MIDWAY — The Skyline High boys golf dynasty continued Tuesday with a record-breaking performance at Soldier Hollow Golf Course.
OK, maybe not a dynasty yet, but the Eagles won their third straight 5A golf title by shooting the lowest score in Utah prep history with a 35-under-par 541 total in the two-day tournament, and medalist Tyson Shelley set a record for lowest 36-hole individual score.
Shelley fired a 9-under-par 63, which paired with his 65 of the day before, gave him a two-day total of 128, besting the record of Weber’s Connor Howe in 2016 when he shot 130.
There was little doubt the Eagles would win their third straight 5A title when they jumped out to a nine-shot lead over Park City during Monday’s opening round after shooting 20-under par 268, also a one-day record. They only needed a 5-under score to break the state record set by Lone Peak in 2016, also at the Soldier Hollow Silver Course, and they shattered it.
“We have a pretty special group of guys,” said Skyline’s second-year coach Kenny James. “Park City played great, but wow, it’s crazy the numbers we put up. We’ve put up some good numbers this year, but that’s pretty crazy for state.”
Park City, which won 11 straight titles from 2008 to 2018 in lower classifications, played well enough to win the 5A title most years but finished 21 strokes behind at 562. Senior Wyatt Petersen had one of the best two-day totals in state history at 132 with two rounds of 66, but was still four shots behind Shelley. His teammate Charlie Taylor was ninth at 142.
Shelley, who is headed to BYU next year, flirted with the magic score of 59 and even told his coach he was going to try to shoot that number midway through his round. He got to 9-under par through 12 holes and added another birdie at 14. But that was as low as he got, and he made his only bogey of the day at No. 17.
Another Skyline senior, Simon Kwon, who is headed to play golf at Cal, finished third at 135 after a 68 Tuesday, while sophomore Peter Kim was fourth overall at 136 with a second-round 70.
Spanish Fork’s Jackson Rhees, finished fifth at 139, while Bonneville freshman Parker Bunn was next at 140 and Lehi’s KJ Ofahengaue and Luke Smith of Olympus tied for seventh at 141.
Besides Shelley, Kwon and Kim, others on the winning Skyline team were junior Sean Lam at 143, senior Joseph Kim at 148 and junior Spencer Clayton at 150. The Eagles also had junior Charlie Thomas competing as an individual and he finished at 152.
With just three seniors, the Skyline golf “dynasty” could continue next year and beyond.
“This is a collection of special guys, who did something special,” said James.
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5A tournament
Final team results
1. Skyline 541; 2. Park City 562; 3. Spanish Fork 574; 4. Olympus 581; T-5. Lehi, Box Elder 594; 7. Woods Cross 597; T-8. Farmington, Brighton, Viewmont 602; 11. Maple Mountain 616
Individuals
128 — Tyson Shelley, Skyline (65-63)
132 — Wyatt Petersen, Park City (66-66)
135 — Simon Kwon, Skyline (67-68)
136 — Peter Kim, Skyline (66-70)
139 — Jackson Rhees, Spanish Fork (69-70)
140 — Parker Bunn, Bonneville (74-66)
141 — KJ Ofahengaue, Lehi (68-73), Luke Smith, Olympus (70-71)
142 — Charlie Taylor, Park City (72-70)
143 — Braxton Haslam, Woods Cross (70-73), Willard Richards, Farmington (72-71), Nathan Giles, Timpview (74-69), Max Togisala, Bonneville (70-73), Sean Lam, Skyline (71-72), Tyson Clyde, Wasatch (73-70)