OGDEN — While everybody else in contention in the Utah Championship was holding steady or going backwards, journeyman golfer Julian Suri kept his foot on the gas pedal, making five birdies on his final eight holes.
The aggression paid off, as Suri, a 34-year-old pro from New York who played collegiately at Duke, won the PGA Tour-brand event at Ogden Golf & Country Club on Sunday with a closing-round 63 and a four-round total of 18-under 262.
Suri moved from 56th to 16th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and will likely move on to the PGA Tour next year because the top 20 finishers on the developmental KFT graduate to the big tour.
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“You gotta keep the pedal down. There are so many good players out there … You just gotta keep the foot down,” he said.
“You can look at the leaderboards and get wrapped up in all the stuff going on in the moment, but that doesn’t change what you have to do. You have to keep executing, and I was able to do that today.”
Suri pockets $180,000 for the victory, his first on the KFT in 38 events played. He won an international tournament in 2017, but since then it has been tough sledding.
Suri sealed the win with a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 (the nines were switched for the tournament) to get to 18-under and two shots clear of the field, gave a couple of fist pumps and then about took a hand off his caddy with a vicious high-five.
Japan’s Kensei Hirata had a chance to catch Suri about 20 minutes later, but needing a birdie on No. 18 to tie Suri, Hirata saw his approach shot hit the green and then tumble down the hill left of it.
He left the chip short, missed the putt and dropped into a five-way tie for second place at -16 in a group that also included Spencer Levin, Barend Botha, Trace Crowe and third-round leader Taylor Montgomery.
“It takes a village (to produce a champion), but I wouldn’t be here without my parents,” Suri said.
Preston Summerhays leads the Utah pack
No fewer than six golfers with Utah ties finished in the top 54, led by part-time Utah resident Preston Summerhays, who fired a 65 on Sunday and finished at -15 for the tournament and in a tie for seventh place.
Summerhays made five birdies and no bogeys in his 10th KFT event and earned $26,692 after his highest finish yet as a pro. Having played for eight-straight weeks, Summerhays will take this week off — the KFT is in Omaha, Nebraska this week — and begin preparing for the tour playoffs.
“I would say that everybody’s goal every single week is to win,” he said. “Although that is the goal, I think for me, just getting my game in a good spot to where, when I get out on tour, I’ll be ready to compete and win out there (is the ultimate goal).
“So the results are great, but for me, kind of all summer working with my dad and my family, it’s basically just been about getting my game in good enough shape to be able to compete no matter where I’m at.”
Summerhays had a 12-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 that would have moved him into a tie for second, but it didn’t drop. His sister, Grace Summerhays, caddied for him all week.
“I saw the leaderboard and that 16 (under) was leading, but coming down the stretch you had multiple guys still on the course,” he said.
“I made a good birdie putt on hole 12, and I was telling Grace, ‘If we go on a run here we could have a chance to to get the clubhouse lead, and you never know what’s going to happen out here.’”
At least Preston beat his uncle, PGA Tour veteran Daniel Summerhays, who got off to a great start Sunday, making birdies on holes 1, 3 and 5 to get to 15-under and close to the lead.
But the 41-year-old who had back surgery last winter faded from there and carded an even-par 70, which put him into a tie for 22nd.
“Everyone thinks we’re trying to beat each other,” Preston said. “Obviously we do. That’s kind of why we play golf, but I want to see him do well, obviously. … Whatever he ends up at, I’m going to be happy.”
Former BYU golfer Cole Ponich stays hot as a pro
Former BYU golfers Cole Ponich and Peter Kuest also shot 12-under to tie for 22nd with Daniel Summerhays and 12 others. That’s significant for Ponich, because the top 25 finish gets him into this week’s tournament in Omaha.
Since turning pro in June, Ponich has played in three events, winning the Provo Open, placing T11 at the Colorado Open and now tying for 22nd in a KFT event.
With another top 25 finish, he could qualify for the KFT playoffs.
“The biggest positive for me is knowing that I didn’t have near my best stuff this week and to still be where I am at, making the cut and being right there on the weekend is a huge positive for me and my confidence going forward,” said the 2024 State Amateur champion.
Ponich said he had just finished playing in the Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch when he got a text from Tony Finau telling him to call when he got a chance. Finau then told him he had received a sponsor’s exemption into the Utah Championship because Kuest had qualified on his own merits.
“I was fully prepared to drive eight hours back and then play the Monday at Glen Eagle (in the UC qualifying),” Ponich said. “My tee time was going to be 7:40 a.m. … So yeah, I found out right after the Colorado Open, and I was super grateful and it made that drive back a little easier.”
North Ogden’s Connor Howe also had a nice finish Sunday, shooting a 66 to tie for 37th and win a little more than $5,000.
Former University of Utah golfer Mitchell Schow also concluded a nice week after Monday qualifying. He finished at 8-under, which tied him for 54th and earned him just more than $4,000.
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