Juab’s Denver Douglas left Stansbury Park Golf Course on Wednesday afternoon pretty ticked off.
As Day 1 of the 3A state tournament came to a close, the senior led by two with two holes to play but bogeyed No. 17 and 18 to finish tied.
“After making those two bogeys I was pretty pissed, because I should’ve been 5-under,” said Douglas.
After calming his nerves overnight, Douglas was in a great spot mentally when he arrived Thursday, and it didn’t take him long to erase the prior day’s disappointment.
Douglas birdied the first two holes to regain the lead and never looked back, shooting a 9-under 63 with no bogeys to capture the 3A individual title.
“After yesterday I knew I had to go low because we were tied, so I birded the first two and I just kind of fell at ease after that,” said Douglas, who finished 12-under for the tournament.
“I’ve struggled freshman, sophomore, junior year of playing golf, so it’s a good win finally.”
Douglas and his family have only lived in Utah for three years, the first two in Stansbury Park and this year in Nephi.
He finished top 10 in the 4A state tournament a year ago, and after moving to Nephi chuckled when he heard this year’s 3A state tournament was on his old home course, which he lived less than a mile from.
He knows from experience that Stansbury Park is an open, forgiving course, but said that with as well as he was playing in all facets of his game Thursday, course knowledge didn’t play much a factor in his success.
“I went bogey free, so really the entire course I was playing well. The entire front nine was really good, I was able to score. Then on the back nine, I parred a ton, and then I finally made a putt or two,” said Douglas.
It’s a good thing Douglas went low, too, because Morgan’s Caleb Rees was playing one group ahead and had a phenomenal round also.
After 1-over 73 in the opening round, the junior Rees shot a 7-under 65 to finish runner-up. He eagled No. 15 and 17. His Morgan teammate Jace Benson got hot as well, shooting a 6-under 66 to finish in third place after a 1-over opening round.
The clutch play from Rees and Benson helped Morgan’s team overcome a 12-shot deficit after the opening round to win the 3A state championship. After shooting a 301 on the first day, Morgan shot a 280 on Day 2 to beat Juab by four strokes (585).
Rees and Benson accounted for 15 of the 21-stroke improvement.
“We made a run on the front nine and got caught up and then it was back forth for the last holes,” said Morgan coach Dennis Peterson.
“Our two horses at the end were playing amazing golf. Got the job done for us.”
Morgan has won six of the past eight 3A state titles.
Richfield led after after the opening round with a 289, followed by Juab in second (295) and Morgan third (301).
Peterson stressed with his players the deficit was far from insurmountable. He reminded them that in the spring, Morgan’s girls golf team trailed by 17 strokes after the first round, but within 12 holes the next day led by four strokes.
“We did not play good golf yesterday. We started out today just playing our normal stuff,” said Peterson, whose team finished second to Richfield in last year’s state tournament.
“They’re such a bunch of good kids. We only lost one from last year, but he was our one, but that just shows all these other guys stepped up and filled in the gap. Got it done today.”
Morgan finished with an 8-under, 581 team score, the only team in the red numbers this week. Juab finished second with a 585, followed by Richfield in third with a 602.
Richfield’s third-place was led by a fourth-place individual finish from Max Albrecht, who posted a 4-under — one of only four golfers to shoot under par of the four days.
Along with Rees and Benson’s top three performances, Morgan’s other two scoring golfers in the final round also finished in the top 14.
Freshman Braxton Telford and senior Kash Peterson both shot 74 on Thursday, with Telford in seventh and Peterson 14th.
Juab’s runner-up finish was highlighted by medalist Douglas along with Crue Cowan (fifth), Ty Bender (11th) and Jaylen Dinkel (tied for 18th).
Class 3A state tournament
At Stansbury Park Golf Course
Team scores (Day 2)
- 581 — Morgan
- 585 — Juab
- 602 — Richfield
- 613 — Union
- 616 — Carbon
- 639 — Delta
- 645 — Ogden
- 647 — Logan
Individual standings (Top 25)
- 132 — Denver Douglas, Juab
- 138 — Caleb Rees, Morgan
- 139 — Jace Benson, Morgan
- 140 — Max Albrecht, Richfield
- 144 — Crue Cowan, Juab
- 146 — Dayton King, Carbon
- 148 — Braxton Telford, Morgan
- 149 — Caleb Weight, Union
- 150 — Levi King, Carbon
- 150 — Jorgen Southwick, Richfield
- 152 — Ty Bender, Juab
- 153 — Cade Frandsen, Union
- 153 — Owen Smith, Union
- 154 — Kash Peterson, Morgan
- 156 — Braden Anderson, Logan
- 156 — Dallin Eliason, Ogden
- 156 — Braigen McConnell, Richfield
- 157 — Kyler Davies, Delta
- 157 — Davis Wilkins, Morgan
- 157 — Jaylen Dinkel, Juab
- 157 — Jett Wall, Richfield
- 158 — Champ Justice, Emery
- 158 — Dreyden Wood, Delta
- 158 — Parley Gladwell, Ogden
- 159 — Brennen Mecham, Union