Daniel Summerhays Shines at Utah Championship
OGDEN — Just under a year after undergoing back surgery, and with only three starts under his belt since then, Daniel Summerhays is experiencing some of the best golf of his life.
The former BYU golfer from Farmington has benefited from competing closer to home. During the third round of the Utah Championship at Ogden Golf and Country Club, Summerhays carded an impressive 4-under-par 66, registering six birdies against two bogeys. He stands four shots off the lead, tied for eighth at 12-under.
This marks the first occurrence of Summerhays shooting three consecutive rounds in the 60s since he returned to the Korn Ferry Tour a month ago. He’s set to tee off in one of the final groups on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. MDT.
“I hit a lot of nice shots today,” Summerhays commented. “Some putts went in, while others didn’t. Overall, it felt like a typical round of golf.” Yet, considering his journey over the past year, it was far from ordinary.
The Utah native had initially thought about retiring after the 2020 Utah Championship, leading him to teach and coach at his high school, Davis High. However, he returned to the sport a year later and has spent the last four years on the Korn Ferry Tour, showing a rejuvenated spirit at 41.
Summerhays faced considerable challenges during his recent comeback. Following surgery in January to fuse his L3 and L4 vertebrae, his rehabilitation—along with the “prehab” before the procedure—was tough, at times requiring him to pause walks with his wife to recover. He participated in two events in July, making one cut and missing the other, before seizing the opportunity to compete in the Utah Championship at its new location.
“I felt tremendous out there,” he shared. “How you feel during the game is part of the battle. Today, I was just excited to play.” Summerhays’ Nephew, Preston, also had a strong showing, scoring a 3-under 67 and moving to a tie for 16th at 10-under, aided by his sister Grace on the bag and their father Boyd supporting them on the course.
