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Layton » The 111th Utah State Amateur golf tournament will have a Utah Jazz flair to it this year.
Tournament officials announced Wednesday that next week's tournament at Layton's Valley View Golf Course will include Jazz forward Kyle Korver.
Korver, who played in last summer's Utah Open with mostly professionals, carries about a 6 handicap and will play on one of the host course's two exemptions, having been invited by head pro Matt Lyons.
Lyons played a practice round with Korver on Wednesday as part of the State Am media day, and reported that Korver shot a 74 at the par-72 Valley View layout and that the Jazz player "has a shot" at making the cut after 36 holes for match play.
"I think it is a great choice," Lyons said. "I think he will add something to the tournament."
Korver said he recently began playing golf again after undergoing wrist surgery shortly after the season ended.
The tournament, billed as the oldest continuous tournament in the world, begins July 8.
Some 157 of the state's best amateurs qualified or were given exemptions into the tournament, which is actually a combination of stroke play and match play.
After the first two rounds of stroke play, the low 31 golfers plus defending champion Dan Horner will begin match play on July 10.
This will be the first time that Valley View will host the tournament.
Thomas Pagel, new
