Feature
by Mike Sorensen
Mike Sorensen is a sportswriter for the Deseret Morning News

Fall - November - 05
UGA Goes 1 Down - Utah Arizona Shootout

The 12-person Arizona team just bundled up and played great golf in taking a 38-34 victory over Utah’s contingent in the Ryder Cup-like competition.

The victory, Arizona’s fourth straight in the 15-year series, gives the Arizonans an 8-7 edge in the closely-contested Shootout.

The Arizonans survived a rough first day when the temperature dipped into the 30s and wind and rain made playing golf a challenge. Utah finished the first day with a 20-16 lead after the four-ball and foursomes competition.

Arizona came to life in the individual competition the next day when the conditions improved dramatically. The Arizonans won seven of the 12 matches, including three by 3-0 margins and tied two others, while the Utahns were only able to win three matches. That gave Arizona a 22-14 margin in the individual matches.

“That was a great match,” said Arizona captain Dave Patterson, who praised the professionalism and graciousness of the Utah players. “Their seniors and women played well, but we got real strong play out of our at-large players.”

The difference in the outcome rested on three matches in the middle of the order of the 12 matches. Rich Morrison defeated Randy Hicken, Cyrus Whitney beat Herb Lyons and Guy Gedeon defeated Brock Griffith by a combined 9-0 margin.

Utah had gotten off to a good start on the final day thanks to the play of Kent Christopher, who defeated Cannon Randall 3-0 and Sue Nyhus, who upset Tui Selvaratnam 2.5 - .5.

In the other women’s match Utah’s Lachell Poffenberger picked up a point by winning the front nine, only to see Lynn Simmons come back to win the back nine and the match for a 2 - 1 win.

The other senior match had a similar scenario, as Utah’s David Cannon jumped out to a 3-up lead on Jim Call. However, Call won three straight holes to tie the front nine, then won the back nine and the match, thanks to a strong putting game, not to mention an eagle-2 at the 482-yard No. 15 hole.

Cannon called his opponent, “the best putter I’ve seen” after watching him sink a couple of 30-footers. “Everything was right in the center,” said Cannon. “One time he hit one 12 feet past and I just knew he’d make it coming back.”

Utah’s first two at-large golfers in the lineup, Carl Jensen and Zach Johnson, both played well as Jensen came back to tie Paul Welle 1.5 - 1.5, while Johnson defeated Morgan Brown 2 - 1.

However Ben Choe beat Utah’s Steve Poulson 2.5 - .5 and then came the sweep by Morrison, Whitney and Gedeon.

Utah needed sweeps in the final two matches, but Arizona’s Casey Strunk defeated Jon Morgan 2 - 1 and Utah’s Scott Clark defeated Thomas Hays 2 - 1.

Utah captain Bill Probst said his team had a good week, but just couldn’t quite keep up with the Arizonans.

“They had a good team and they played well,” Probst said. “The difference was the way they putted. They never missed a putt and when they did they always made it coming back.”

On the opening day, Utah did better under the winter-like conditions at the golf course next door to the 2002 Winter Olympics cross-country course.

Utah won four of the six matches in the best ball competition with Clark and Morgan leading the way with a 3-0 win over Brown and Morrison. Poulson and Hicken combined for a 2 - 1 win as did Cannon and Christopher, while Nyhus and Poffenberger teamed for a 2.5 - 1.5 victory.

In the afternoon foursomes battle, Utah won by a 10.5 - 7.5 margin with the Poulson-Hicken team winning 3-0 and Clark-Morgan and Christopher-Cannon also winning their matches.

“I’ve never played in colder weather,” said Arizona golfer Ben Choe.

In comparison, Choe called the next day’s cool and clear conditions

“like heaven,” when his team played much better.

For the week, Utah’s top point-getters were Clark with 7.5, Christopher with 7, Morgan with 6.5 and Nyhus with 6. Nyhus said because she doesn’t get to compete much any more with her duties as BYU women’s golf coach, she particularly enjoys competition such as the Utah-Arizona matches.

The Utah team has only won once in “The Grand Canyon State” in the 15-year history of the Shootout, but will need to win next year to even things up when the series returns to Arizona.