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Day 2 Utah State Amateur Championship: Ben Wilson Earns Medalist Honors as Match Play Field Takes Shape at Soldier Hollow

Two days of stroke play are complete. Now the 128th Utah State Amateur Championship turns into the format many players have been waiting for.

University of Utah commit Ben Wilson earned medalist honors Tuesday at Soldier Hollow Golf Course, posting matching rounds of 67 on the Gold and Silver courses to finish at 10-under par 134. The steady performance topped a leaderboard filled with many of the state’s best amateur and secured the No. 1 seed entering match play.

Wilson never felt like he had to force the issue during his final round. His putter took time to warm up, but once it did, the birdies followed.

University of Utah commit, Ben Wilson

“I played really solid all day,” he said. “The putter was a little cold early, which kind of led to making a lot of pars. I made about an eight foot putt for par on 17 and that gave me some confidence. Then the putts started falling and I made some birdies late.”

Wilson opened qualifying Monday with a 67 on the Gold Course before matching that score Tuesday on the Silver Course. He admitted medalist honors crossed his mind as the round unfolded, but only after putting himself into position.

“I just wanted to play a good solid round of golf,” he said. “Once I made a few birdies and looked at the leaderboard, I knew I was right in it.”

Wilson also expected the Midway winds to play a larger role than it ultimately did.

“I thought the wind was going to be a bigger factor,” he said. “We were very fortunate it never got too crazy.”

BYU incoming freshman Austin Shelley and BYU senior Angus Klintworth shared runner up honors at 8-under par 136.

BYU commit, Austin Shelley held the medalist race lead through the morning wave of the final round.

Shelley followed an opening round 69 with a 67 on the demanding Gold Course during Tuesday’s morning wave. His round included an eagle on the par 4 fourth hole, and his score held up as the clubhouse lead until the afternoon groups completed play.

Klintworth, who shared the first round lead with Weber State’s Jesus Castaneda after an opening 66, closed with a 70. While medalist honors remained within reach throughout much of the afternoon, his focus had already shifted toward what comes next.

“It’s just a different ball game,” Klintworth said of match play. “In stroke play you’re playing against the golf course. In match play you’re playing one on one. You can see what your opponent does and be more aggressive.”

Stroke Play Qualifying runner-up Angus Klintworth

That mindset was evident throughout qualifying. Rather than chasing a number, Klintworth viewed the second round as preparation for the championship’s next stage.

“I kind of took it as a practice round for the rest of the week and conserved some energy,” he said.

Like Wilson, Klintworth placed little importance on where he finished on the leaderboard once the 64 player bracket is finalized.

“It doesn’t really matter,” he said. “Whether you’re the medalist or 64th, you’ve still got to beat the person in front of you.”

Castaneda finished in a five way tie for fourth at 6-under par 138 with BYU’s Jackson Mauss and Parker Bunn, former BYU standout David Timmons and Glenwild Golf Club’s Kenny Palmer.

Mauss produced one of the day’s biggest moves after opening with a 72 on the Silver Course. He fired a 66 on the Gold Course, making six birdies and an eagle before a double bogey on the final hole kept him from climbing even higher.

Three players tied for ninth at 5-under par 139. The group included Utah State’s Noah Moody, former University of Utah standout Brandon Robison and incoming BYU transfer David Liechty.

With qualifying complete, the championship now shifts to the format many competitors prefer. Wilson has long enjoyed the head to head challenge of match play.

Medalist Ben Wilson (far right) tallies his final round scorecard on the Silver course at Soldier Hollow.

“I’ve always loved match play,” he said. “I honestly wish there were more match play tournaments. There’s just something about the one v one aspect that makes golf really fun.”

The 64 player bracket is nearly set, but one final hurdle remains. Seven players who finished tied for 62nd at 3-over par 147 will return to Soldier Hollow Wednesday morning for a 7:30 a.m. playoff on the Gold course 10th hole to determine the final three spots in match play. Once the playoff concludes, the chase for the 128th Utah State Amateur Championship officially begins.

KURT KRAGTHORPE’S TWITTER (X) TOURNAMENT NOTES:

7-for-3 playoff Wednesday morning will fill the 64-player bracket: Krew Labrum, Preston Bridges, Dallin Anderson, Austin Bybee, Tytan Birchell, Jordan Paulson and Cooper Wayment finished at +3 as the cutline moved from (E) during the afternoon.

Darrin Overson (+2) gets into match play with a longevity distinction. His title came 28 years ago; Jack Ridd’s second win came 27 years before his last match-play appearance, in 1991.

Brock Porter (Fairways Media photo files)

Brock Porter is the comeback kid of the week. 65 on Gold to easily make match play after 77 on Silver, which played 3 strokes easier in R1. Porter is an alum of Desert Hills HS in St. George, plays for UT-Rio Grande Valley.

Brock Porter’s 65 on the Gold Course today is one stroke off the course record, set by Utah State golfer Devin Daniels in R1 of stroke play in the 2008 State Am. Daniels eventually reached the final match, losing to Dan Horner in 38 holes.

Talor Gooch, a future PGA Tour winner, shot a 64 in the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links at Soldier Hollow. But that was on a one-time-only, modified layout, using part of one Silver Course hole.

Jackson Mauss (Fairways Media photo files)

BYU’s Jackson Mauss posts a 66 (-6) in R2 on demanding Gold Course, the unfortunate postscript being that he double-bogeyed No. 18 after making six birdies and eagle. Comfortably into match play, though, a year after losing to his brother in quarters.

BYU-bound Austin Shelley posts a 67 on the tough Gold Course for -8 total and is the clubhouse leader after morning wave of R2. Shelley eagled the par-4 No. 4. The Skyline HS grad is in match play for a 3rd year, having lost to a brother in ’24 and ’25.

Click here for Stroke Play Qualifying final leaderboard.

Click here for Round of 64 Match Play Bracket.

128th Utah State Amateur Stroke Play Qualifying recap and photos by Fairways Media’s Randy Dodson, Garrit Johnson and Kurt Kragthorpe.