Golf: USGA’s Kelsey Chugg tops BYU’s Brooklyn Hocker for Women’s Am title

Sandy • Kelsey Chugg is two years removed from her Weber State golf career and spends most of her time worrying about other Utah Golf Association members, but her own game is better than ever.

Chugg earned her third Women's State Amateur title in four years, dominating two BYU golfers Thursday at Hidden Valley Country Club. She defeated Brooklyn Hocker 5 and 4 in the final match after beating Lea Garner 6 and 5 in the semifinals. Hocker had outlasted defending champion Sirene Blair in 20 holes to advance, but wore down on the back nine in the afternoon.

Chugg attacked Hidden Valley with her driver, while Hocker played more conservatively on the tricky driving holes and found herself 50-plus yards behind on some of the par-4s.

"This course demands a lot off the tee, so I wanted to make sure I had a good tee ball all week and just make a lot of putts," said Chugg, who works full-time as the UGA's membership director. "That was the game plan."

The winner's driving ability was "a huge advantage, and she's also so consistent," said Hocker, a BYU junior from Idaho Falls, Idaho. "She doesn't make many mistakes. I can see why she's a three-time champion."

Chugg won the first two holes of the final, but was only 1 up through eight holes. Her big move started when she reached the par-5 No. 9 in two shots to set up an easy birdie, and she proceeded to win the next three holes, topped by a chip-in birdie at No. 12.

In the semifinals, Chugg's domination of Garner, the medalist in the stroke-play portion of the tournament, was as surprising as Hocker's upset of Blair, a San Diego State junior from South Jordan. "It was intense," Hocker said. "I just tried to focus on what I needed to do and not get too fired up and just let it come."

But she couldn't stay with Chugg in the afternoon.

Lachell Poffenberger, whose third victory came in 1998, was the State Am's most recent three-time winner. Chugg still has some professional golf ambitions, but "I'm enjoying my job," she said, "so I might just stick with it."