Doug Garwood, one
of the older players in the field at 46, has
put together rounds of 68-66-144 to lead the
Utah Open by one stroke going into Sunday’s
final round at Oakridge
Country Club. Garwood hails from
Valencia , California and played
collegiately at
Fresno State back in the 80s.
The highlight of his golfing career so far
has been losing big events in four-way
playoffs. That started at
Fresno State when he tied for
medalist honors in the NCAA Championship,
but lost in his first four-way playoff.
A few years later he lost another four-way
playoff in the
Southern California Open, and four
years ago he lost a four-way playoff in the
Nationwide Tour’s
State Farm Classic in
Los Angeles .
He figures if he is in a four-way playoff in
the Utah Open that the odds are in his
favor. While the odds of a four-way playoff
are long, there are three Utahns one stroke
behind him, Jake Ellison,
Zach Johnson, and
Mark Owen.
Three shots back is Colorado Open champion
Derek Tolan and two more Utahns , Utah State
Amateur champion Zac Blair and Ryan Rhees.
Just four back are four more Utahns, tour
veteran
Jay Don Blake, former State Am
champions Nick Nelson and Steve Schneiter,
and Dustin Pimm.
Zac Blair is the low amateur at 137 with
Joe Parkinson trailing him by four
shots at 141.
