his brother, Clay, a two-time winner of this event.   

“Nobody probably picked me to win at the start of the week, and I don’t blame ‘em,” he said, “but it’s pretty damn fun to be in the mix, for sure.”

Kihei made that discovery in 2022, and he followed through in ‘25. He noted how learning from “past failures” became important Sunday. His swing coach, Riverside teaching professional Matt Baird, sounded more proud of Akina’s win than his own performance as the low senior, while tying for 15th place overall. 

“Being here with my student is something special,” Baird said after the awards presentation. “We’ve been working pretty hard on his game and seeing him succeed … is more gratifying. It’s kind of passing the torch.”

Click here for the final Utah Open leaderboard.

2025 Larry H. Miller Utah Open final round recap written by Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson and Garrit Johnson.

As a member of the newly created U.S. National Junior Team, Kihei Akina might be BYU’s most celebrated golf recruit since U.S. Junior Amateur champion Mike Brannan. 

Sunday will mark 50 years since Brannan’s win over a strong field of professionals and Cougar teammates at Riverside Country Club. Akina has a great shot at his own victory in the Larry H. Miller Utah Open. 

The Lone Peak High School graduate would join Brannan as the only 19-year-old champions in the 99-year history of the tournament. Akina eagled the par-4 No. 2 with a 60-yard wedge shot in the second round, while carding six birdies and one bogey for a 65. 

Akina is 13 under par, one stroke ahead of 33-year-old amateur Cole Ogden (65-67), a former BYU golfer. They will be joined in the final threesome by former Utah Valley University star Brady McKinlay (66-67), who’s competing for the $25,000 first prize among the pros. 

Three years ago, having shot 67-67 at age 16, Akina played with eventual champion Blake Tomlinson in the last group. He settled for a 72, tying for 11th place. His approach this time is “just to be loose, have fun, just another round of golf,” he said. “I feel comfortable with my game.”

Akina was on the road this summer for what “felt like forever,” he said, while his game produced mixed results. He missed the 36-hole cut in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship in Ogden in early August and failed to make match play this week in the U.S. Amateur in San Francisco. 

He has been sharp at Riverside, though. So, more surprisingly, has Ogden. At 33, he works in medical sales, having long ago given up his pro golf ambitions. The 2013 State Amateur champion reached the round of 16 in that event last summer and finished the 2024 Utah Open with a 65, tying for seventh place among amateurs. 

After posting a 29 on the back nine Friday to complete a 65, he started the second round on that side and shot a 35. An eagle on the par-5 No. 7 (his third of the tournament, on three different holes) gave him a 67. 

“My mind-set about golf in general has changed a lot, just because it’s not what I’m trying to do full-time,” he said. “I’m not worried about the paycheck and it’s not affecting my life.”      

Ogden played the first two rounds with his brother, Clay, a two-time champion in the tournament’s Oakridge Country Club era. No two brothers have claimed Utah Open titles since Emery and Al Zimmerman won a combined six times in the 1930s and ‘40s.

McKinlay recently married Caylyn Ponich, the Women’s Golf Coach at Southern Utah University. She’s the sister of 2024 State Amateur champion Cole Ponich, who’s playing as a rookie pro.

The 36-hole cut came at 1 over par. Provo’s Nicklaus Miller, 13, who’s believed to be the youngest contestant in the tournament’s 99-year history, shot 76-70 and was among a big group of golfers missing by one stroke. 

In the Section Sidebar competition for Utah Section PGA Members and Associates, Spencer Wallace (67-68) has a two-shot lead over Zach Johnson and Utah Golf Hall of Fame member Steve Schneiter.
Schneiter (69-68) leads the Senior Sidebar for 50-over players by one stroke over Riverside teaching professional Matt Baird (67-71).   

Click here for the Larry H. Miller Utah Open 36-hole leaderboard.

36-hole recap story written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.

If the USGA Development Team coaches need a poster boy for the success of their new program, they should take a good look at BYU’s incoming freshman Kihei Akina.

Fresh off competing at the U.S. Amateur, Akina has brought that confidence with him to Riverside Country Club. Back-to-back rounds of 66-65 have him sitting atop the Larry H. Miller Utah Open leaderboard at 13-under 131, one shot clear of former Cougar and 2013 Utah State Amateur champion Cole Ogden as the morning wave wrapped up Saturday.

“The Development Program has really helped me,” Akina said. “They’ve taught me how to track my stats and see areas of improvement. I’ve really have never done that before. It’s cool to see the stats, and kind of just learn from that and see what you’re doing well. It’s helped me a lot in learning where I can get better.”

Akina credited his wedge play and iron game for keeping him in scoring position. He even gave his grandparents a show early in today’s round, holing out from 60 yards for eagle on the par-4 second hole.

“My wedges are all about controlling distances and being pin high,” he said. “One way to be great at golf is to be pin high all the time.”

While his summer has been a mix of highs and lows, Akina says he’s feeling good as he looks ahead to Sunday’s final round. “I’m comfortable with my game now. I just want to stay loose, have fun, and stick to my process.”

The field will be cut to the low 60 and ties following the afternoon wave to set the stage for Sunday’s finish in Provo.

Click here for Larry H. Miller round 2 leaderboard.

Morning Wave Report and photography by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson & Garrit Johnson.