By BRADY BINGHAM
Standard-Examiner staff
LAYTON — Five former champions advanced to match play at the Utah State Amateur and were on hand at the champions breakfast Friday morning at Valley View Golf Course.
Former Utah Golf Association executive director Mark Passey, currently on staff with the United States Golf Association offered words of encourage for the golfers prior to their start to match play competition. The former champions on hand were Dan Horner, Tommy Sharp, Darrin Overson, Gregg Oliphant and Doug Bybee.
“I’m very honored for the opportunity to be here this morning,” said Passey. “This day belongs to you. This is your stage. This is your opportunity.”
Passey, a former Logan native and member at Logan Country Club as well as a supermarket manager at Smith’s Food King, who has worked over 112 U.S. National Championships, including 20 U.S. Opens and soon to be 20 U.S. Amateurs and numerous other competitions.
“If not for golf, I’d still be bagging groceries,” Passey said, not at all to make light or brag about his achievements, but instead to show his gratitude for his “opportunity” to work in golf.
“It was my opportunity to work with the Utah Golf Association and this championship, that made all of these things possible,” Passey said. “My life changed because of my involvement with the people in this room.”
Passe also honored BYU’s Robbie Fillmore, the No. 2 seed in the Utah State Amateur, for winning medalist honors at last year’s U.S. Amateur. He presented Fillmore with his scoring card, which was displayed at Pinehurst golf club during the championship a year ago.
The morning matches began at 9 a.m.
