On to match play: Peter Kim surges to the top of the leaderboard, others just looking to make cut at 2023 Utah State Amateur
Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald
The Country Club in Sugarhouse has been a tough golf course for many of the 156 players who competed in the two rounds of stroke play to start the 2023 Utah State Amateur Championship.
For those who finished their second round on Tuesday around 13, 14 or 15-over-par, it’s been a waiting game to see who would have a shot to make the cut and who would be out.
Thanks in part to a lightning delay, the last group of the day didn’t tee off until 4:30 p.m., meaning golfers were playing late into the evening to determine both match-play seeding and the cutline.
That wasn’t something that future BYU golfer Peter Kim had to worry about, however.
The 18-year-old who recently graduated from Skyline High continued his stellar play this summer by recording the best round of stroke play, firing a 67 (4-under-par) to vault into first place.
Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald
“I played well today,” Kim said. “I didn’t make any mistakes. I drove it well and made a few putts, so I played really well today. The conditions were really tough out there. It was getting super-firm and greens are so fast. It was a grind but kind of fun.”
Kim was 5-under-par for the day before a shot into the water on Hole No. 18 resulted in a bogey to close out the round.
“I took an aggressive line,” Kim said. “I thought I was safe but it took a big bounce because of how firm the ground was.”
The talented young golfer said he didn’t have any spectacular shots, but noted a 15-to-20 footer he holed from off the green on No. 11.
Mostly, he said, it’s just been about playing steady golf.
Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald
“I think I’m just playing really well right now,” Kim said. “Whatever course I play, I feel like I can play well right now. But this course is awesome. It’s so much fun to play here.”
Now the challenge changes for Kim, since in addition to playing the course he also will be facing off against an opponent in match play. He said his goal is to maintain the same mindset.
“It’s about hitting fairways and greens,” Kim said. “You want to minimize mistakes and try to stay under the hole. If you do that, you should be good. I’m looking forward to making a charge.”
Kim will get the No. 1 seed heading into the first round of match play on Wednesday but who he will be facing will be a mystery.
As the final groups finished late Tuesday evening, it looked like there would be nine golfers tied at 15-under-par with only two spots remaining.
Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald
That means that those golfers, including Highland’s Peter Ouimette and Provo’s Ryan Powers, will come to the course early on Wednesday hoping to emerge from a playoff and get one of the 64 match-play spots.
Other golfers who were at 14-under-par for the tournament, like American Fork’s Ryker Dunkley and Vineyard’s Noah Moody, got to breath a sigh of relief since they know they made the cut.
The Jones family again got three golfers into match play. Zac Jones was third (behind Kim and Utah Ute golfer Davis Johnson) at even-par for the tournament, his younger brother Cooper Jones tied for eighth at 4-over-par and older brother Tyler Jones grinded out a tough round to tie for 51st at 13-over-par.
Other local match-play qualifiers included BYU golfers Elijah Turner and Keanu Akina as well as former champs Darrin Overson of Provo and Jordan Rodgers (a former Cougar).
The first round of match play will start at The Country Club in Sugarhouse on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. For pairings and complete details, go to http://UGA.org.
Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald