For the second time in three weeks, the PGA Tour will come to Utah when the Buy.com Utah Classic is played at Willow Creek Country Club.
Until the PGA Tour changes the name of the Buy.com Tour, which was formerly known as the Nike Tour and Ben Hogan Tour, to something like PGA Tour 2, a lot of golf fans won't realize that it's run by the PGA Tour.
"These guys are just as good as the PGA Tour guys, they're just not there yet," said Evan Byers, the executive director of the Utah Classic. "The quality of golf on this tour is just getting better and better."
The Buy.com Tour is known as sort of the Triple-A version of Major League Baseball with up-and-coming golfers dominating. However, it also has several stars from years past. In fact this week's tournament will feature 11 former champions who have combined for 22 PGA Tour victories.
Among the former champs are four-time winners Chip Beck and Morris Hatalsky, three-time winner Gary Hallberg and ex-BYU golfer Dick Zokol. One amateur who will play in the tournament is 17-year-old Daniel Summerhays, who made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur last week. He received one of two sponsors' exemptions.
Play gets under way Thursday in the $425,000 tournament that awards $76,500 to the winner and runs through Sunday. Pro-ams will be held Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning and afternoon.
On Tuesday, a Celebrity Skins Game will be held at 3 p.m. with a junior golf clinic at 5 p.m. along with an appearance by trick-shot artist Peter Johncke. The first 500 kids will receive a free T-shirt and a weeklong pass to the tournament.
As a special promotion, Wells Fargo will sponsor a course-record challenge. The first player who breaks the course record of 61 in any of the four rounds will earn $50,000 with $50,000 going to the Utah Boys Ranch.
On Monday, an open qualifying tournament will be played at Wingpointe Golf Course with 176 golfers vying for 14 spots. Among those trying to make the tournament will be Boyd Summerhays, Daniel's older brother, who has decided to turn professional.
Three local players, Milan Swilor, Scott Brandt and Steve Schneiter, qualified for the tournament at the Utah Section qualifying tournament last week.
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