Every year the Utah Section PGA Spring Pro-Pro signifies the beginning of the regular season, an opportunity to team up with a fellow professional and an excuse to get together as a Section for the Spring Section Meeting. Riverside Country Club Instructor Matt Baird and Thanksgiving Point Golf Club Director of Golf Tele Wightman teamed to shoot a (-12) 60 at Ogden Golf and Country Club April 8th to win the event.
The 2019 National Car Rental Utah Assistant PGA Championship, held at Hidden Valley Country Club and Bonneville Golf Course June 2-3 saw a familiar name on top of the leader board and a new associate member claim the second qualifying spot to compete in the National Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida on November 14-17th.
Davis Park Assistant Professional Zach Johnson got off to a quick start in round one at Hidden Valley Country Club with birdies on the first two holes. He would finish day one with a (-5) 67 and a three-stroke lead over Ryan Colemere and Travis Gilbert.
Johnson, the defending Omega Player of the Year and current leader in the points race, extended his three-stroke lead to seven with a final round (-3) 69 at Bonneville Golf Course to take the top spot on the leaderboard and qualify to play in Port St. Lucie.
“I played good, only made two bogeys,” Johnson said. “I didn’t make any mistakes, which was key; I played slow and steady and made a few birdies.
“It’s always a fun one to go back and play,” he added about the National Assistant Championship. “It’s always nice to have a tournament to look forward to in November, it’s a fun event. I look forward to going back. Hopefully I play good out there this year, I’ve had a couple of top-ten finishes but I would like to follow in (Chris) Moody’s footsteps and get a win out there.”
For the second year in-a-row an associate member of the Utah Section PGA claimed the second qualifying spot, and for the first time in Utah Section PGA history, a women member will be representing Utah in Port St. Lucie at the Wanamaker Course for the Assistant Championship.
Promontory Club Assistant Professional Sadie Palmer, who recently started the Professional Golf Management Program, relied on the mental side of the game to carry her through to a second-place finish in the qualifier and first-place finish in the Women’s Division.
“Probably what’s between my ears,” Palmer said about what was working well in her game. “I had a lot of up-and-downs, it was just a grind to stay focused and try to stay positive. I think I did that really well.”
Palmer started the event with a (-1) 71 at Hidden Valley, and rounded out the tournament with an even-par 72 at Bonneville, which included a hole-out eagle from the 10th fairway.
“I’m honestly kind of speechless,” Palmer added about qualifying. “I honestly thought I had a good chance doing it but I didn’t expect to accomplish this my first year, especially as a girl playing with all the guys it just makes it that much better. I’m really excited to go learn and compete with these guys in Florida and see how I can do.”
Utah will be well-represented this year at the National Assistant PGA Championship. We look forward to cheering on Johnson and Palmer as they compete this November.
A big thank you to Hidden Valley Country Club and Bonneville Golf Course for playing host to this year’s Championship and for National Car Rental for providing this championship every year.
Steve Schneiter has been in the crosshairs many times before, grinding his way to a championship. Yet, it all seemed eerie for Rick Schuller, recalling on a warm, tranquil Tuesday at PGA Golf Club how often he was Schneiter’s chaser.
The Utah PGA Winter Classic, Awards Banquet and Annual Meeting kicked off the 2019 season on February 5-7 in St. George. Used for a time to gather Section members together, play some golf and get the year started on the right foot.
Salt Lake City, UT-Doug passed away suddenly at age 70 on Sunday, December 23rd after suffering a short illness.
The list of Section events for women continues to grow in Utah with the adding of the Utah Section Women’s Match Play Championship. Played in the 2018 fall season at The Country Club and Alpine Country Club, a bracket of eight Section members competed for the title of first-ever Women’s Match Play Champion.
The annual Utah Section PGA Pro-Assistant Championship is a fitting way to close out the year of tournament golf within the Section. Two days of Fourball at Sand Hollow and Sunbrook Golf Courses On December 3-4 provided an escape from snow storms and an outlet for some low scores.
It seems fitting that in the same year The PGA of America elects its first women president in Suzy Whaley, the Utah Section PGA awards its first-ever Omega Women’s Player of the year to Olsen. The number of women members in the PGA and the Utah Section is continually growing and Olsen is in the forefront of 2018 winning two of the four events. Olsen started the year with a victory in the Red Rock Golf Trail Winter Classic in February and bookended the year with her second win at the Section Championship at Toana Vista Golf Club in September.
The Utah Section PGA, experts in the game and business of golf in Utah, is proud to conclude another successful season with the releasing of the 2018 Utah Section PGA Awards. Utah PGA Executive Director Devin Dehlin shared the following message, “We have 350 Members and Associates in our Section that are making a difference in the game of golf on a daily basis. This year we had more nominees than ever before with so many deserving Professionals. We are very proud of this year’s winners and the overall group of Professionals in Utah.”
The difference between making an All-State team or not often comes down to 1 stroke or even less throughout the season.