Two years after a former BYU golfer won the Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open, a former University of Utah golfer is in decent shape to win one for the Utes, but he may have to get past some current and former Cougars to do it.
Current BYU golfer David Timmins, a Brighton High product who played in the US Amateur earlier in the week before being eliminated in the first round of match play, is alone in first at 7-under 65.
Timmins made eight birdies to offset a bogey on the par-4 12th hole.
“It was really fun. … We felt like it could have been a lot better,” Timmins said, referring to a conversation he had with his caddy, fellow Cougar Brock Goyen. “I hit the ball really well.”
“I got a really good feeling for these greens, as far as reading them and whatnot. Of all the tournaments we have played this summer, this is by far the best-conditioned golf course we have played on so far.” — Las Vegas pro Ben Geyer
Salt Lake City’s Blake Tomlinson, who turned pro a few months ago after completing his five-year career at the University of Utah, shot a 6-under 66 at Provo’s Riverside Country Club and is tied for second place with John Oda of Hawaii, Ben Geyer of California by way of Las Vegas, current BYU golfer Zac Jones and former BYU All-American golfer Zac Blair, who will return to the PGA Tour next month after a lengthy rehabbing stint.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, playing in the event for the second straight year, is tied for 25th after opening with a 2-under 70 after opening with a 68 last year. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, also an amateur, shot a 75 and is tied for 85th.
Tomlinson, who prepped at Skyline High, made a bogey on Riverside’s relatively easy first hole, then birdied seven of his final 17 holes to move into the lead before Timmins rallied on his back nine.
The second round is Saturday, and the third and final round is Sunday.
“My putter was really solid today,” Tomlinson said. “I didn’t miss any short ones and made a few mid-range putts. I am happy with where I am at.”
Sandy pro Todd Tanner, a former Utah State golfer, shot a 5-under 67 and is tied for seventh with a large group of other pros and some amateurs, who are not eligible for the $20,000 first-place check.
Among those at 5-under are 2018 champion Dusty Fielding of Lehi, past champion Zahkai Brown of Colorado, teenager Kihei Akina of Alpine, BYU golfer Tyson Shelley and former BYU star Clay Ogden, who once played in the Masters.
Geyer, a former St. Mary’s golfer who currently resides in Las Vegas but lists his hometown as Arbuckle, California, came to Utah with 10 other Las Vegas residents, and seven of them made the tournament proper, two via exemptions and five having qualified Monday in the qualifying event at Soldier Hollow Golf Club in Midway.
“We are all staying in a house together and glad to be here,” said Geyer, who plans to play in the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado next week with some of the same golfers.
Geyer won the Wyoming Open recently and was low pro in one of the eight pro-ams held earlier in the week, shooting a 64, so Friday’s success doesn’t surprise him.
“I got a really good feeling for these greens, as far as reading them and whatnot,” he said. “Of all the tournaments we have played this summer, this is by far the best-conditioned golf course we have played on so far.”
Having studied the history of the tournament since it has been at Riverside, Geyer said he is going to have to continue to be aggressive if he hopes to win.
“There is no letting off the gas pedal out here,” he said.
Nothing Tanner did on the front nine suggested he would get it going on the back. He birdied No. 5 and bogeyed the par-3 ninth to make the turn at even-par 36, then got it going in a big way the second half of his round.
Tanner birdied holes 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16 to shoot 31 on the back.
“I will take it,” Tanner said. “Honestly I have not been here (among the leaders) in a long time. I want to play well here and represent the (PGA Utah) Section.”
Conditions were a bit more difficult Friday than they were in the first rounds the past two years, and the scores reflected that.
Two years ago, former BYU golfer Peter Kuest opened with a 63 to take the first-round lead and cruised to an easy win, finishing at 23-under.
Patrick Fishburn set the tournament record at 26-under when he was a BYU golfer, and an amateur, obviously, in 2017.
Last year, Oregon pro Matt Marshall shot a sizzling 10-under 62 on Friday before finishing in a tie for third with former PGA Tour regular Daniel Summerhays.
Derek Fribbs, a mini-tour player from Colorado, made a spectacular double eagle on the 15th hole Sunday and won with a 23-under 193 in 2021.
Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open
At Par-72 Riverside Country Club, Provo
Best first-round scores
(a-amateur)
65 — a-David Timmins
66 — John Oda, Ben Geyer, Blake Tomlinson, a-Zac Jones, Zac Blair
67 — Todd Tanner, Phillip Reedy, Dusty Fielding, Carson Roberts, Matt Snyder, a-Kihei Akina, a-Tyson Shelley, Zahkai Brown, Clay Ogden
68 — TK Kim, Daniel Summerhays, Zach Johnson, Erik Matthewson
69 — Jere Pelletier, Jared Sawada, Russell Grove, a-Hunter Howe, Brandon Kida, a-Jackson Rhees
70 — a-Martin Leon, Jeff Brehaut, Derek Fribbs, Eric McCardle, Craig Hocknull, Chris Moody, Mark Owen, a-Tony Romo, Matt Baird, Graysen Huff, Austen Christiansen, a-Brady McKinlay