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BYU's Simon Kwan takes a shot at the Utah State Amateur in Logan on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

Randy Dodson, Fairways Media

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Bowen Mauss poses with the championship trophy after winning the Utah State Amateur in Logan on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

Randy Dodson, Fairways Media

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BYU's Simon Kwan watches a shot at the Utah State Amateur in Logan on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

Randy Dodson, Fairways Media

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LOGAN – BYU senior Simon Kwon claimed a runner-up finish to Arizona State commit Bowen Mauss 5 and 4 at the 127th Utah State Amateur Championship Saturday afternoon at Logan Country Club and Eagle Mountain Golf Course.

In three of the four times playing in this event, Kwon was able to advance to the final 36-hole match play round while winning it all in 2023. The senior now has a 17-3 match play record in this tournament. Kwon became the 16th cougar in program history to reach the final round since 2000.

The championship round had Kwon facing off against Mauss who is BYU sophomore Jackson Mauss’ younger brother. The Mauss’ played against each other in the quarterfinals on Friday where Bowen squeaked by Jackson with a 1-up win. Jackson caddied for Bowen in the final round.

Kwon had a strong start going 2-up through three holes after a birdie on the par 3. Mauss quickly came back and took the lead on the eighth hole after pars on holes four, six, and eight. The deficit increased to 2-up after a chaotic 10th hole led to a Mauss win with a bogey on the par-4.

Kwon and Mauss teetered for the rest of the morning 18. Mauss birdied the 12th hole to 3-up, Kwon countered with a birdie of his own on hole 13, then Mauss shot another birdie on the 14th hole to go back to 3-up. Kwon finishes the first half of the match with a birdie on hole 18 to cut the lead down to 2-up.

Kwon eventually fatigued against the 18-year-old Mauss as the afternoon 18 wore on. Mauss birdied the first hole, parred the third and birdied the fifth which made it a 5-hole deficit for Kwon. Even though Kwon birdied the par-3 sixth and the par-4 seventh to cut the gap to three, Mauss answered back on hole eight in spite of a bogey and hole 10 with a birdie. Mauss maintained his lead throughout the rest of the round and sealed the deal with a 5 and 4 win.

In the stroke play qualifying rounds on Monday and Tuesday, Kwon competed in a 156-player field. He carded a 1-over 71 at Logan Country Club and 2-under 68 at Eagle Mountain Golf Course which gave him the No. 12 seed in the match play portion of the tournament. Additionally, Angus Klintworth, Tyson and Jackson Shelley, Mauss and former Cougars David Timmins, Cole Ogden and Brad Sutterfield emerged to bracket play.

Kwon’s round of 64 featured a match against No. 53 John Owen. After the rising senior took the lead with a birdie on the sixth hole, he never looked back and sealed the 5 and 4 victory with a birdie on hole 14.

Kwon never trailed in the round of 32 match versus No. 44 Daren Johnson. Kwon went 1-up with a par on hole three. Although he relinquished the lead two holes later, Kwon regained the lead with a birdie on the seventh hole and proceeded to widen his lead to an eventual 5 and 3 win.

On Thursday’s round of 16, Kwon went on to face his current teammate T. Shelley who was seeded No. 5 overall. Shelley shot 4-under in the stroke play rounds carding 68 at both courses. This back-and-forth battle featured four lead changes before Kwon pulled ahead for good. A birdie-birdie-par sequence on holes 14 through 16 was enough to escape with a 3 and 2 win over T. Shelley.

The quarterfinals was initially an uphill climb for Kwon against No. 13 John Fox. Fox led for the majority of the front nine until Kwon tied him with a birdie on the ninth hole. Despite starting the back nine with a bogey, Kwon went 1-up on Fox after he started with a double bogey. Kwon extended his lead to 2-up with a par on hole 12 then 3-up with a birdie on hole 14. Kwon rode that lead to a 3 and 2 victory to eliminate Fox.

Kwon took on the medalist from the qualifying rounds, Noah Schone, for the semifinal match. After being tied through seven holes, Kwon ripped off six wins in the last seven holes to take down Schone.

Kwon, the state amateur runner-up, fell to the champion Mauss 5 and 4 in the championship match.

“It was a great showing overall for BYU men’s golf,” Director of Golf Todd Miller said. “Simon was pretty dominant once he got to match play. Outside the final match, he never had to go past the 16th hole. I’m really proud of the way he represented our golf program and family.”