Blake Tomlinson strains up a putt in the course of the Utah Open at Riverside Nation Membership in Provo on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. Tomlinson gained the event. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Often, the one roars heard at Riverside Nation Membership in Provo come throughout soccer video games at close by LaVell Edwards Stadium, house of the BYU Cougars.
However one got here Sunday afternoon that most likely may have been heard over on campus — and it got here after a shot by a former Ute, no much less.
Blake Tomlinson will definitely always remember it.
“Yeah, I feel everybody heard her. However yeah, it was superior. I've a loud household, that’s for positive. However you gotta earn it, and I feel I did.” — Utah Open winner Blake Tomlinson on the cheers from his mom and others when he holed out a 48-yard chip on Sunday.
The newly minted professional, who accomplished his eligibility on the U. final Might within the NCAA Championships, holed a 48-yard strategy shot for an eagle 2 on the sixteenth gap. That heroic shot, together with two different eagles and a slew of birdies, carried him to the 2022 Siegfried and & Jensen Utah Open title.
“I knew I put it in a great spot. That’s why I ran over to the left.” Tomlinson stated. “I had the bunker a bit bit in the way in which,” he stated. “I noticed it rolling and I didn’t know if it was going to get there. Everybody was telling it to go in earlier than it went in, and I used to be like, ‘oh, gosh, hope it goes in,’ and when it did dropped, it was an superior second.”
Close to the clubhouse, the place a gaggle of followers had gathered across the 18th inexperienced, people checked out one another and requested, who (produced) that? Some thought Tomlinson or maybe Zac Blair had made an ace on the par-3 seventeenth. Nevertheless it got here from the sixteenth, and the Tomlinson clan, particularly — a number of of them wearing Ute crimson.
“Yeah, I feel everybody heard her,” Tomlinson stated of roar, nodding within the course of his mom, Annette. “However yeah, it was superior. I've a loud household, that’s for positive. However you gotta earn it, and I feel I did.”
Tomlinson, who prepped at Skyline Excessive, turned the primary former Ute golfer to win the Utah Open since Bruce Summerhays gained in 2008 at Oakridge in a playoff over his nephew, Boyd Summerhays. However that got here some 40 years after Bruce Summerhays performed for the U., and by then he was recognized extra for his accomplishments on the PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour.
The one different formers Ute to win it have been Eric Hogg in 1991 and Billy Johnston, in 1961. Johnston and Summerhays are within the Utah Golf Corridor of Fame.
“I undoubtedly acquired so much to dwell as much as, for positive,” Tomlinson stated, having not recognized there had solely been three different previous champions from the U.
Regardless of a bogey on the 18th gap after his strategy shot struck the flag stick and bounced off the inexperienced, Tomlinson completed at 18-under 198 and gained by two pictures over Texas professional Jere Pelletier and Blair, the previous BYU golfer and PGA Tour common who's rehabbing earlier than he re-joins the PGA Tour subsequent month.
The chip-in on 16 was Tomlinson’s third eagle of the day, remarkably. He additionally holed out an eagle chip on No. 1, from about 40 yards out. Tomlinson, who has performed a few occasions on the Canadian Tour this summer season, gained $20,000 for his efforts, simply his greatest test as a brand new professional.
He'll take a pair weeks off, then play within the Provo Open. He'll try to qualify for the Canadian Tour once more within the fall. The massive test will definitely come in useful, he stated.
“It has been robust, simply looking for cash for tournaments, as a result of it's clearly actually costly to journey, and entry charges and meals and all that,” he stated. “It's much more than I anticipated, so it didn’t get me so far as I needed. However I imply, now I can use that cash in the direction of stepping into some occasions and hopefully it would take me the remainder of the way in which.”
BYU golfer Zac Jones completed because the low beginner, at 11-under 205, whereas Sandy’s Todd Tanner was the low part professional at 8-under. Mark Owen and Steve Schneiter tied at 2-under for low senior honors. The Utah Open’s designated charity, Utah Particular Olympics, acquired a $50,000 test from the Utah Part PGA, which places on the occasion.
However today belonged to Tomlinson, whose caddy was former Utes teammate Kyler Dunkle.
“I imply, it's superior. It's best,” Tomlinson stated. “I had my household and mates out right here, and simply had lots of assist. I do know it's ‘down south,’ however not too far south. However yeah, it's unbelievable to win in my house state, my first professional win.”
After the shot on 16 gave Tomlinson a two-shot lead, Pelletier 3-putted the 18th inexperienced and the lead was at three. Tomlinson requested Dunkle to test the place he stood on the leaderboard after the opening out on 16, and Dunkle informed him two extra pars would win.
“It's virtually snug being uncomfortable when I'm taking part in properly,” Tomlinson stated.
He entered the ultimate spherical of the 54-hole occasion tied with former BYU golfer and 2007 and 2011 Utah Open champion Clay Ogden at 11-under. Ogden shot a 72 Sunday and tied for eighth.
Colorado’s Derek Fribbs, who fired a 23-under rating final yr to win the event — he made a double-eagle on the par-5 fifteenth gap to get the win — tied for eleventh at 10-under in a gaggle that additionally included former PGA Tour common Daniel Summerhays.
Requested to explain the hole-out on 16, the shot that will likely be remembered by the Tomlinson household ceaselessly, the 24-year-old stated he simply did what his caddy steered.
I knew needed to get one thing actually shut, as a result of I knew it was a again pin and I may bounce one up there,” he stated. “I hit a very good drive, after which I had about 48 yards to the flag. We picked a very good touchdown spot, and it trickled into the opening. … I used to be lucky, and it gave me a very large enhance of confidence.”
And a giant test — which may guarantee much more roars from the Tomlinsons sooner or later.
One other eagle for Tomlinson! He takes again the lead on 7 at 15-under.https://t.co/aGDk5FPULW#UtahOpen#UtahPGA#UtahGolfpic.twitter.com/iuEQke9QbT
— Utah Part PGA (@UtahSectionPGA) August 21, 2022