Lehi Sports
Lehi-based 17U golf team earns 2nd at Nationals
The region champion 17U boys all-star golf team based at Thanksgiving Point finished second at the 2024 National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship on Sunday (Nov. 17) at the Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
No. 1 seed Team New York defeated No. 2 seed Team Utah (Lehi) 5.5 – 3.5 to claim the 2024 17u title in the match-play final. Team New York and Team Utah were locked in a tie, 3-3, through the first two matches, but New York proved victorious.
Team Utah includes D’Adiddas Notoa, Jordan Ofahengaue, Blake Brown, Ryder Huish, Jace Benson and Mack Herzog. All of these players are 14 years old while Team New York had five players who are 17 and one that was 16.
As a freshman, Notoa competed for the Pioneers during the high school golf season and was the highest local placer at the 6A state tournament, finishing in the top 20.
PGA of America Golf Professional Tele Wightman, Team Utah’s coach, was proud of his team, who kept the Championship match close throughout the afternoon.
“We played really great in the finals, and there were times when I thought we had it won,” said Wightman, general manager at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club.
“Coming into Hole No. 9, they birdied every group, and we parred, and that’s really what it came down to. We played great, but they were just a little bit better,” he added.
The match play semifinals set the stage for the Championship. In the morning, Team New York edged No. 4 seed Team Illinois 5 – 4 to secure their Championship berth, while No. 2 seed Team Utah defeated third-seeded Team Virginia (Dulles) 6.5 – 2.5 to advance.
Team Utah (Lehi) edged Team Virginia (Dulles) to claim the No. 2 seed with 55-under across 36 holes at Twin Warriors. With all four of the top-seeded teams surpassing 53-under on Days 1and 2, Team Utah Coach Tele Wightman, PGA, said the play was “flawless.”
“Coming into today, I thought if we scored 24-under, we’d still be good to get into the semifinals,” he said. “Luckily, we went 30-under because 24-under wouldn’t have been good enough.”
Here are the impressive scores earned in all six rounds of the four-day event by Team Utah’s pairs:
Round 1: Notoa/Ofahengaue -7, Herzog/Benson -6, Huish/Brown -5.
Round 2: Huish/Brown -7, Notoa/Ofahengaue -6, Herzog/Benson -3.
Round 3: Huish/Brown -9, Notoa/Ofahengaue -8, Herzog/Benson -6.
Round 4: Herzog/Benson -7, Huish/Brown -6, Notoa/Ofahengaue -4.
Semifinals: Notoa/Ofahengaue -7, Herzog/Benson -7, Huish/Brown -6
Championship: Notoa/Ofahengaue -6, Herzog/Benson -7, Huish/Brown -6
The PGA Jr. League brings families and friends together around fun, team golf experiences for kids ages 17 and under, with expert coaching from PGA Professionals.
