BYU golfer Carson Lundell and three others acquired sponsor’s exemptions into the Utah Championship subsequent week. Randy Dodson, Fairways Media
FARMINGTON — BYU golfer Carson Lundell was on the Cougars’ follow facility at Fox Hole Golf Course in American Fork final week making ready to play in subsequent week’s Western Newbie within the Chicago space when he received a “random textual content “ from an unknown telephone quantity.
Seems it was PGA Tour star Tony Finau, asking Lundell if he had a couple of minutes to speak.
“I'm like, yeah, positive, what’s up?” Lundell mentioned.
Finau, who gained the 3M Open in Minnesota on Sunday, instructed Lundell that there was a sponsor’s exemption out there to him to play in subsequent week’s Utah Championship on the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour if he needed it. Lundell jumped on the alternative, and withdrew from the Western Am the subsequent day.
“It was only a complete shock to me, and I'm so, so grateful for the consideration and the chance to play in Utah the place I'm from and have performed my complete life in a event like this.” — BYU golfer Carson Lundell
“It was only a complete shock to me, and I'm so, so grateful for the consideration and the chance to play in Utah the place I'm from and have performed my complete life in a event like this,” mentioned the former Lone Peak Excessive product.
In a information convention Tuesday at Oakridge Nation Membership, website of this 12 months’s Utah Championship for the sixth straight 12 months, officers introduced that Lundell, 24, and 26-year-old Patrick Flavin have acquired unrestricted exemptions into the event.
Former BYU golfer Peter Kuest, 24, and former BYU golfer and PGA Tour common Daniel Summerhays, 38, are receiving restricted exemptions.
Flavin performed for 4 years at Miami (Ohio) College and just lately tied for tenth on the John Deere Traditional in his dwelling state of Illinois to all however guarantee he'll meet the nonmember FedEx Cup factors threshold to play within the KFT qualifying finals.
Eight extra spots are open in a qualifying occasion at TalonsCove Golf Membership in Saratoga Springs on Monday.
Two different BYU golf merchandise — Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn — may even play at Oakridge subsequent week. The event begins Thursday, Aug. 4, and runs by means of Aug. 7.
Fishburn, an Ogden native who additionally spoke at Tuesday’s information convention, ranks 71st on the KFT cash record with 5 tournaments remaining. Blair is rehabbing after an harm took him away from aggressive golf the final short time.
“I feel we now have had great success come out of this exemption program, up to now, and (we) search for extra sooner or later,” mentioned Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports activities Fee, which hosts the event with Zions Financial institution because the presenter. The USC selects the exempt gamers along with the sponsors, the KFT and the Tony Finau Basis.
“I'm tremendous, tremendous excited to be right here,” Lundell mentioned. “I can’t thank Jeff and Tony sufficient for giving me this exemption.”
Lundell will compete as an newbie as a result of he plans to return to BYU for a fifth season allowed by the NCAA because of the pandemic shortening the 2019-20 season.
“I've yet another 12 months of faculty golf at BYU, and hopefully I shall be the place these guys are all at in a couple of years — enjoying on the Korn Ferry Tour, making my approach to my dream of being on the PGA Tour,” Lundell mentioned. “I'm tremendous excited for subsequent week and I wish to be as ready as doable. I'm so grateful for the chance.”
Kuest, from Fresno, California, performed at BYU from 2016-20 and recorded 10 profession wins and was a first-team All-American. He’s performed in 11 Korn Ferry Tour occasions this season, making 5 cuts. He mentioned he was “method down” the record to get into the occasion, so the exemption is required and much-appreciated.
“That is an unimaginable alternative for me simply to showcase my talents and play the sport I really like,” he mentioned. “I do know I'm not from Utah, however each time I (see) Tony he jokes round that Utah golf has claimed me. So I'm extraordinarily grateful for that, and to everybody for giving me this chance to comply with my goals and comply with that PGA Tour dream and simply preserve enjoying and have one other alternative to (make) the (KFT) playoffs.”
4 former or present BYU golfers will play within the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship subsequent week at Oakridge Nation Membership. (Center 4 are golfers; different two are event officers). pic.twitter.com/viuhpOVGP2
— Jay Drew (@drewjay) July 26, 2022
Kuest has made American Fork his dwelling base after dwelling in Las Vegas for a 12 months. Skilled golf is a troublesome enterprise, he mentioned, so getting this type of alternative isn’t one thing to take with no consideration.
“I’m extremely fortunate and lucky,” he mentioned. “I’m simply actually, actually grateful.”
Fishburn, whose dwelling base is now lower than 10 miles from Oakridge, is worked up to sleep in his personal mattress these subsequent two weeks — the KFT is off this week — and spend time together with his younger son, Bo. One other boy is on the way in which in December.
“Speaking with loads of the man gamers on the Korn Ferry Tour, all of them love coming to Utah, they usually have their week deliberate out with issues to do up in Park Metropolis and the mountains and the neighborhood,” Fishburn mentioned. “They love the golf course. It's a nice monitor, and an awesome setup, and it'll be an awesome week. I'm wanting ahead to it.”
Summerhays, who spent the spring volunteering as a BYU assistant golf coach, a place he'll doubtless depart, shall be enjoying in his fourth straight Utah Championship — a pair occasions on his personal standing and a pair occasions on an exemption.
He thanked the tour, the sponsors and all concerned for “persevering with to help one of the best Korn Ferry Tour occasion of the 12 months.”
“Once more, gratitude is the secret,” Summerhays mentioned. “I'm actually fortunate to be enjoying nonetheless, with no matter standing I've, or no matter capability I can play golf (at). I nonetheless like to play, whether or not retired, unretired, semiretired. I'll allow you to guys guess that as a result of I don’t know, both.”
Farmington native Danny Summerhays will return to his dwelling @Oakridge_CC the place he completed second within the 2020 Utah Championship. Danny hung out on the predecessor to the @KornFerryTour and recorded one win and 18 top-10 finishes. On the @PGATOUR, he recorded 19 top-10s. pic.twitter.com/Q85qW0hBsY
— Utah Championship (@UTChampionship) July 26, 2022