Three days after earning the dream of a lifetime — an invitation to the Masters for winning the U.S. Public Links golf tournament — Clay Ogden was a man in demand.
He was playing TalonsCove Golf Course by Utah Lake as part of a Utah Open media day. Ogden wasn't even going to play in the tournament the following week because of a conflict with the Pacific Coast Amateur. Yet he still took time out from his suddenly busy schedule to drive for more than an hour from his home to play another round of golf and put up with a few more interviews.
In between shots, playing in a group that included three writers, the 20-year-old fielded several calls on his cell phone.
A student for the BYU TV station wondered if she could take a few minutes for an interview that afternoon. A local newspaper columnist wanted a few minutes to talk about Ogden's match against Michelle Wie.
Midway through the round, three representatives from BYU's Daily Universe suddenly appeared looking for "Clay Ogden." They knew he wasn't one of the older gentlemen in the foursome, but they may have been a bit surprised he was the skinny kid, all of 132 pounds, who looked like he might still be in high school.
For several holes they followed the foursome, the one with the camera snapping pictures of Ogden at inopportune times, like during his backswing. Sometimes they stood on the green, within feet of Ogden as he tried to make a putt.
Ogden took the distractions in stride, never once complaining or asking for a little space. He just kept hitting his straight-down-the-middle 300-yard drives and sinking birdie after birdie. When the round was over, Ogden had fashioned a tidy little 64, one of the best rounds ever played on the young course. Oh, and by the way, did we mention it was the first time he had ever laid eyes on the course?
For Ogden, life has been a bit of a whirlwind ever since he shocked the golf world in mid-July by beating Wie and then moving on to win one of the top amateur events in the country. Here he was, a kid from a small town in Utah, who couldn't even play regular on his college golf team the past two years, beating some of the best amateurs in the world.
Ogden went down to Phoenix for several days with his family later that week and got a couple of golf lessons from Jim Dieter, who worked with him earlier in the spring. He came back to Utah for a few days and then it was off to Oregon for the Pacific Coast Amateur. All he did there was lead the tournament for three days before finishing third.
Two days after that, it was off to Ireland, where he'll spend 10 days with his BYU teammates and coach Bruce Brockbank before returning to play in the U.S. Amateur in Pennsylvania. Right after that is the start of school and his junior season for the BYU golf team.
For becoming just the fourth Utahn ever to win a United States Golf Association event — something many longtime Utah golf observers have called the greatest achievement by a Utah golfer ever — Ogden is a logical choice as the Deseret Morning News Athlete of the Month for July.
Ogden got started playing golf at a young age at his home in West Point, a town southwest of Ogden near the Great Salt Lake.
He and his father, Bruce, who worked for the Davis School District and had time off in the summer, used to spend hours at Davis Park Golf Course. Ogden would chip balls to a practice green and his father would shag the balls for him.
"My dad took me all the time," Ogden said. "I got addicted to it."
Ogden started playing tournaments early on and one year when he was 9, he took second place in 12 of the 14 junior tournaments during the summer. Ten-year-olds such as Danny Summerhays, Steven Newren and Casey Fowles would always beat him. Thankfully, there was a Deseret News-sponsored tournament at the time called the "No Champs" for players who hadn't won a tournament. Young Clay won that and qualified for the year-ending tournament of champions.
He's been winning ever since.
Besides winning numerous junior titles, Ogden was a two-time medalist at Davis High School, while helping his team to four state titles.
He has won several local amateur events in the past couple of years, including four this summer in Utah.
In early July, Ogden made it to the quarterfinals of the Utah State Amateur, but "ran into a buzzsaw" against 46-year-old schoolteacher Jeff Powars. "He was making more putts than anyone I've ever seen," Ogden said.
Ogden took right off for the Public Links tournament in Lebanon, Ohio, where he barely survived the qualifying for match play, winning a playoff to get in as the 62nd seed.
He had to come from behind in each of his first three matches, and then he was paired off against Wie, one of the most famous golfers in the world already at the age of 15. All eyes were focused on the teenage sensation, but Ogden birdied four of the first five holes and won 5 and 4, ending her dream of being the first female at the Masters.
"There were about 10,000 people watching that match and about 20 for the next match," Ogden said.
Ogden won his semifinal match, coming from behind again to beat Garrett Jones of Wisconsin, and made it to the finals. Playing against Martin Ureta of Chile, it looked like Ogden was destined for another of those second-place finishes he endured as a 9-year-old.
He lost four of the first seven holes and trailed throughout the match. His father, who was caddying for Clay all tournament, kept reminding his son to be patient in the 36-hole final.
However, once again Ogden played the role of the comeback kid. Down one with four to play, Ogden won two straight holes, including a birdie at the 34th hole to take the lead. Then he matched Ureta on the final two holes, sinking a two-footer on the final hole to win the tournament and earn his trip to the Masters.
"He's a great kid," said Brockbank, who won a recruiting battle for Ogden with Arizona State. "He's a feisty competitor and a hard worker. He has big aspirations and obviously he's found out he can accomplish those things."
Remarkably, Ogden's two-year career at BYU has been less than impressive. He's only played in a handful of tournaments and didn't qualify for the Cougars' postseason tournaments either year.
"He puts a little too much pressure on himself," Brockbank said.
Ogden gives credit to his longtime teacher, Mike Lewis at Glen Eagle GC, and to Dieters, an Arizona instructor he became acquainted with earlier this year. He made some changes to his swing, mostly to do with his lower body and it has paid off.
Earlier this summer, Brockbank saw Ogden hitting balls on the range.
Ogden called him over and hit three or four three balls while Brockbank watched, impressed.
"I said, 'Wow, what's going on?' " Brockbank said. "He just winked at me and said, 'I'm just trying a few things.' "
Brockbank fully expects Ogden's strong play of late to continue this fall for the BYU golf team.
"His confidence has skyrocketed," Brockbank says. "He's put himself on a new level this summer."
Clay Ogden file
Hometown: West Point, Davis County
School: Set to begin junior season at BYU
July highlights: Made national headlines by beating 15-year-old phenom Michelle Wie in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Public Links golf tournament; became just the fourth Utahn ever to win a USGA event by winning the U.S. Public Links, called by many longtime Utah golf observers the greatest achievement by a Utah golfer ever; earned an invitation to next year's Masters; made it to the quarterfinals of the Utah State Amateur.
2005 Deseret Morning News Athletes of the Month
January — Andrew Bogut, Utah basketball
February — Spencer Nelson, USU basketball
March — Annabeth Eberle, Utah gymnastics
April — Nick Becker, BYU golf
May — Mike Reid, Champions Tour golfer
June — Brian Gordon, Salt Lake Stingers baseball
July — Clay Ogden, U.S. Public Links golf champion
E-mail: sor@desnews.com