If a high-stakes golf tournament is being played in Utah, there’s probably someone with the last name of Summerhays at or near the top of the leaderboard.
In this case, there’s two.
PGA Tour veteran Daniel Summerhays and his nephew, recent Arizona State graduate and newly minted pro Preston Summerhays, are in the top 15 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship midway through the tournament at Ogden Golf & Country Club.
What’s more, six of the eight Utahns in the tournament have made the cut, which came at 3-under 137.
After shooting a 69 on Thursday, Daniel Summerhays fired a 63 on Friday to climb up the leaderboard in his third KFT event of the season as he returns to competitive golf after having had back surgery in January.
“It has been kinda miraculous, honestly,” Summerhays said. “The first few months were really difficult, but I worked my tail off to get back into shape and am just so grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way.”
North Ogden’s Connor Howe also had a great day Friday, shooting a 64 to climb into a tie for eighth place with Daniel Summerhays at 8-under for the tournament.
Preston Summerhays added a 64 on Friday to Thursday’s 69 and is tied for 12th at 7-under with former BYU golfer Cole Ponich and a pack of others.
Ogden G&CC is playing as a Par 70 instead of the usual Par 72 for the tournament, and the nines have been flipped.
Taylor Montgomery, a 30-year-old former UNLV golfer from Las Vegas, is the second-round leader, sitting at -14 through 36 holes. Montgomery birdied his first four holes Friday and shot a 32 on both nines.
Meanwhile, the Utahns are making their presence felt.
Former University of Utah golfer Mitchell Schow also came up clutch on Friday, shooting a 4-under 66 to make the cut on the number after opening with a 71.
Schow got into the event as a Monday qualifier, surviving a playoff at Glen Eagle Golf Course in Syracuse to get into the field of 156.
Former BYU golfer Peter Kuest, who is from Fresno, California, but currently resides in American Fork, is also tied for 62nd after carding a 67 on Friday.
Incoming BYU freshman Kihei Akina (-1) and former Weber State golfer Hayden Banz (+1) of Salt Lake City missed the cut.
As for Daniel Summerhays, who is slowly rounding back into shape, the former BYU golfer who has won once on the KFT said he feels as good as he’s ever felt.
“I am physically probably better than I was at any time during my career,” he said.
Daniel Summerhays and Howe will be paired together Saturday at 2:10 p.m. Preston Summerhays goes off at 1:40 p.m., while Ponich starts his third round at 1 p.m.
Read the full article here