* Former Syracuse High School golfer Cole Ogden shot a 5-under-par 67 to claim medalist in the first qualifying round of the 113th Utah State Amateur at Glen Eagle Golf Course in Syracuse.

* Former Syracuse High School golf Devon Purser qualified to play in the 2011 U.S. Public Links tournament by finishing second in tough conditions at Talons Cove earlier this month. Pursor’s two-round total of 150 was two shots behind medalist Justin Kelley, of Haiku, Hawaii.

* Zac Blair lost in a three-way playoff to finish second in the Sunnehanna Amateur, one of the nation’s top amateur tournaments held annually in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The former No. 1 golfer in the world — whose fall from the top spot started on Thanksgiving night of 2009 when he was involved in a car accident, which evolved into a sex scandal, a media circus and eventually his divorce — appeared on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallen, and on Good Morning America last week.

The strange thing here is that Tiger has always ducked the spotlight — appearing at times awkward, pompous or even rude during nationally broadcast interviews — even before the scandal rocked his superstar world and sent him spiraling from the No. 1 ranking.

While Tiger’s public image will never be restored, I applaud him for his efforts to look “cool” last week.

On Morning Drive, Woods and show host Gary Williams played a video game, with Woods, and his red-shirt wearing avatar, winning the one-hole match with a par. On Late Night, Woods laughed and played along with jokes from Fallen, the after-hours comedian who admitted Tiger’s antics have made his monologues easy to write. And, on Good Morning America, Woods opened up with host Robin Roberts about ways he is working hard to be a better father.

Tiger also talked a lot about his efforts to retain his No. 1 ranking in golf.

Woods, who hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since September of 2009, said he believes he is getting better every day, every tournament.

“I’ve proven it to myself on the range,” Woods said recently. “I just haven’t done it on the golf course consistently enough.”

He finished tied for 10^th at the Cadillac Championship at Doral two weeks ago. It was his best finish in three starts this season.

Tiger is committed to play this week at Bay Hill, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament he has won six times before. He won there in 2009, but did not attempt to defend his title last season while he was attending to personal matters.

Injuries continue for Weir

According to a report from the Associated Press, former Masters champion Mike Weir had a cyst on his left wrist drained and will miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It’s the latest blow to the Utah resident, who said he hopes to be ready for Augusta National.

Weir had a tendon injury in his right elbow last year and tried to play through it until deciding to take off the final four months of the season.

Playing on a few medical exemptions early this year, Weir failed to make enough money to retain his card. He will play the remainder of the season on his status as a past PGA Tour winner and on sponsor exemptions.

Summerhays returns

After missing the cut in his last three starts, and in five of his last six tournaments, former Davis High School star and BYU All-American Daniel Summerhays is in the field this week at Bay Hill.

Having made $193,226 in his rookie season, Summerhays seeks a return to playing on the weekend. He is currently 78^th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Tour rookie Daniel Summerhays shot rounds of 78 and 79, 17-over-par, and missed the cut at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

At least he didn’t finish last.

That honor went to Utah’s other favorite, Mike Weir, who in the process of shooting rounds of 77 and 85, not only missed the cut but lost his PGA Tour full-time exempt status in the process.

The short story is that Weir dropped outside the Top 125 on the PGA Tour’s money list for 2010. Weir’s attempt to make that list also included a medical exemption to play in five tournaments earlier this year.

For a longer explanation of Weir’s predicament, read this story from the Ottawa Citizen:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Weir+just/4388843/story.html#ixzz1Fr0A98mg

Certainly it has been injuries — predominantly a torn ligament in his elbow — that put the 40-year-old resident of Draper on this speedy slide.

But beyond his health, Weir has to regain his swing, the one that helped him win one of golf’s majors, the Masters, just eight years ago. Unfortunately however, the veteran hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since 2007 and has missed the cut more than 30 times since then.

We’re all routing for Weir to quickly return to form.

NEW PRO AT GLEN EAGLE

Glen Eagle golf course in Syracuse recently hired a new assistant golf professional.

Head professional Jared Barnes, according to his Facebook post on March 4, recently announced the hiring of Joseph Summerhays, the son of former PGA Senior Tour star Bruce Summerhays.

Utah golf fans still remember Joseph’s dramatic win with his father at the Champions Challenge in 2001.

On Monday, I had the distinct pleasure of playing golf with former BYU and NBA basketball star Shawn Bradley.

If you have met me, you know that I am just a little guy … 5-foot-6, a buck-30 (in wet clothes).

More of you are likely to know Bradley, the 7-foot-6 monster who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks after playing his freshman season at BYU.

I will give you a moment to visualize what the two of us looked like standing on the tee box, or sitting next to each other in the golf cart. ….

If I was ever in need of a photographer, that was the moment.

For the record, Bradley plays golf much like the rest of us amateurs. On this day at Willow Creek Country Club — we were both there as part of media day for the Nationwide Tour’s Utah Championship and their announcement that West Point native Clay Ogden had accepted an exemption into the event — Bradley hit a few great shots and a few we both will quickly forget.

But for one hole in particular, I will remember my opportunity to play with Bradley forever.

On the (member’s) 18th hole at Wiillow Creek, there are trees down both sides of the fairway and a giant lake guarding the front and left side of the green.

I hit my drive underneath a trees and had to chip out left-handed (I am a right-handed player). Then I hit my approach to the left and the ball nestled on a blade of grass on the water’s edge, forcing me to again hit a back-handed chip shot (a right-handed stance put my feet in the water).

During that adventure, Bradley left our foursome in stitches when he quipped, “You may be the only right-hander I’ve played with that hit two left-handed shots in one hole.”

Plenty of jabs and jokes were shared that day. For instance, as a BYU graduate I proudly disply my Cougars head covers on my clubs. I wasn’t sure how Bradley was going to accept that, but he graciously broke the ice before I did.

Bradley was a fantastic person to play golf with. What a joy!

LOGAN — They only get this chance once every 18 years.

So for two Top of Utah golfers — along with two more Utah junior players — earning a spot in next week’s Girls Junior America’s Cup is a tremendous honor.

The annual event, in which 18 teams from multiple western states, Canada and Mexico form four-person squads to compete in a 54-hole team tournament, will be held at Logan Golf and Country Club, July 28-30. It is only the second time in the 32-year history of the event that the tournament will be held in Utah.

Courtney Smith, the state 3-A championship runner-up out of Ogden High School, and Tara Green, the state 5-A champion from Weber High School, join Sirene Blair and Nicole Gaddie to form a solid Utah team prepared to take on top juniors from British Columbia, Mexico, Alberta, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and California.

“There are great teams from all over, but I think this will be the best finish Utah has ever had,” said Utah team captain Toni Guest. “Whether we take first or not, I don’t know … it’s a very competitive tournament. But I think we will do very well.

“We have four girls that are outstanding. We are very excited.”

“We are going to do awesome. We have the best team this year,” said Green during a practice round at Logan Golf and Country Club on Monday. “I have been waiting to play in this tournament for a couple of years, so I am very excited.”

Green recently returned from San Diego after playing in the Callaway Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Many of the same players competing at Junior Worlds have made the trip to play in the Girls Junior America’s Cup.

“We have four great girls … we are going to rock!” Green said with a big smile, excited to play in a team format. “Courtney is so bubbly, she is really going to make it fun.”

Smith, who played in the first round of the Utah Women’s State Amateur Monday morning at Thanksgiving Point, was also excited to play in the team format in which the top three of the four scores are tabulated.

“I have never been to a national team event like this; I am so excited,” Smith said. “It will be really fun to play together instead of against each other.

“It’s exciting to be a part of the history. It’s a really great tournament,” Smith added.

Lorena Ochoa, the LPGA’s top-rated player, is a three-time champion of this event. Other former competitors in the Girls Junior America’s Cup include six-time LPGA winner and Solheim Cup competitor Pat Hurst and LPGA star and fellow Solheim Cup competitor Natalie Gulbis.

“My first Junior America’s Cup was in New Mexico. (LPGA hall of famer) Kathy Whitworth spoke and I remember the whole experience,” said Gulbis. “It was the first time I met Lorena Ochoa. She and her teammates were doing the Macarena and taught us the dance.

“It was a big confidence boost because it meant I was one of the best players in the state and I got to compare my game against the other really good junior players,” Gulbis added.

“We have all worked hard to earn a spot on the team,” Smith said. “It’s a nice honor.”

The last time the Girls Junior America’s Cup was played in Utah was in 1991 at Ogden Golf and Country Club.

Utah State Women’s Amateur

Girls Junior America’s Cup team member Sirene Blair, just 14 years old, shot a 2-under-par 70 at Thanksgiving Point to take a first-round lead at the Utah State Women’s Amateur.

Blair leads by two strokes over Annika Afoa and Sue Nyhus. Julie McMullin, Lachelle Poffenberger and Natalie Stone were another shot back at 73.

The second round begins today at 7:30 a.m.

U.S. Junior Amateur

Farr West resident and Fremont High School star Patrick Fishburn is in the thick of things after Monday’s first round of the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Columbia’s Juan Luna posted a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to take the early lead, while Fishburn was among a group of 28 players that shot under par at the Trump National course in Bedminster, N.J.

Fishburn fired a 2-under-par 70 and is currently tied for 13th place.

The cut for match play comes after today’s second round. The low 64 scorers advance to Wednesday‘s opening matches.

LAYTON — At the prestigious Utah State Amateur, Zac Blair has a 2-up lead over Alex Sutton after the first 18 holes of the 36-hole championship match Sunday at Valley View Golf Course.

Blair, a former Fremont High School star, is the son of longtime Ogden golf professional Jimmy Blair, who won the State Am in 1973. If Blair were to win , it would be the second time the son of the former champion puts his name on the trophy.

Sutton, a former Northridge High school star, played last season for Weber State and his father owns a home on the 12th tee box at Valley View.

The second 18 holes are scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. The tee time was moved ahead slightly due to dangerous weather forecasts.

LAYTON — The quarterfinals of the Utah State Amateur are in the books.
Former Fremont High School star and BYU freshman Zac Blair, along with Weber State freshman Alex Sutton had advanced to the semifinals.
Their opponents will be Andrew Barton and Todd Francis.
The day also featured a proposal. On the No. 7 tee box — on the front tees — Carson Niederhauser proposed to his girlfriend Natalie, using white chalk in giant letter to say, “Nat, will you marry me?”

Saturday quarterfinals
At Valley View Golf Course
Zach Blair def. Robbie Fillmore, 2 and 1
Alex Sutton def. Dan Horner, 3 and 1
Andrew Barton def. Greg Stimpson, 3 and 2
Todd Francis def. Jeff Jolley, 2 and 1

LAYTON — Friday morning’s matches at the Utah State Amateur are complete.
The winners were:
Dan Horner def. Tyler Weight, 19 holes
Darrin Overson def. Jared Overton, 19 holes
Alex Sutton def. Jed Wright, 2-up
Jeff Evans def. John Owen, 1-up
Andrew Barton def. Cameron Crawford, 3 & 1
Scot Hailes def. Doug Bybee, 2 & 1
Greg Stimpson def. Nick Despain, 4 & 3
Cameron Young def. Garrett Foto, 5 & 4
Robbie Fillmore defeated Rocky Schutjer, 6 & 5
Kurt Owen def. Gregg Oliphant, 1-up
Zac Blair def. Conner Jones, 2 & 1
Devon Purser def. Stuart Gold, 19 holes
Ben Schilleman def. Kevin Peterson, 1-up
Jeff Jolley def. Tommy Sharp, 2-up
McCoy Willey def. Alexander Theodore, 4 & 3
Todd Francis def. Tyson Lund, 1-up.

The afternoon matches began at approximately 1:35.