SALT LAKE CITY — Joe Summerhays came to the 18th hole at Bonneville Golf Course Sunday evening with a one-shot lead at the Salt Lake City Open, a tournament he had won 12 years earlier in a playoff.
Summerhays faced a tricky uphill putt from the bottom of the green from a spot one onlooker said he’s seen several three-putts. Summerhays knew he just had to two-putt to get the victory and he felt confident because he calls himself a “good lag putter.”
“It was such a hard putt, I just threw it up there and it happened to go in,” said Summerhays, who reacted in his usual low-key style, meaning he didn’t react at all.
The 60-foot putt with “about 12 feet of break” gave Summerhays a two-shot victory over Tommy Sharp, who nearly chipped in from off the green at 18, although it wouldn’t have made a difference after Summerhays’ monster putt. Summerhays finished with a 68 at Bonneville for a 135 total to win the $5,000 first-place check in the tournament presented by new sponsor Summit Southeby’s International Realty.
Finishing third overall was Skyline High golfer Simon Kwon, who was the low amateur at 138. Another stroke back at 139 were amateurs Steven Croft, Elijah Turner, Dan Horner, Mitchell Schow, Brady Stanger and professional Matt Baird.
The 48-year-old Summerhays, who is a teaching pro at Eagle Lake GC and Oakridge Country Club, had begun the day in a tie with Sharp, a teaching pro at the Golf Lab, and Salt Lake amateur Brady Stanger.
He shot a 35 on the front nine and looked to be in control when he made an eagle-3 at No. 16 when he hit his 8-iron within a couple of feet for an eagle. But he started “leaking oil” with a bogey at 17 and his lead was down to one when he teed off No. 18.
He hit a 3-iron some 300 yards downhill, leaving himself with 147 yards. He wanted to get within 20 feet, but hit short, which he called “disappointing,” but “maybe where I needed to be,” considering he sank the long, winding putt.
Ryan Rhees won the senior division, Haley Sturgeon won the women’s division, Brett Hess was the amateur A Flight winner and Calvin Merrell won the B Flight.
Simon Kwon
Randy Dodson, Fairways Media
SALT LAKE CITY OPEN (a-denotes amateur)
135 — Joe Summerhays (67-68)
137 — Tommy Sharp (67-70)
138 — a-Simon Kwon (68-70)
139 — Matt Baird (70-69), a-Steven Croft (71-68), Elijah Turner (70-69), a-Dan Horner (70-69), a-Mitchell Schow (69-70), a-Brady Stanger (67-72)
140 — a-Kelton Hirsch (70-70)
141 — Justin Keiley (71-70), a-Blake Tomlinson (70-71), a-Devin Tovey (69-72)
142 — a-David Timmins (70-72), a-Ryan Brimley (72-70)
Ryan Rees
Randy Dodson, Fairways Media
Senior professionals
141 — Ryan Rhees (66-75)
144 — Steve Schneiter (73-71)
145 — Tom Costello (74-71), Mark Owen (76-69)
Haley Sturgeon
Randy Dodson, Fairways Media
Women professionals
146 — Haley Sturgeon
149 — Sadie Palmer
Amateur A Flight
142 — Brett Hess
144 — Skyler Doran
147 — Nelson Krogue
B Flight
151 — Calvin Merrell
155 — Josh Colledge
156 — Joshua Jensen