Fishburn and Crouch Capture Utah Junior Championship
Patrick Fishburn didn’t need to win the Utah Junior Open to qualify for the national Trusted Choice Big I Junior Classic in Oklahoma at the end of July. Fishburn, Farr West, had earlier received an exempt spot in the national tournament based on his play there last year.
But, Fishburn cruised into the championship spot nevertheless after three days of play at Glen Eagle Golf Course and the Ogden Golf and Country Club this week. He was, after all, playing for more than a qualifying spot.
With every Utah Junior Golf Association tournament win or top place finish, Fishburn is among a group of Utah’s elite junior golfers who are also trying to make one of two teams representing Utah nationally or qualify for Player of the Year honors. Every shot counts in the race to become one of Utah’s top junior golfers for the year.
After two days of play at Glen Eagle Golf Course, Fishburn was trailing Alpine’s Joe Parkinson by one shot. Three others were within 4 shots of the leader and within striking range of earning one of the two qualifying spots.
Fishburn and Parkinson were among 18 boys and eight girls in the 15-18 division to make the cut in the three-day tournament and play their third and deciding round at the Ogden country club.
Fishburn, whose home course is the Ogden Golf and Country Club, said his driver and putter were instrumental in his victory. His round included eight birdies. Even more important, four of those birdies came on the back nine, where Fishburn one-putted seven times to birdie or save par. He carded a three-day total of 204 to beat his nearest competitors – Brandon Kida and Joe Parkinson -- by five shots. Kida and Parkinson garnered the two qualifying spots with their second-place tie.
In the girls' division, Sami Crouch of Park City, captured her first win of the season and with it the qualifying spot to the national Big I tournament. Crouch came into the third round competition with a 7-stroke lead over South Jordan’s Sirene Blair.
Knowing the tenacity of Blair, Crouch said she went into the final round with the plan to shoot in the 70s. She said her plan to reach that goal was to make sure she kept her drives in the fairway. She completed the three-day tournament by shooting a 226. Blair came in second with a 230.
Utah Junior Open Results
Boys 15-18 Division
(Players who made the cut)
204 - Patrick Fishburn, 67-69-68
209 – Joe Parkinson, 67-68-74
209 –Brandon Kida, 68-70-71
210 – Devon Purser, 66-71-73
215 – Travis Norseth, 70- 69-76
218 – Garrett Fotu, 73-70-75
219 – Steve Wade, 74-71-74
219 – Remington Schultz, 73-74-72
220 – Kenny You, 71-73-76
221 – Kyler Dearden, 78-70-73
221 – Jaden Jackson, 71-78-75
225 – Cole Ogden, 77-71-77
226 – Jonathon Thomas, 73-67-86
226 – Colton Dallimore, 76-70-80
226 – Arman Ben-Jacob, 74-73-79
227 – Ryan Sarlo, 71-73-83
227 – Brennan Coburn, 75-74-78
228 – Scott Murdock, 74-73-81
228 – Jacob Holt, 72-76-80
228 – Michael Willet, 73-76-79
229 – Yoshimasa Suzuki, 72-74-83
232 – Cody Wass, 71-74-87
Girls 15-18 Division
226 – Sami Crouch, 73-75-78
230 – Sirene Blair, 77-76-77
239 – Nicole Gaddie, 79-78-82
249 – Tara Green, 86-77-86
259 – Emily Stephens, 90-81-88
263 – Allison Cluff, 89-79-95
264 – Lea Garner, 87-82-95
265 – Katherine Ashby, 80-86-99
Complete Results
