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Ute golfer Blake Tomlinson cruises to medalist honors in State Amateur

Teammates take two other top-six seeds for match play.<br>

(Fairways Media/Randy Dodson) University of Utah golfer Blake Tomlinson earned medalist honors by four strokes Tuesday in the 120th State Amateur at Oakridge Country Club. Match play begins Wednesday.

Farmington • No standing member of the University of Utah golf team has won the Utah State Amateur since 1981, when the late Eric Hogg took the first of his two titles. Blake Tomlinson is showing signs of ending that drought.

With six rounds of match play potentially ahead of him Wednesday through Saturday, Tomlinson is emerging as one of the golfers to watch this week at Oakridge Country Club. He dominated the stroke-play portion of the tournament, posting a pair of 64s at Davis Park Golf Course and Oakridge for a 15-under-par total, earning medalist honors by four shots over Dixie State University’s Jayce Frampton and Davis High School’s Cole Ponich, who’s committed to BYU.

“My putting was incredible,” said Tomlinson, a Skyline High School graduate.

Starting his round on Oakridge’s back nine Tuesday, Tomlinson moved to 7 under par for the day after making an eagle on the par-5 No. 1. He added a birdie on the par-4 No. 4 and “just kind of coasted in,” he said, parring the last five holes.

Tomlinson became one of Utah’s top players in 2017-18, making the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and nearly qualifying individually for the NCAA Championships. Utah teammates Kyler Dunkle and Mitchell Schow also are seeded in the top six for match play, well positioned for a Ute breakthrough.

Defending champion Kelton Hirsch of BYU (68-72) advanced comfortably. Brad Sutterfield (74-70) is the most interesting name among other former winners. He’s the 1992 champion, the ’93 runner-up and a former PGA Tour member. Sutterfield, 49, the Dixie State golf coach, recently was reinstated as an amateur.

Ponich performed the best among Oakridge’s membership. He followed a 65 at Davis Park with a 67 at Oakridge, where he won the Utah State Junior Amateur last week. Frampton shot a 63 at Davis with 10 birdies.

Tomlinson took all of the drama out of the medalist race, but the competition for the final berths in the 64-golfer match play field from the starting field of 288 extended well into the evening, as usual.

Among the 12 golfers who shot 3 over par, seven advanced via the playoff that lasted three holes at Oakridge: Ron Davis, Ali Hameed, Andrew Cottle, Triston Gardner, Jack Sargent, Preston Wallace and 2017 runner-up Braydon Swapp. Former winners Mike McRae and Jon Wright were among those eliminated.

The story of the day was how many players rallied at Davis Park to make match play, after having posted 76s at Oakridge. Utah Valley University’s Jake Godfrey made two eagles in shooting a 63. Tyler Herzoog, Riley Morgan and Jeff Jolley each posted a 69, following their 76s. Jacob Wagstaff went from 78 to 67.

Results of stroke play in the 120th State Amateur at Oakridge Country Club and Davis Park Golf Course (*-advanced in playoff).<br>128 – Blake Tomlinson (64-64).<br>132 – Jayce Frampton (69-63), Cole Ponich (65-67).<br>133 – Kyler Dunkle (67-66), Fidel Concepcion (65-68). 135 – Mitchell Schow (65-70).<br>138 – Zack Neff (71-67), Kyler Dearden (68-70), Tyler Savage (66-72).<br>139 – Reed Nielsen (71-68), Jake Godfrey (76-63), Boston Watts (71-68), Darrin Overson (68-71).<br>140 – Logan Skalka (73-67), Denny Job (72-68), David Jennings (70-70), Nathan Ouimette (71-69), Kelton Hirsch (68-72), Bob Mitchell (70-70), Jesse Henderson (70-70).<br>141 – Kurt Owen (74-67), Dan Horner (69-72), Jake Vincent (74-67), John Owen (68-73), Ryan Brimley (71-70), Preston Summerhays (71-70), Austin Jaramillo (70-71), Daniel Meaders (68-73).<br>142 – Andy Hess (69-73), Carl Jensen (70-72), Rand Sargent (71-71), Greg Law (71-71), Kirk Siddens (68-74), Zach Jones (71-71).<br>143 – Mike Jorgensen (73-70), Josh Roberts (74-69), Curtis Cook (68-75), Chandler Thompson (69-74), Cody Anderson (70-73).<br>144 – Blake Murray (71-73), Dane Nelson (72-72), Brad Sutterfield (74-70), Kenny You (75-69), Marty Jacks (70-74). 145 – Christopher Romney (71-74), Devin Tovey (75-70), Tyler Herzog (76-69), Aaron Yeates (75-70), Luke Crapo (73-72), Riley Morgan (76-69), John Ward (71-74), Jeff Jolley (76-69), Jacob Wagstaff (78-67), Brandon Hargett (71-74), Cameron Tucker (71-74), Eric Ashcroft (71-74), Noah Schone (70-75).<br>146 – Zack Markham (71-75), Ron Davis* (76-70), Ali Hameed*(76-70), Andrew Cottle* (72-74), Mike McRae (73-73), Jon Wright (70-76), Preston Hansen (76-70), Triston Gardner* (75-71), Braydon Swapp* (70-76), Jack Sargent* (71-75), Mark Beese (71-75), Preston Wallace* (74-72).<br>Failed to qualify<br>147 – Cameron Howe (73-74), Nicklaus Britt (75-72), Alex Smith (69-78), Grant Wilson (73-74), Tyler Miner (77-70), Kyle Tueller (78-69), Nick Nelson (71-76), Colton Dallimore (70-77).