It shouldn't be a surprise that Doug Roberts won the Provo Open golf tournament Saturday. After all, he is an assistant pro at the East Bay Golf Club, where the tournament was played.
The only thing is, Roberts has only been at East Bay for a grand total of two weeks. And he'd never won a pro tournament before. Yet he outlasted most of Utah's top professionals and amateurs to take home the $1,000 top prize in the 52nd annual tournament.Roberts defeated two-time Provo Open champion Tom Costello on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff after the two had tied at 2-under-par 140. They had finished one stroke ahead of defending champion Bruce Summerhays, first-day leader Brad Sutterfield and Jeremy Ranch pro Brad Hansen.
"It's a total surprise," said the 26-year-old Roberts. "I just wanted to get my feet wet in tournament golf again. I just came here trying to shoot around par."
Roberts is a native of Richfield, who played his college golf at the University of Utah. He hadn't played in a tournament since last summer when he worked in Durango, Colo. He wanted to return to Utah and got the opportunity a couple of weeks ago when East Bay assistant Steve Borget got another job.
Although he had only been on the job two weeks, Roberts acknowledged he had played the course almost every day. "That helped having a little local knowledge," he said.
Roberts and Costello had begun the day two strokes behind Sutterfield and one behind Steve Brodie and amateur Mark Domm.
Sutterfield, a BYU junior-to-be, ran into trouble early, making bogeys at 3, 6, 8 and 10 and couldn't make any birdies coming in. Domm struggled to a 75.
Brodie, who had already won two pro tournaments since moving to Provo this year, seemed to be in control of the tourney, but he fell apart on the back nine, with bogeys at 12, 14, 15 and 17. "I couldn't putt today," said Brodie, who had four 3-putts.
Costello also struggled on the back nine, but made a 30-footer at No. 18 to force the playoff with
Roberts, who needed his own 6-foot par putt to tie.
In the playoff after matching each other for three holes at 16, 17 and 18, things changed at the fourth hole (No. 16 again) when Costello hit his drive in the water. But when Roberts 3-putted for bogey, Costello still had a chance. But he missed an 8-footer to tie the hole.
Three amateurs tied at 142, Ryan Rhees, Kurt Bernhisel and Morgan Brown, while Brodie, East Bay pro Kean Ridd and Domm tied at 143.
Don Larson was the senior pro winner with a 74 Saturday for a 150 total. He earned $450 as the top senior.
Darrin Overson, a Provo High student was the net winner, while Scott Price took A Flight honors and Brent Edgington was the A Flight net winner.