High school boys golf: Bell edges Halliday at prep golf tourney

DRAPER — By the time Park City's Sam Bell and Brighton's Casey Halliday headed out for their sudden-death playoff in the Hidden Valley All-Star Invitational for the state's top prep golfers Tuesday afternoon, a storm squall had settled over Hidden Valley Country Club.

The clouds were dark, the wind was howling and rain was starting to fall as the two made their way up the steep 154-yard par-3 No. 9 hole. Both struggled, missing the green with their tee shots and not getting close with their chips. After Halliday missed a 10-footer for bogey, Bell was left with a one-footer for the win. With the rain falling harder, it was a relief to the small gallery that the playoff wouldn't continue.

But wait. For a split second, it looked like the playoff might go on as Bell's gimme putt rolled completely around the hole and came to rest briefly on the same side of the hole it started, before finally falling in.

Bell called it "nerve-wracking" and said his heart "probably stopped beating," when his ball circled the hole completely before dropping.

"It went around, came out of the hole and went back in," he said after accepting the big trophy and the $250 scholarship first prize. "It was just nerves. One-foot putts are the easiest, but I think they're also the hardest."

Bell led Park City to the 3A title last fall, while winning individual honors, but he didn't think he struck a blow for smaller schools by golfers players from 4A and 5A.

"No, I was the best golfer on the last hole, that's what it came down to," he said.

Halliday was disappointed to lose, but was happy for his friend. "That was the first playoff I've ever been in, so I was pretty nervous," he said.

Hidden Valley CC pro Chris Rudi said the course was set up hard to test the best high school players with all of the tees all the way back.

Halliday had shot an 80 in the morning, while Bell shot an 81 under windy conditions. The field of 41 was cut to 15 for the afternoon with the golfers playing the nine-hole Mountain Course. Halliday looked to be the winner before Bell sank a 30-foot putt at No. 8 and a 10-footer at No. 9 to force a playoff.

Both players have golf scholarships for next season — Bell will attend Seattle University and Halliday will go to Weber State.

Davis High's Luke Crapo finished third, a stroke back at 118, followed by Box Elder's Joe Wight and Olympus' Adam Mahas at 120. Brighton's Stephen Lin was next at 122, followed by Richfield's Tyson Bliss at 123, while four players, Highland's Walker Jensen, Hillcrest's Greg Snyder, Snow Canyon's Tyson Tanner and Nathan Shapiro of Wasatch each finished at 124.

Only three girls competed in the girls division in the morning with Murray's Annika Afoa winning with an 82, two shots ahead of Amanda Snyder of Syracuse.

E-mail: sor@desnews.com