5A and 6A boys golfers set tone on Day 1 of state tournaments
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- Timpview freshman Mo Lecheminant hits a sand shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Orem sophomore Maddox Nielsen watches his drive during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Timpanogos sophomore Noah Moody hits a chip shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Orem sophomore Maddox Nielsen (left) shakes hands with the other golfers in his group during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Spanish Fork senior Jackson Rhees watches his drive during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Salem Hills junior Cooper Nelson watches his drive during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Salem Hills senior Ty Johnson hits a drive during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Spanish Fork senior Jackson Rhees hits a chip shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Spanish Fork sophomore Ben Clayson watches his drive during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Timpview sophomore Kaden Linford hits a chip shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Salem Hills senior Jens Treanor watches his shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
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- Timpanogos sophomore Noah Moody hits a shot during the first round of the 5A state tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.
When asked what was working for them on the first day of the 5A state boys golf tournament at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Monday, Orem sophomore Maddox Nielson and Timpanogos sophomore Noah Moody both had the same answer.
They felt like the key to their success in the opening round was all about getting putts to drop.
“”My putting definitely saved me today,” Moody said. “My chipping could definitely do a little better. The greens here are small, so you have to hit them to play well and have good chipping.”
Nielson agreed, saying: “I made some good putt coming in. I had some good up-and-downs, then I started to drive the ball better at the end of the round.”
The two sophomores certainly had a lot to be pleased with, since they ended up in a tie for third with matching 69s (3-under-par), two strokes behind Skyline sophomore Jackson Shelley (who shot 67, 5-under-par).
Moody, who is playing as an individual since the Timberwolf team didn’t make the cut, credited the work that had been put in to make the course ready for the event.
“The course is in super-good shape,” Moody said. “The greens are awesome.”
As is always the case with golf, there were good moments and bad moments. Moody said the highlight of his day was getting an eagle on Hole No. 14.
“I hit my driver down the middle but still ended up in the rough between the two fairways,” Moody said. “I then hit my 9-iron to within about two feet. I think that eagle put me in the lead for a little bit.”
Nielson enjoyed shooting a solid score but talked about how he was looking to stay consistent for both himself and his Tiger teammates.
“It was a pretty good round,” Nielson said. “There were some ups and downs but I was glad that I got a few birdies at the end. You’ve always got to know there are holes left and you can go get some birdies. You’ve also got to keep you head in it for your team. You don’t want to get down on yourself because you want to do well for the team.”
Led by Nielsen, Orem ended up having a solid round to kick things off and sit tied for fifth at 294, while Spanish Fork — led by an even-par 72 from senior Carson Whitkaer — is one stroke better and tied for third.
All of the 5A teams are chasing Skyline, which fired a 285 to take the lead into the second day of action.
Both Nielson and Moody feel great about being the hunt for medalist honors heading into Tuesday’s final round.
“I’m going to try not to think about it too much,” Nielsen said. “You want to have a good warmup and then go out there and try to play as well as you can. You want to just go out there, have another good day like this and see what happens.”
Moody said: “I’m definitely going to improve on my driving. If I can putt the same way, then I could have a good chance of winning tomorrow. It’s fun to be in this position. I’m excited.”
The second round of the 5A tournament is scheduled to take place at Oquirrh Hills golf course in Tooele on Tuesday, with the first golfer teeing off at 9 a.m.
While Moody, Nielsen and Shelley were the leaders in 5A, none could come close to matching what a pair of Lone Peak golfers did in the first round of the 6A state tournament at TalonsCove golf course in Saratoga Springs on Monday.
Knight sophomore Kihei Akina started his defense of his 2021 title with a fantastic round, tallying an eagle and six birdies on his way to shooting an impressive score of 64 (8-under-par).
That was three shots better than any golfer from any other team — but he was still in second place, three shots behind the leader.
That’s because his Lone Peak teammate, senior Cooper Jones, continued his jaw-dropping season with a staggering two eagles and seven birdies. His performance resulted in a score of 61 (11-under-par) and a big lead heading into the second day of the tournament.
With Jones and Akina leading the way, it isn’t that surprising that the Knights have a big edge.
Lone Peak senior Luke Seaquist finished the day tied for fifth at 69 (3-under-par), while Knight senior Quin Abbott tied for 14th at 71 (1-under-par).
Those scores resulted in Lone Peak coming in with a team score of 265, with Corner Canyon in second at 277. Skyridge is tied for ninth (305) while American Fork came in 11th (306).
The Knights will look to secure their fifth consecutive 6A crown dating back to 2018 when the final round gets underway Tuesday at TalonsCove golf course in Saratoga Springs. The first groups are scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m.
For complete scoring and pairing details from the 5A and 6A boys golf tournaments, go to UHSAA.org.
