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Day 1 Utah State Amateur Championship: Lesser known names on top of the leaderboard

The opening round of the 128th Utah State Amateur Championship produced a pair of leaders with very different paths to the top of the leaderboard.

BYU’s Angus Klintworth and Weber State’s Jesus Castaneda each fired a 6-under par 66 on Monday to share the lead after the first 18-holes of the 36-hole stroke play qualifying at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway. Klintworth posted his round on the Silver Course during the morning wave before Castaneda matched it during the afternoon.

BYU’s Angus Klintworth

While a low score is always the objective, the bigger prize remains securing one of the 64 spots that advance to match play, where the championship truly begins on Wednesday. Tuesday’s final qualifying round will determine which players continue their pursuit of the title and which players see their week come to an end.

For Klintworth, patience proved to be the difference.

“I’ve got to set the record straight. It wasn’t bogey free,” Klintworth said with a smile. “I snuck two bogeys in there when nobody was looking. Nothing dramatic. Just me reminding myself I’m human before it goes to my head.”

The BYU junior from Johannesburg, South Africa didn’t allow those mistakes to change his approach.

“Honestly the swing felt good, but I’m not going to pretend I cracked some code out there. I just kept it in front of me and tried not to do anything stupid, which for me is a full time job.”

Klintworth knows one good round means little at a championship that begins with medal play ahead of four days of match play.

“There’s a whole other 18 tomorrow, so today was about staying patient and not lighting the round on fire chasing something that wasn’t there. Match play is the goal. Leading after day one is nice, but nobody hands out trophies for Monday.”

He also credited the people walking beside him.

“I’ve got to give it up to my caddie and my two buddies who came out to support me. They did the heavy lifting and laughed at the two bogeys with me.”

Castaneda’s story is much different.

The Weber State senior is making his first appearance in the Utah State Amateur after failing to qualify a year ago. Monday’s 66 immediately placed him in then spotlight.

“It’s my first State Am. I just came out here knowing I couldn’t lose anything. No one knows my name.”

Weber State’s Jesus Castaneda

His game plan was simple, “Just keep the ball in front of you.”

That philosophy has carried him through an unconventional journey to Division I golf.

Castaneda was preparing to play college baseball before the COVID pandemic altered those plans. Instead, he picked up a set of golf clubs and discovered a new passion.

“I was supposed to play college baseball and then COVID hit. I got a set of clubs and my brother said, ‘Let’s go golfing.’ At first I said, ‘No, I’m a baseball player.'”

Golf quickly became more than a pastime.

“At first I just wanted to beat my big brother.”

After developing his game, Castaneda played at Columbia Basin College before transferring to Weber State. Wildcats head coach Scott Erling challenged him to prove himself before offering him an opportunity.

“Coach Scott basically told me, ‘Nobody knows your name. You need to go prove yourself.’ I took that as an opportunity. I went up there, to prove myself, and he stayed in contact with me.”

Erling has watched Castaneda’s growth firsthand.

“Jesus is a great kid. He came to golf late, but he’s worked incredibly hard and turned himself into a really good player. I’m excited to see what kind of year he’s going to have. He’s a solid ball striker, has a great attitude and won’t beat himself.”

Castaneda admitted this championship has been his primary focus all season after narrowly missing the field in 2025.

“Last year I tried to qualify and missed. This year I had this tournament circled on my calendar. This has been my main focus.”

Even after sharing the lead, his mindset has not changed.

“Of course I’d love to make match play, but the story’s already written. I’ve just got to go live it. The outcome is secondary. Just commit to my process. Enjoy the day, keep the ball in front of you and see what the score says at the end.”

The final round of stroke play qualifying begins Tuesday morning with players on both the Gold and Silver courses. By late afternoon, the field will be trimmed from 288 players to the low 64 who will advance to match play beginning Wednesday morning. If a playoff is needed to determine the final qualifying positions, it will be contested Wednesday morning at Soldier Hollow.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:

2008 champion, Dan Horner

2008 champion Dan Horner shot (-3) 69 on the Gold course to finish T12 and lead the pairing of former champions that included Cole Ogden (2013) and Jordan Rodgers (2015).

Madden Barnes

Layton High’s Madden Barnes shot an opening round (-5) 67 on the Silver courses to join Ben Wilson, Ammon Allred, Ty Brady and Brandon Robison at T3.

BYU’s Whitney Banz

BYU’s Whitney Banz, the only woman in the field, shot an opening round of (+8) 80 matching the score of 14-year old Jraice Finau, the youngest player in the tournament while the oldest player in the field, 69-year old Paul Cannon, posted an 83.

Defending champion Bowen Mauss of Arizona State and BYU’s David Liechty, his 2025 semifinal opponent, are paired together in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying. After opening round 71s both are in good position to make match play.

Current project cutline after Monday’s opening round is even par.

Click here for the 128th Utah State Amateur Leaderboard

Utah State Amateur stroke play qualifying opening round recap and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson and Garrit Johnson.