USGA event may be coming to Utah

The U.S. Senior Open golf tournament won't be coming to Utah any time soon.

However, the state's first-ever U.S. Golf Association event could happen as early as 2007.

The USGA State Team Championships, held every other year, could come to Salt Lake City in September 2007 at The Country Club, if the club gives its approval.

Steve Brinton, a USGA committee member since 1991, who is a member at the The Country Club, said the USGA wants to hold its 2007 tournament here and is just waiting for approval from the club.

"We're favorable toward it . . . it depends on how we analyze the financial commitment," Brinton said, referring to The Country Club's position. "We don't have quite all the information we need to determine our budget for it."

The event, which feature teams from every state in the country plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, grew out of the USGA's Centennial Celebration in 1995. It is one of 14 championships run by the USGA.

Three noncollege amateur golfers compete for each state with two scores counting each day in the three-day event. The Country Club would host the men's competition, while another club along the Wasatch Front, perhaps Hidden Valley, Willow Creek or Alpine, would host the women's competition at the same time, although the latter two courses already have major events (Nationwide Tour and Utah Open) in August every year.

The 2003 event was held in Massachusetts, while the 2005 event is scheduled forHilton Head, S.C., in September.

It was reported late last year that The Country Club was bidding for the U.S. Senior Open and had a good chance of hosting the event in 2008 or beyond. But it's not going to happen.

"They (USGA) were very favorably impressed with the city, the travel access, the hotels and the golf course," said Mark Passey, a regional manager for the USGA who lives in Utah.

He said the problem is "logistics" — the course's inability to handle large crowds expected for such an event.

A U.S. Senior Open usually draws 30,000 to 50,000 spectators a day. Without some significant changes to the golf course, The Country Club couldn't handle crowds of that magnitude. No other clubs in Utah are trying to get the Senior Open at this point.

The USGA has been anxious to hold an event in Utah because it is one of just a handful of states that never has played host to a USGA event.

The club's board of directors met Wednesday night and talked about the possibility of hosting the U.S. Team Championships. While discussion was favorable, no final decision was made. Brinton said a decision could come at the June meeting.

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