Chaparral (Scottsdale, Arizona) junior Preston Summerhays defeated Utah State golfer Chase Langford in a decisive 7 and 6 victory for his second consecutive title at the 121st Utah State Amateur championship Sunday.
Summerhays’ victory makes him the youngest player to repeat as champion at 16-years-old. Summerhays became the youngest player in 101 years to win the State Amateur title when he did so in 2018.
Coincidentally, Summerhays claimed the title of youngest and first repeat champion from his uncle Daniel Summerhays, who accomplished the feat at 17 in 2000 and 2001.
Summerhays made 14 birdies Sunday to grab the lead and secure the win.
“The entire day I was thinking attack, attack, attack and just make as many birdies as possible and that’s what I did,” Summerhays said. “That was the mentality all day, just get birdies, birdies, birdies.”
Despite losing consecutive holes in the morning round, Summerhays had 10 birdies on the initial 18 holes which gave him a 5-up lead.
In the afternoon round, Summerhays made four more birdies and had a two-putt par at the Par 3 No. 12 hold to clinch the win on the 30th hole.
“That was my mentality all day, was try to get birdies, birdies, birdies,” Summerhays said. “I am not going to lie. After I gave up holes 8 and 9 in the morning [round], that got me a little mad, and I [turned] that into fuel. That kind of pushed me to play well the back nine.”
“Preston just put on, honestly, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen,” Lansford said. “That back nine of the morning match is probably the best nine holes I have ever seen. I told my teammate [and caddy] Cameron Tucker that is probably the best nine holes I’ve seen out of a pro, an amateur, you name it. So I really just ran into a buzz saw.”
Summerhays is set to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur on July 15-20. He also will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in California before competing in the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship on July 23-26.
