SARATOGA SPRINGS — Twelve golfers joined the field for this week’s PGA Tour Web.com Utah Championship, including River Oaks assistant pro Seokwon Jeon, at the qualifying tournament Monday at Talons Cove Golf Course.
Jeon, a former Hillcrest High and Utah State golfer, survived a 12-man playoff for seven spots after shooting a 7-under-par 65. He was the only Utah golfer to make it through the qualifying event for this week’s $700,000 tournament, which will be played Thursday through Sunday at Oakridge Country Club.
After shooting a 35 on the front nine, the 24-year-old Jeon came on strong on the back nine with birdies at 11 and 14, followed by back-to-back eagles at the par-5 15th and par-4 16th holes.
Chase Hanna, a 23-year-old former University of Kanasa golfer, fired a 10-under-par 62 to lead all qualifiers. Hanna, who played on the PGA LatinoAmerica Tour earlier this year, made nine birdies and an eagle with just one bogey.
Playing in the first group of the day, Hanna started with an eagle on No. 1 and birdies on 4, 7 and 9 with a lone bogey at No. 8. Then on the back nine he made birdies at 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 18.
Neil Johnson, a 36-year-old from Wisconsin, who won the 2016 Colorado Open and Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Mauchaza, were next at 63, followed by Kevin Lucas and Sam Love at 64.
Others who survived the playoff besides Jeon at 65 were Hans Reimers, Brady Sharp Jordan Gumerg, Maxwell Cohen, Michael Tolladay and Zahkai Brown, the 2016 Utah Open champion.
Among the local golfers who barely missed making it were BYU golfer Rhett Rasmussen and Joe Summerhays at 6-under par 66. Utah golfers Garrett Fotu, CJ Lee and Zach Johnson all came in at 67. In all, 156 golfers competed in the qualifying tournament.