I was real nervous coming into today, but luckily I was hitting it really well all day and made a lot of putts when I needed to and it all worked out. – Kelsey Chugg
SANDY — After winning the Women’s State Amateur in 2012 and 2013, Kelsey Chugg was upset in last year’s quarterfinals and had to sit on the sidelines as Sirene Blair claimed her first State Am title.
Chugg returned with a vengeance this year, winning four matches, three by comfortable margins, including Thursday's finals match over Brooklyn Hocker by a 5 and 4 margin at Hidden Valley Country Club.
Earlier in the day, Chugg had knocked off medalist Lea Garner by a 6 and 5 count, meaning Chugg only had to play 27 of the scheduled 36 holes of her two matches.
“It’s awesome to win again,’’ said the 24-year-old former Weber State golfer. “I was real nervous coming into today, but luckily I was hitting it really well all day and made a lot of putts when I needed to and it all worked out.’’
Chugg, who works as the membership director for the Utah Golf Association, didn’t look the least bit nervous Thursday as she smashed her drives past her opponents and made key putt after key putt.
In the morning match, she lost the first hole with a bogey. Then she rolled in a long birdie putt at No. 2 and the blitz was on. Starting at No. 4, Chugg won six of the next seven holes, including birdies at 5, 9 and 10. With a 6-up lead at that point, she was able to close out the match with pars at 11, 12 and 13.
In the afternoon, she won the first two holes, dropped No. 4 with a bogey, then ran off four straight hole wins from No. 9 through No. 12, the latter with a chip-in birdie.
With a 5-up lead, it was only a matter of time, and Chugg sank a tricky 8-footer to halve the 13th hole, then rolled in a 12-footer at No. 14 before Hocker had a chance to putt from a similar length, to end the match.
The 20-year-old Hocker, who will be a junior at BYU this fall, had knocked off Blair, who plays for San Diego State, in the other morning semifinal, making a birdie-2 on the second playoff hole. The match was close all the way with neither player ever leading by more than one hole.
When asked if the long morning match made a difference in the afternoon final, Hocker replied “maybe a little,’’ but gave the credit to Chugg for her fine play.
“It was a little tiring, but Kelsey was on fire and played some great shots,’’ Hocker said. “She was so consistent. I can see why she’s a three-time champion.’’
For Garner, a teammate of Hocker’s at BYU, it marked the fifth straight year she has lost in the semifinals of the State Am. She had won medalist honors for the second straight year on Tuesday and won her first two matches Wednesday before losing to Chugg.
Chugg’s closest match came in Wednesday’s quarterfinals when she beat 16-year-old Naomi Soifua 2 and 1. In her first match she defeated Katie Perkins 6 and 5.
Now that’s she’s dominated Utah’s top women golfers for three of the last four years, does Chugg have any professional aspirations?
She said she’s thought about it, but added, “I’m not sure if that’s the direction I’m going to go. I’m enjoying my job, so I’d like to stick with it.’’