SALT LAKE CITY — Preston Summerhays joined an elite list of golfers from Utah who have won USGA events by winning the U.S. Junior Amateur Saturday at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
Summerhays, who just a week earlier had won the Utah State Men's Amateur at Soldier Hollow Golf Course, defeated Bo Jin of China, 2 and 1. That makes him 12-0 in match play over the past two weeks.
"Just excitement — I've had this goal for this year to win," Summerhays said when asked what his victory meant. "I just think accomplishing this goal means everything to me."
The 16-year-old Summerhays (he turns 17 on Monday) is the son of Boyd Summerhays, who was one of the top junior golfers in the country when he was a similar age. Preston was born in Layton, but his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and they now spend their summers in Utah.
He joins a select list of Utah golfers who have won USGA titles, going back to George Von Elm, who defeated Bobby Jones in the 1926 U.S. Amateur. Other USGA victories by Utah golfers include Bountiful’s Scott Hailes at the 1995 U.S. Junior Amateur, Alpine’s Annie Thurman at 2002 U.S. Women’s Public Links, Farmington’s Clay Ogden at the 2005 Men’s Public Links and Ogden’s Kelsey Chugg at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2017.
By winning, Summerhays earned a spot in the next year’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot in New York, where he’ll play as a 17-year-old.
Like he did in two wins Friday, Summerhays fell behind early but rallied to get the victory.
After 10 holes Jin was 3 up and though Summerhays came back with an eagle at the par-5 13th hole, Jin pushed the lead back to three with a par at the 16th hole. However, Summerhays fought back with birdies at 17 and 18 to pull within one at the lunch break.
Summerhays went ahead by winning holes 21 and 22, but Jin pulled even with a par at the 27th hole. Then Summerhays went up for good with birdies at the 28th and 29th holes. Jin won the 31st hole to cut the margin to one again, but Summerhays closed out the match on the 35th hole with a remarkable birdie.
He hit his tee shot behind a tree in thick rough. But he hit over the tree from 145 yards and ended up eight feet away from where he sank the putt to win the hole and the match.
Boyd Sumemrhays is the coach of Utah’s Tony Finau, who tweeted after his round at the British Open in Northern Ireland, “My dude here —get to know the name Preston Summerhays! I’ve been telling the golf world about him for years.”