State Golf: Lone Peak tops leaderboard in 6A, Corner Canyon one stroke back
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- Lone Peak’s Austin Jones tees off for his team during Monday’s 6A state championships at the Links at Sleepy Ridge in Orem.
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- Ben Lucero tees off for the Knights who are strong contenders for the 6A golf championship at the Links at Sleepy Ridge in Orem.
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- Westin Rich leads off the team competition for Lone Peak during Monday’s 6A golf championships at the Links at Sleepy Ridge in Orem.
If it’s early October, the leaves are changing and Lone Peak and Corner Canyon are battling it out on the golf course for the Class 6A boys title.
The Knights hold a scant one-stroke lead over the Chargers after Day 1 of this year’s finals at The Links at Sleepy Ridge in Orem, with the completion of the event on Tuesday.
“It’s been that way between us the whole year,” Lone Peak coach Derek Farr said. “Just one shot here and one shot there. It’s nuts, just two good teams. Too bad we can’t get this on ESPN.”
Lone Peak won five straight state championships from 2018 to 2022, with Corner Canyon as runner-up in 2021 and 2022. But the Chargers have claimed the past two team titles, edging the Knights by nine strokes in 2023 and seven strokes last season.
“You just never know out there,” Farr said. “I thought we left some things out there today. It was a crazy day where we looked like we were going good but stubbed our toe and had to fight back. In fact, I was kind of surprised to see we were in the lead.”
Lone Peak sophomore Blake Brown has the lead for medalist honors at -7 after the first 18 holes, one stroke ahead of teammate Austin Jones and Corner Canyon senior William Pizza.
Corner Canyon raced to a three-stroke lead after carding a -12 on the front nine but fell back with an even score on the back. Lone Peak, meanwhile, went -4 on the back nine to take that one-stroke lead into the final day.
Brown was -5 on the front nine and managed three birdies on the back, including on the par-5 No. 17 and par-4 No. 18. Jones had a great second half of his day, going -5 on the back with birdies on six of the nine holes.
Pizza is tied with Brown for second at -6. Senior Will Barrick of Bingham and senior Jaxon Erickson of Riverton are tied for fourth at -5.
Lone Peak’s third golfer in the clubhouse is senior Noah Goeckeritz, who shot a -2 by knocking in birdies on 17 and 18 to finish his round.
Lone Peak has won 12 boys golf state titles and current BYU golfer Kihei Akina claimed individual honors in 2021, 2022 and 2024 for the Knights.
“Our two sophomores, Blake Brown and Ryder Huish, have been leading us all year,” Farr said. “Then we have a group of six guys that have all shot low this year. We’ve got to do it all by committee.
“Tomorrow we need four scores under because Corner Canyon is going to get four scores under. Once we get off the bus and get home, we’ve got to forget about today and start thinking about tomorrow. Nothing is guaranteed. You’ve just got to make your plans, strike the ball, see where it goes and try to manage the course.”
CLASS 5A
Skyline has won six of the past seven 5A titles, with the only miss in 2023 when Olympus took the crown.
After the first 18 holes at TalonsCove Golf Course in Saratoga Springs on Monday, the two powerhouses are deadlocked at -3.
Timpview, which took an early lead, finished Day 1 in a tie with West Field for third at +8. Spanish Fork is tied for sixth with Brighton at +11 and Salem Hills is tied for eighth with Viewmont at +12.
Skyline went -6 on the front nine to take a three-stroke lead but Olympus caught its rival on the back, notching even par while the Eagles put up a three-over score.
Senior Will Pedersen of Olympus leads the individual competition by two strokes at -7, followed by senior Austin Shelley of Skyline at -5. Junior Ethan Luna of West Field and senior Lincoln Peterson of Olympus are tied for third at -4.
Salem Hills sophomore Carson Peterson converted seven birdies on the day, finishing with a birdie on 18 and is alone in fifth place at -3. Timpview senior Calvin Lillywhite is tied for sixth with Brighton sophomore Alex Rodgers and Viewmont junior Cover Barnes in sixth at -2.
Salem Hills senior Daniel Romney made the top 10 as well, tied for 10th at even par.
Day 2 begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
