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Self-proclaimed ‘Nobodies’ Henry Poulton-Brandon Pearson become winners

In the end, after Henry Poulton and Brandon Pearson had won four matches against some of the Utah Golf Association’s biggest names and most famous families, this was the natural question: Who are these guys?

Poulton was quick to answer: “We’re nobodies.”

2024 Utah Four-Ball Champions Henry Poulton and Brandon Pearson.

He said so proudly, fully aware of what the neighbors from Bountiful had done in becoming the winners of the Utah Four-Ball Championship at Gladstan Golf Course in Payson.

Their unlikely odyssey concluded with a 3-and-1 victory over junior golf stars Austin Shelley and Jack Summerhays. It began with a defeat of three-time champions Ryan Brimley-David Jennings, and featured a rally to overtake two-time winners Dan Horner-Darrin Overson in the semifinals. They also beat Danny Hafen-Rand Sargent in 20 holes in the quarterfinals.

“They’re just great players,” Poulton said, summarizing the list of opponents. “They have great reputations, great histories. They’ve won so many times in so many events. We just relied on each other. And the fact we were underdogs in every single match really helped us.”

Technically, that’s not true, after Poulton-Pearson qualified as the No. 7 seeds in the At-Large bracket. Practically speaking, though, that’s accurate. And there’s no discounting the talent and toughness they displayed, especially in coming from 3 down at the turn vs. Horner-Overson and leading from start to finish vs. Shelley-Summerhays.

As Pearson said, “There were points when we just had to grind it out; be gritty.”

At this point, introductions are in order. Pearson is 41, a financial advisor, father of six children and coach of the Woods Cross High School girls golf team. Poulton is 37, has two young children and works for a tech company, after doing management consulting. Encouragement from supportive wives got them back into golf in recent years. Pearson made the field for the 125th State Amateur last year, and the two have played in some team events.

They thrived in their first Utah Four-Ball competition. There’s no minimizing Pearson’s front-nine 31 in the final match, but Poulton certainly did his part over two days, such as birdieing the par-3 No. 17 to tie Horner-Overson in the semifinals.

The winners fit the usual Mid-Amateur profile of Four-Ball winners, considering college players are unavailable in September. Shelley (Skyline) and Summerhays (Farmington) had hoped to become by far the youngest champions as high school juniors. Shelley is the youngest of three brothers who made the 36-hole cut in the recent Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open; Summerhays is the oldest child of touring pro Daniel Summerhays. Their run included a 4-and-3 semifinal win over the Cooper Jones-Tyler Jones brotherly duo, with Cooper making his last UGA appearance prior to a church mission.

Utah Four-Ball runner-up team Jack Summerhays (L) and Austin Shelley.

Shelley-Summerhays lost the first two and last two holes of the final match, winning only No. 9. They faded on the back nine, but deserve credit for staying close all afternoon with performances such as Shelley’s tying eagle on the par-5 No. 8.

SENIORS/SUPER-SENIORS

2024 Utah Senior Four-Ball champions, Jon Wright and Brigham Gibbs.

One thread carried through the age-group competitions. Senior winners Brigham Gibbs-Jon Wright had to play each other in last week’s Senior State Amateur; Super-Senior champions Rick Lloyd-Paul Cannon also met in match play at Hill Air Force Base.

Each pair was clearly happy to be teammates again. Gibbs-Wright outlasted Matthew Lyons-Fred Larsen in 21 holes, while Lloyd-Cannon topped Randy Hicken-Mike Jorgensen 3 and 2.

Wright and Lloyd each earned a rare opportunity to hoist two UGA trophies on consecutive Thursdays. Wright and Gibbs, who won the Senior Stroke Play title in May, both could celebrate a season of multiple titles, while claiming a second victory in the Four-Ball’s Senior division (they also won At-Large championships in 2017 and ‘18).

2024 Utah Super-Senior Four-Ball champions, Paul Cannon and Rick Lloyd.

Gibbs delivered the winners’ most dramatic stroke Thursday, a match-extending, 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 No. 18, with Lyons near the hole. “My whole take is I’m glad Brigham was here, because I did not play well today,” Wright said. “That was a great putt he made on 18. That was everything.”

Lyons had teamed with Shane McMillan for Senior titles each of the past two years. Larsen helped him reach another final match. They never trailed until the 21st hole, but never could quite take command.

Lloyd, 68, has won three straight Super-Senior trophies in the Four-Ball, in 2022 with Karl Avant and twice with Cannon.

“We didn’t make any big mistakes,” Lloyd said after playing 31 holes in two matches. Hicken-Jorgensen had gone 28 holes vs. Steven Borget-Dan Hatch in the semifinals, with the 10 extra holes believed to be a record for a match in any UGA tournament.

Click here for complete bracket scoring of the Utah Four-Ball Championship at Gladstan GC.

Utah Four-Ball Championship recap written by Fairways Media’s Kurt Kragthorpe. Photography provided by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson.