For the fourth-straight yr, a collegiate golfer has gained the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Ladies’s Open, however the low skilled will take residence the $1,500 first-place test.
Former Bingham Excessive golfer Tess Blair, who can be a fifth-year senior at Sacramento State this fall, made a dramatic and clutch 50-foot birdie putt on the 18th gap Tuesday afternoon at Thanksgiving Level Golf Membership in Lehi to win by a stroke.
Blair completed the 36-hole occasion at 6-under 138 and edged skilled Bryce Emily Ray, who was referred to as Bryce Schroeder when she performed collegiately at Wichita State earlier than turning professional.
Ray, from Pueblo, Colorado, fired a 5-under 67 on Tuesday to climb the leaderboard, overcoming what was a five-shot deficit at one level on her again 9.
Whenever you make a 50-foot birdie on the final to win the Utah Ladies’s Open.
— Randy Dodson (@RandyatFairways) August 9, 2022
Congrats to Tess Blair. pic.twitter.com/Pj15Qg2nfG
Blair obtained to eight below (and the five-shot lead) with a birdie on 13, however took a double-bogey on 14 and a bogey on 17 to lose the lead as Ray charged late, making 4 birdies on the troublesome again 9 at TPGC.
Nevertheless, Blair recovered properly after wobbling down the stretch, and sunk the memorable putt so as to add to her trophy assortment. She gained the Utah Ladies’s State Am in 2018 earlier than her freshman yr at Sac State, and has additionally claimed the Ladies’s Stroke Play title and the Mary Lou Baker Open in recent times.
She was the Large Sky Convention Participant of the Yr and Freshman of the Yr in 2019-20.
Bountiful professional Haley Sturgeon and defending champion Kerstin Fotu, a BYU golfer, tied for third at 3 below. Sturgeon claimed the $1,250 test for second place as Fotu, like Blair, remains to be an newbie and might’t acquire prize cash.
Orem teenager Rachel Lillywhite and Arizona’s Leighton Shosted, each amateurs, tied for fifth at 1-over 145.
Veronica Joels, the 2020 champion, was in a bunch at 2 over that tied for seventh and likewise included latest Utah Ladies’s Am champ Kelsey Chugg, BYU golfer Lila Galea’i, Wyoming’s Ali Mulhall, former New Mexico golfer Sarah Salvo, incoming BYU freshman Berlin Lengthy, latest Timpview graduate Sunbin Search engine optimization and Abbey Porter of Alpine.
Blair positioned third final yr, as Fotu gained the occasion however former College of Wyoming golfer Gabrielle Gibson was the low professional.
Former BYU golfer Lea Garner gained the primary two Utah Ladies’s Open championships, in 2017 and 2018 when the event was held at East Bay GC in Provo (now known as Timpanogos Golf Course). In 2019, College of San Francisco golfer Annika Borrelli gained the occasion, however Sirene Blair (Tess’ older sister) gained the $2,500 first-place test because the low professional.
Tess Blair holds off a late-round surge from low-pro Bryce Ray, making a 50-foot birdie putt on 18 to win the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Ladies’s Open by one-stroke!#UtahWomensOpen#UtahPGA#UtahGolfpic.twitter.com/oJgl24zycb
— Utah Part PGA (@UtahSectionPGA) August 9, 2022