FARMINGTON — Doug Garwood traveled from Los Angeles to Utah this week to play golf because he likes the atmosphere he finds at Oakridge Country Club.
So far, despite the fact that he's battling a severe cold and the week has basically been golf or sleep, the trip has been worth it for the 46-year-old min-tour player. By shooting a 6-under par 66 on Saturday, to go with his 4-under 68 on Friday, he sits alone atop the Seifried & Jensen Utah Open leaderboard at 10-under par — one shot ahead of Mark Owen, Jake Ellison and Zach Johnson — with 18 holes remaining Sunday.
"I was at the Long Beach Open recently and it had a great tournament atmosphere. It reminded me of the atmosphere at the Utah Open (when he played here the past two years) and that's the kind of atmosphere I want to play in. That's why I'm back. I'm comfortable in tournaments like that, where it has that special feel and there are galleries out there watching us play golf," Garwood said.
Garwood's round Saturday was both special and worth watching. Starting on No. 10, he birdied his first two holes before making a tough bogey on the par-4 17th. On the front side, his second nine, he caught fire and birdied No. 1, No. 3, No. 6, No. 7, and capped it off by sinking an impressive 18-foot birdie putt on the difficult par-4 ninth for a closing-nine 5-under 31.
"It's always nice to finish your round like that," Garwood said.
Friday, Garwood was not only under the weather, but struggled to stay focused because of cold medication. On Saturday, he kept the medicine cabinet closed.
"I think that helped my putting," said Garwood, who finished fourth in 2007 at Oakridge. "Today I made a lot of putts in that 15-foot range, and that was really the difference in my rounds."
Garwood said his game was at rock bottom about a month ago before finding a swing key that turned his game around. He's been playing well since, and also played in the final group last week in a mini-tour event back east. Illness and all, he expects to play well again today.
"I like the golf course. It's not just a bomber's course. You have to position your ball well and you have to think your way around it," he said of Oakridge's tight layout.
In Saturday's second round, all of the best scores came from the morning groups as the afternoon players struggled to make short putts on the trodden greens. In fact, the lowest round of the tournament was posted early on by Ellison, a former BYU Cougar, who had a flawless 64 in which he had eight birdies and no bogeys.
"I played like you should," Ellison said. "I hit a lot of good shots and only hit one bad shot, and still came out fine. It was one of those days where it could have been really low."
Owen and Johnson both shot the next lowest rounds, 65 to join Ellison in second. Owen had three birdies and a bogey on his first nine holes before coming home with five birdies on his back nine. Johnson made birdie on four back-nine holes, his first nine, and then closed it out with three more on his final nine.
In addition to Ellison, Owen and Johnson, most of the others chasing Garwood are also Utahns. At 7-under par, two shots back, are Utah State Amateur champion Zac Blair, Eaglewood pro Ryan Rhees and Colorado pro Derek Tolan. St. George's Jay Don Blake, Alpine's Nick Nelson, Sandy's Steve Schneiter and former Utah Ute Dustin Pimm are tied for eighth at minus 6 — four shots back. Gallery favorites Clay Ogden and Boyd Summerhays are tied for 12th at 5-under par with Riverside assistant Chris Moody, Andrew Hoffer, Nathan Lashley and Brian Korton. Still in the hunt, but six shots behind, are Tony Finau, Jimmy Blair, Joseph Summerhays and Nick Killpack — at minus four.
First-round leader Steele DeWald got to 8-under par after nine holes on Saturday, but struggled in with a 7-over 43 on the his final nine holes.
The final group — featuring Garwood, Johnson and Ellison — will tee off Sunday around 10:45 a.m. Going out right before them will be Zac Blair, Rhees and Owen. The cut, bringing the low 60 and ties back Sunday, came at 2-over par 146. The first place check this year is $20,000 and the second place check is worth $14,000. The total purse is $105,000.
e-mail: jimr@desnews.com