From the Clubhouse
by Randy Dodson
Randy Dodson is the publisher of Fairways

Summer - August - 07
Repeating History

Nic VanVuuren posted rounds of 70-63 to take medalist honors at the 107th Utah State Amateur. The second round 63 was posted as the competitive course record at Wolf Creek Resort and introduced van Vuuren to the Utah golf community.

Repeating history in this year’s State Amateur at Thanksgiving Point was not only another UVSC find but also another Nic(k). This unknown Nick just happened to come out of nowhere to win the whole thing, beating, Rick Lloyd, Zach Bachman, Brady Stanger, Chris Gresh and finally Scott Clark, to take home the State Am trophy.

Nick Nelson graduated from Lone Peak high school and spent the last few years in Texas honing his game on the junior college circuit and earning all-region honors at Odessa College in Texas before returning to Utah.

Nelson, fresh from an eighth place finish in the national junior college tournament, entered this year’s Gold’s Gym/Mtn. Network Provo Open where he was paired with Utah Golf Association board member John Taylor. Taylor spread the word of Nelson’s abilities to new UVSC golf coach and former State Am champ Clark Rustand.

After observing a few holes of Nelson’s play, Rustand offered Nelson the scholarship in Utah that he had been searching for. Finding no room for himself at BYU, Nelson had resigned himself to playing for BYU-Hawaii next season. Wanting to stay in Utah with family and for the competitive amateur circuit, Nelson accepted Rustand’s offer.

Claiming that Orem, Utah is better than Laie, Hawaii Nelson explained, “at this point, my family is here, the competitiveness is here, and I think there are a lot better golfers here – for sure.”

With his State Am win came an automatic invitation to the Pacific Coast Amateur tournament from Joe Watts and the Utah Golf Association and the recognition of being one of the top amateurs in the state. Remember the name, Nick Nelson!