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Favorites Kelsey Chugg and Grace Summerhays will meet in Quarterfinals
Once the defending champion was ousted, nobody was safe Tuesday at the 120th Utah Women’s State Amateur golf tournament as contestants entered match play and the field was whittled from 32 to eight.
It was a day of startling upsets, but also a day at Oakridge Country Club in Farmington that saw a couple of pre-tournament favorites advance to the Elite Eight. Unfortunately, those two past champs, six-time champion Kelsey Chugg and 2020 champ Grace Summerhay, will meet in a huge quarterfinal match Wednesday morning.
But first, the upsets: defending champion Arden Louchheim was eliminated in the Round of 32 2 up by Adley Nelson, a former Weber State golfer who is transferring to Utah Valley. And medalist Braylyn Bayer, a rising junior at Weber State, was ousted by BYU golfer Ava Schroeder of Twin Falls, Idaho. Louchheim’s early loss was not totally unexpected. The former Nebraska golfer now works full-time as a broadcaster for the Ogden Raptors, and hasn’t been able to dedicate as much time to her game as in previous years.
After 24 matches on Tuesday, here who is left standing, along with Summerhays and Chugg:
Rylee Salome
New Mexico State golfer Rylee Salome, who won four individual high school championships for Belen High in New Mexico. Salome, the No. 4 seed after Monday’s 18-hole stroke play qualifying, defeated teenager Faith Vui 5 and 4 in the morning and then topped the aforementioned Nelson 1 up in the afternoon.
Whitney Banz
BYU senior Whitney Banz, a former West High star who was the medalist last year at Wasatch Mountain State Park after returning from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Banz knocked off BYU teammate Berlin Long 6 snd 4 in the morning and Utah Tech’s Gabrielle Roznicki 5 and 4 in the afternoon.
Salome and the red-hot Banz will meet in a quarterfinal at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday.
Rosie Oettli
Salt Lake City’s Rosie Oettli, who prepped at Cottonwood High before a college career (2019-22) at Southern Virginia. Oettli, perhaps the most surprising quarterfinalist, defeated Taylor Weingarten 2 and 1 and BYU golfer Aadyn Long 1 up to advance. Long had defeated former BYU golfer Sunbin Seo, the No. 2 seed, 1 up in the morning.
Ashley Lam
Westminster golfer Ashley Lam, a Skyline High product. Lam beat Jane Olson 2 up in the morning and Natalie McLane 5 and 4 in the afternoon, and will meet Oettli at 7:50 a.m Wednesday in the quarters.
Rachel Lillywhite
Weber State golfer Rachel Lillywhite, a Timpview High product who played in only one college tournament last year after returning from a church mission. Lillywhite defeated Brynnley Bischoff 3 and 2 in the morning and then upset BYU golfer Nya Palmer of Las Vegas 4 and 3 in the afternoon.
Samantha Phelan
Utah Tech junior Samantha Phelan, who is from Henderson, Nevada. Phelan defeated Taylyn Wilson 6 and 4 in the Round of 32 and new UVU golfer Sydney Richards, a transfer from Southern Virginia, 5 and 4 in the Round of 16.
Lillywhite and Phelan will meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The semifinals will be contested Wednesday afternoon, with the 36-hole championship match scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Click here for pairings and start times of the quarterfinal matches.
Photography courtesy of Fairways Media.