Farmington • Jayce Frampton made 10 birdies in the second round of the stroke-play portion of the 120th State Amateur. Three pars and one conceded birdie to begin the back nine were good enough for him to take command of his match in Thursday’s round of 16 at Oakridge Country Club.
Frampton advanced to Friday morning’s quarterfinals with a 3-and-2 victory over Aaron Yeates, who had eliminated defending champion Kelton Hirsch of BYU earlier Thursday. Frampton, now a Dixie State University golfer, was Hirsch’s teammate for two years at Viewmont High School. So the potential exists for another ex-Viking victory at a venue that’s not too far from the school in Centerville.
“That’s the goal,” said Frampton, whose 63 on Tuesday at Davis Park Golf Course helped him earn the No. 3 seed for match play.
He’s part of the usual, eclectic group of State Am quarterfinalists. The upper bracket includes stroke-play medalist Blake Tomlinson of the University of Utah; ex-Ute John Owen, a perennial match-play qualifier who’s trying to reach the semifinals for the second time at age 46; Kyler Dunkle, a Ute golfer from Colorado who could meet Tomlinson in the semis; and Darrin Overson, who’s remembered for winning the 100th State Am in 1998.
The lower bracket features 15-year-old Preston Summerhays, an Arizona resident whose golf instructor father (Boyd) brings his family to his native Davis County in the summers; Dan Horner, who’s observing the 10-year anniversary of his championship; Andy Hess, a Utah State golfer from Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Frampton, who plays out of Lakeside Golf Course in West Bountiful.
Riley Morgan, Lakeside’s assistant superintendent, had a good chance to join Frampton in the quarterfinals, but he lost the 18th and 19th holes to Hess after having won his morning match in 19 holes.
Yeates, a Utah Valley University golfer from Orem, closed his victory over Hirsch with a chip-in eagle on the par- 5 No. 16. His afternoon match ended in a loss on the same hole, where his long eagle putt just missed.
Yeates had made three winning birdies, including a 55-foot putt from off the green on No. 8, in a four-hole stretch to take a 1-up lead at the turn. But the left-handed golfer kept pulling his shots to the right, as he made four straight bogeys to fall 3 down. With much better driving than in his first two matches, Frampton remained steady. He was thrilled to make the quarterfinals, after losing in the round of 64 in his first State Am appearance last year in Ogden.
“It was nice to start hitting some good drives,” said Frampton, who plays a low, powerful draw off the tee.
The semifinals will be staged Friday afternoon, with the 36-hole final match scheduled Saturday.
120th State Amateur<br>Thursday’s results at Oakridge Country Club (seeds in parentheses):<br>Round of 32<br>Upper bracket<br>Blake Tomlinson (1) def. Rand Sargent (32), 2 and 1; Tyler Herzog (49) def. David Jennings (17), 4 and 3; Zack Neff (8) def. Kenny You (40), 2 and 1; John Owen (24) def. Luke Crapo (56), 5 and 4; Kyler Dunkle (4) def. Greg Law (29), 3 and 2; Jake Godfrey (13) def. Jeff Jolley (49), 1 up in 19; Fidel Concepcion (5) def. Cody Anderson (37), 1 up in 19; Darrin Overson (12) def. Kurt Owen, 4 and 3.<br>Lower bracket<br>Andy Hess (31) def. Jack Sargent (63), 4 and 3; Riley Morgan (47) def. Denny Job (19), 1 up in 19; Tyler Savage (7) def. Jake Vincent (26), 1 up; Preston Summerhays (23) def. Jake Weagstaff (55), 3 and 1; Jayce Frampton (3) def. Chandler Thompson (35), 1 up; Aaron Yeates (46) def. Kelton Hirsch (14), 3 and 2; Austin Jaramillo (27) def. Triston Gardner (59), 1 up; Dan Horner (22) def. Boston Watts (11), 4 and 2.<br>Round of 16<br>Upper bracket<br>Blake Tomlinson (1) def Tyler Herzog (49), 4 and 3; John Owen (24) def. Zack Neff (8), 4 and 3; Kyler Dunkle (4) def. Jake Godfrey (13), 2 and 1; Darrin Overson (12) def. Fidel Concepcion (5), 4 and 3.<br>Lower bracket<br>Andy Hess (31) def. Riley Morgan (47); 1 up in 19; Preston Summerhays (23) def. Tyler Savage (7), 6 and 4; Jayce Frampton (3) def. Aaron Yeates (46), 3 and 2; Dan Horner (22) def. Austin Jaramillo (27), 1 up.
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