Clutch birdie putt on 17 wins Salt Lake City Amateur for Draper teenager

Last year, Draper’s Bowen Mauss three-putted the 17th hole from 60 feet out at the Richard C. Kramer Salt Lake City Amateur golf tournament and was edged for the title by good friend and fellow 16-year-old Sean Lampropoulos.

Sunday, the rising senior at Corner Canyon High School, who has committed to play college golf for Arizona State, made sure that history didn’t repeat itself.

Mauss, 17, rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th hole at Bonneville Golf Course, a clutch putt that gave him a one-stroke win over Salt Lake City’s Devin Tovey. Mauss finished at 8-under 136, while Tovey, a 30-year-old club-fitter at Impact Golf Center in Draper, easily placed second at 137.

Former University of Utah golfer and past State Amateur champion Martin Leon, seasoned amateur David Jennings and former pro Steele DeWald, the first-round leader, tied for third at 4-under 140.

“It feels really good,” said Mauss, who won the 6A high school individual title last fall. “I knew it was a really good field coming into it, so getting a win, I am obviously super happy.”

Mauss said a City Am title has been on his bucket list since he “came up just short last year” and watched Lampropoulos take the first-place trophy. Lampropoulos, a rising senior at East High who has committed to Oregon, shot back-to-back 75s and finished tied for 31st in the championship flight.

“Not the best way to defend a title,” he groaned on his way off the course, having won with a 6-under 138 last year under similar, near-ideal weather conditions to become the youngest champion in tournament history.

Mauss, Lampropoulos, Lone Peak High’s Kihei Akina (BYU) and Skyline’s Jackson Shelley (BYU) are part of a group of 17-year-old junior golfers in the state who are all a year away from college golf and considered one of the best crops in state history.

Mauss said he really wasn’t thinking about last year when he sank the big putt on 17, then acknowledged, “it was definitely a little bit in the back of my mind that I wanted to get it done this year, for sure.”

Tovey, who prepped at Highland High and works one or two days a week at Bonneville, said the close loss “stings a little bit” because he has been dreaming of winning the City Am title since he was a 5-year-old and that he grew up playing Bonneville.

“My putting wasn’t very good,” he said. “I missed two 6-footers for birdie. … I had some good looks coming in, I just didn’t make them.”

Mauss’ scorecard was a mess early, but he managed to overcome a double bogey on No. 5 and a bogey on No. 6 after starting the day with a birdie on the short par-5 opening hole.

A key to the turnaround was a birdie on the par-3 9th hole, which is considered one of the most difficult holes in the state.

“I just hit a 9-iron (into No. 9),” he said. “I tried to keep it below the hole because I know how nasty it is to be on the top tier.”

Birdies on 11 and 12 put him back into contention, and then after a 15-footer for eagle on No. 16 barely slid below the hole and he tapped in for birdie, the stage was set on No. 17.

“I knew I needed a birdie on 17,” he said. “I really wanted to make that one. I hadn’t made one all day.”

Mauss said he will play in the Utah State Junior Amateur this week and the State Amateur in July at Ogden Golf & Country Club, but the remainder of his summer will be spent playing out of state at national events.

Chuck O’Brien won the A Flight with a 147, while Corey Halliday won the B Flight with a 156.

Richard C. Kramer Salt Lake City Amateur final results

Championship Flight

136 — Bowen Mauss (68-68)

137 — Devin Tovey (68-69)

140 — Martin Leon (73-67), David Jennings (69-71), Steele DeWald (67-73)

141 — Zach Felts (71-70)

142 — Zac Jones (68-74)

143 — Brock Porter (75-68), Jacob Marx (74-69), Bode Salas (73-70), Austin Shelley (72-71)

144 — Stuart Gold (68-76)

145 — Lincoln Markham (76-69), Cole Ponich (76-69), Steven Croft (73-72), Brady Stanger (72-73), Dan Horner (70-75)

A Flight

147 — Chuck O’Brien (71-76), Skyler Doran (71-76), Ryan Kelly (75-76)

B Flight

156 — Corey Halliday (72-84)

157 — Patrick Waldram (78-79)

160 — David Johnson (80-80)