FARMINGTON, Utah – Cooper Jones, Cole Ponich and four BYU alumni are set to tee it up Thursday at Oakridge Country Club in the opening round of the Korn Ferry Tour's Utah Championship.
Jones, Ponich and the former Cougars are set to compete in the 72-hole Utah Championship August 1-4. The Utah Championship is the 20th event of Korn Ferry’s 26-event season with 156 players battling for the title at Oakridge Country Club.
Jones, the 2024 Utah State Amateur runner-up, shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 in the Monday qualifier at Bonneville Golf Club, earning him the top spot. Jones made eagles on the first and fifth holes while making birdies on four and seven to finish 6-under on the opening nine. Jones then birdied 10, 12, and 16 to close out the round and earn his third start on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
The 2024 Utah Amateur Champion, Ponich, tied for third in the qualifier with a 6-under 66 that included seven birdies. The rising senior made three birdies in a row on the third, fourth and fifth holes. Despite his lone bogey on the par-4 14th hole, Ponich carded three birdies on the inward nine to secure a start in this week's championship.
Four other Cougar alumni are set to tee it up this week: the 2020 Utah Championship runner-up Daniel Summerhays, Peter Kuest, Max Brenchley, and Carson Lundell will join the current Cougs at Oakridge.
Follow the championship on Golf Channel from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. MST on Thursday and Friday, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. MST Saturday and Sunday. Live scoring can be found on the Korn Ferry Tour website.