PROVO — The Utah Open golf tournament used to be the premier golf event in the state, one that attracted many out-of-state golfers and even some who were active on the PGA Tour. Then a little over a decade ago, it scaled back and changed its focus to reflect its name — a tournament geared toward golfers from Utah.
These days nearly every professional golfer in the state — close to 100 — will play in the tournament as will two dozen of the state’s top amateurs.
The rest of the 156-golfer field is made up of out-of-state golfers, including several former champions, who receive lifetime exemptions to play in the tournament.
This year, 15 former champions will play in the tournament, which gets underway Friday morning at Riverside Country Club and concludes Sunday afternoon after 54 holes of play.
Heading the list of champions is defending champion B.J. Staten, a transplanted Utahn who won last year’s tourney at Riverside by winning a three-hole playoff against another former champion, Nathan Lashley. Staten used to play on the Web.com Tour but met his future wife at the Utah tournament and settled in Utah.
Other former champs in the tourney include two-time winner Clay Ogden, Zach Johnson, Pete Stone, Dean Wilson, Mike Malaska, Jimmy Blair, Kim Thompson, Steve Friesen, Nick Mason, James Drew, J.B. Sneve, Todd Demsey and Mike Reid.
For the 61-year-old Reid, it will mark his first Utah Open appearance in three decades. Reid won the tournament in 1983 and 1985 at Willow Creek Country Club, but pursued a lucrative career on the PGA Tour and then on the Champions Tour after he turned 50.
Also playing this week are top local pros such as Steve Schneiter, Chris Moody, Tracy Zobell, Tommy Sharp, Joe Summerhays, Matt Baird, Gipper Finau, Dustin Pimm, Mark Owen and Keith Clearwater.
OPEN NOTES: The tournament sponsor is Siegfried & Jensen law firm. … The total purse is $135,000, with $21,000 going to the winner. … The tournament charity once again is Special Olympics of Utah. … Golfers from 13 different states will play in the tournament as well as one from Scotland. … This marks the second straight year the tournament is being hosted by Riverside Country Club.