It seemed only fitting that during the hottest mid-September week in Utah history the hottest golfer on the Ben Hogan Tour should win the first Utah Classic golf tournament.
John Daly, who had finished second the two previous weeks, captured his first Hogan victory and biggest win of his life with a wire-to-wire victory at Riverside Country Club.The 24-year-old Arkansas native grabbed a share of the lead with an opening-round 65, held it with a second-round 69 and came through with another 69 Sunday to win by one shot over R.W. Eaks. Daly pocketed $20,000 for the win.
Eaks fired a sizzling 8-under-par 64, the best round of the tournament, for a 204 total and sat back to see if anyone could beat it. Several players made a run at Eaks' 12-under-par total, but only Daly topped it.
"I was starting to wonder if I'd ever win out here," said Daly, who won twice on the South African Tour early this year. "I blew great opportunities to win the last two weeks. This is probably the biggest tournament I've ever won."
Jeff Maggert, who Sunday became the first Hogan player to top the $100,000 mark in winnings, Jim Schuman and Ricky Smallridge tied for third at 205.
Six players, including Provo's Mike Reid and Park City's Eric Hogg, tied for sixth at 206. West Bountiful pro Mike Bicker headed a group of eight golfers at 207.
Daly teed off after Eaks was finished Sudnay and didn't get to 13-under-par until the 13th hole when he chipped within a foot at the par-5 for a tap-in birdie. He quickly went to 14-under with another tap-in birdie at the 14th hole.
That gave Daly a two-shot lead, but he nearly threw it all away at the next hole, the 538-yard, par-5 15th.
His two-iron off the tee found the trees on the left side. He took a penalty and a drop, but his next shot glanced off a tree branch and landed in the pond guarding the right side of the green. He had to take another penalty and was now hitting five.
"I was just trying to get lucky and somehow make a bogey," said Daly.
He got the bogey-6 by pitching up within 10 feet and sinking the putt. "If I had missed that putt, I would've been nervous," said Daly.
Instead of being tied, Daly still had a one-shot lead over Eaks. He made routine pars at 16 and 17. After his 20-foot birdie try at the final hole stopped a few inches away, Daly tapped in, raised a fist and turned and gave his fiance/caddy Bettye a kiss.
"She's been a real inspiration to me the last few weeks," said Daly.
Eaks went out more than three hours before the leaders, figuring he had no chance to win. "I thought I'd have to be 6-under going into today's round to have a chance."
Eaks, who started using some new clubs Saturday, went out in 33 with four birdies and a bogey. He came back strong with five birdies on the back side at 11, 13, 14, 15 and 18.
"A 64 is pretty low, but it's too bad it came the last day instead of the first two days," said Eaks, who hails from Colorado Springs.
Reid had a great chance to win but saw his usually reliable putter go sour on him. After getting to 12-under-par for the tournament with three early birdies, Reid bogeyed No. 9.
Then at No. 11 he three-putted from 8 feet after hitting the sand trap. That gave him a double-bogey and dropped him to 9-under. After making a birdie at No. 13, Reid had a chance to go to 12-under when he hit a marvelous second shot to within five feet at the par-5 15th hole.
But he missed the eagle putt and missed a short birdie putt at the next hole. He finished his round with a three-putt bogey at No. 18.
Hogg was thrilled with his top-10 finish because it gave him an automatic exemption into this week's Hogan event in Boise.
"I'll keep going all the way through the rest of the Hogan events this year," said Hogg, who won the 1989 State Amateur on the same Riverside course.
Others at 10-under with Reid and Hogg were Barry Fabyan, Kelly Gibson, Eric Hoos and Steve Haskins. They each earned $2,500.
Although there weren't large galleries at Riverside for the tournament, particularly Saturday during the BYU football game, the tourney was a success from the PGA's standpoint as well as local organizers. The tournament should be back next year, although Daly may not be.
He may very well be playing on the PGA Tour this time next year.