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DAY 5: Mauss Returns to Title Match, Crawford Caps Dramatic Day at Utah State Amateur

It was hot for the next to the last day of the Utah State Amateur at Soldier Hollow with temperatures reaching near triple digits and the action on the Gold course was just as hot.

In the morning quarterfinal matches defending champion Bowen Mauss took on 2023 State Am finalist David Liechty. Liechty was 2 up through the first five holes, before Mauss won the next two holes to tie it up. It stayed close, with LIechty up by one on 18. But a bad drive on the final hole of regulation opened the door for Mauss, who birdied the hole to force a sudden death playoff. Mauss won the match on the 19th hole with a par to keep his dream of back-to-back titles alive.

Defending champion Bowen Mauss, a rising sophomore at Arizona State University, earned a spot in Saturday’s championship match.

“If you would have told me on the 17th hole before my 12 foot par to tie, that I would extend the match and win in sudden death, I would have been happy,” he said when it was over.

Bowen’s older brother Jackson also had his match go extra holes, but he was not happy with the outcome. Jackson took on 38-year old Cameron Crawford. The veteran mid-am player was 4 up after eight holes, but Mauss won 4 of the final 10 holes, including a clutch birdie on 18 to force a playoff. They matched scores until the fifth extra hole, where Crawford won the hole with a par 4. Going 23 holes in the heat was a grind.

Former Utah Mid-Amateur champion Cameron Crawford will face Bowen Mauss in the championship match at Soldier Hollow.

“Jackson is a great player and he fought back,” Crawford said, “I give him a lot of credit. It’s tough, I’m out there thinking, ‘is this worth it?’ But, I love it. I’m representing the old guys. I’ve been getting texts from a lot of them. They’re rooting for me to show what some old guys can still do.”

Even the young guys were feeling the heat. Utah Tech golfer KJ Ofahengaue was paired against Carter Frisby from the Uiversity of Idaho. Their match stayed close, with neither golfer taking more than a one hole lead until Ofahengaue birdied two of the last three holes to win, 2 up.

Utah Tech’s KJ Ofahengaue

“It’s a grind,” KJ said, moments after his 18th hole birdie to clinch the match. “Everyone is tired, but I felt a sense of calmness. I knew it would be a fight, so I was ready for all 18 holes.”

Utah State golfer Noah Moody was 2 down after two holes in his match against Kanyon DeRyke. But Moody rolled in a 60 footer on the third hole, changing the momentum, with Moody taking a hole advantage early on the back nine.

Utah State’s Noah Moody

“The key was making putts,” said Moody, the son of Riverside Country Club head pro Chris Moody. “I made probably over 200 feet of putts in the morning. My putter was hot.”

On the 12th hole, he gave his putter a rest, chipping in for an eagle to go 4 up. But DeRyke made a big rally, and was down just one on the 18th hole. He made birdie, but it wasn’t enough, as Moody rolled in a  putt from off the green for an eagle to win the match 2-up.

In the afternoon semifinals, Bowen Mauss faced Ofahengaue. Unlike his morning match, Mauss never trailed, jumping out to a three hole lead in the first seven holes. The two traded wins on the back nine before Mauss closed him out with a par on the 16th hole, winning 3 and 2. He’s excited to be in the championship match for the second year in a row.

“It’s one of the funnest matches you can be in,” he said, exhausted after his long day. “It’s definitely something I wanted to do.”

Mauss meets with the media following his semifinal match.

When asked if he learned anything from last year that can help him this year, he replied “Stick to my game plan. It’s a long day. Good or bad start, there’s a ton of golf left. Keep the pedal down.”

His opponent in the championship match will be Crawford, who defeated Moody in the day’s final semifinal. Moody held a 1 up lead through the front nine, but the 38-year-old Crawford grinded his way back and took the lead on the back nine. The match was all square through 17 holes before Crawford drove the green on the 327 yard 18th. He then rolled in a 10 foot eagle putt to earn his spot in Saturday morning’s championship final.

“I hit a good drive and got a good bounce and hit a good putt. Honestly, it’s unreal. I didn’t see myself being here. It’s a grind. I’m feeling it. I’m going to have to cold plunge and ice tonight and see what we can do tomorrow. It still hasn’t set in.”

So it’s defending champion Bowen Mauss vs. Camron Crawford in the 36-hole match play final Saturday for the championship of the 128th Utah State Amateur. The action starts bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on the Gold course at Soldier Hollow.

Click here to see the complete match play bracket scoring.

Match play quarterfinals and semifinal recap written by Fairways Media contributor Wesley Ruff. Photography by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.