July 14, 2008
Horner Nips Daniels in State Am Sudden Death Final
The Salt Lake Tribune
MIDWAY - Almost from the time Dan Horner moved to Utah in 2001 for a job that never materialized, the New Jersey transplant has had a major impact on the Utah amateur golf scene, winning some tournaments on the local circuit and advancing well into the State Amateur after playing college golf at Rutgers University.
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But the 30-year-old building material salesman, by his own account, hadn't won "one of the big ones."
Now he has.
In one of the longest final matches in the long and storied history of the tournament, Horner won the 110th Men's State Amateur on Sunday evening with a par on the 38th hole when his opponent, Utah State golfer Devin Daniels, made a rare Photo Gallery State Am Golf Championship bogey.
The well-played match, scheduled for 36 holes, was tied after the ninth, 18th, 27th and 36th holes, as both players were well under par and needed birdies or eagles, in most cases, to win holes.
The anti-climactic ending on Soldier Hollow Golf Club's Silver Course No. 2 green put a cap on a 9- hour, 20-minute marathon match - broken up only by a short break for lunch - that will be remembered for some spectacular shot-making and putting and gutty determination of two evenly matched players.
"I guess it feels a little surreal," Horner said. "It will probably sink in a little later."
Said Daniels: I have "kind of mixed emotions right now. It doesn't seem like it is over. I'm still ready for the next hole."
Alas, there was no 39th hole, probably because the driving skill that had served Daniels so well all day picked a horrible time to desert him.
After both players missed 5-foot tries for birdie on the 37th hole - Daniels was a few inches closer - Daniels strolled to the tee box on the 570-yard par-5 and hooked his drive into the weeds left of the fairway.
Luckily, a Utah Golf Association official found the ball in knee- to waist-deep weeds, seemingly saving Daniels a stroke. Unfortunately, he had a bad lie and could only advance the ball 20 yards or so. His next shot found a greenside bunker.
Horner was in the left rough with his drive, then sort of returned the favor by hooking a 5-iron into some weeds left of the green. He had a decent lie, though and popped his third shot onto the green, but 20 feet past the hole.
Horner was able to two-putt from there for the win, although he left himself a testy 4-footer, which he jokingly blamed on his caddy, Jeff Jolley, for misreading the break on the first putt. Horner had defeated his friend Jolley in Friday's second round of match play.
"These greens were tricky," he said. "I didn't make a single putt over 10 feet, it felt like."
A gallery of about 100 followed the match, most of them supporting Daniels, 23, who was recently married and will start his senior year at USU in the fall.
Trailing most of the afternoon after three- putting the first hole after lunch, Daniels gave his fans something to cheer about when he made an eagle on the 34th hole - the par-5 16th - to square the match.
Daniels hit the better tee shot on the par-3 17th as well, but missed an uphill 12-footer for birdie. On the 36th hole, Horner was a tad closer, but both golfers missed birdie opportunities.
"It was a great match, us going extra holes," Daniels said. "Of course I am let down, because I didn't win like I wanted to, but we both played great golf. I think that's all you can do."
Daniels had the upper hand on the first sudden- death hole, too. He belted a drive that almost made it to the green on the 452-yard first hole, while Horner hit a 3-wood "only" 330 yards.
However, Horner hit a gap wedge 120 yards to within 5 feet of the hole, and Daniels' chip was only inches inside that clutch shot.
"I definitely had my chances to win," Daniels said.
As for Horner, he got better and better after opening with a 75 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying on Wednesday, and by Sunday a dozen or so of his buddies had shown up to offset Daniels' large following.
"My roots are deep here," Horner said when asked if winning the State Am is as important to him as it is to a Utah native. "I've been here about seven years. My roots are pretty deep. So yeah, this is home."
His name has a new home, too - on the State Amateur trophy.
drew@sltrib.com
