Miller had hoped the finals could be moved to Monday, and there was talk about making Miller and Rustand co-champions. But after meeting with each player for a few minutes, the Utah Golf Association board of directors declared Rustand the winner by forfeit.

"I'm surprised, I'm shocked and I'm disappointed," said UGA executive director Joe Watts. "Although I fully respect a person and his religious convictions, it's a matter of what process that kind of religious conviction should have shown itself. There's lots of considerations a person has to make besides his own personal religious convictions before he enters into an activity. Volunteers . . . , golf courses . . . , contestants who have put in their time and effort. . . . It should have been handled sooner."

Miller had known all week that he wouldn't play Sunday and defended his decision not to tell anyone beforehand. He said had planned to forfeit his semifinal match and allow that player to go on to the finals, but when he was matched up against his BYU teammate and friend Bingham, he knew that Bingham wouldn't accept that idea.

Like Miller, Rustand is LDS and a returned missionary, and he was understanding of Miller's decision not to play.

"I totally respect his decision of not playing on Sunday," Rustand said. "But I've made the decision to try and compete at the highest level, and that puts me in a position to play on Sundays. I wish it wasn't the case and that I could have Sundays to relax and go to church. But at the same time if I do make it and it becomes my livelihood it will put me in that predicament even though I honor my commitments to my church."

Miller said he wasn't bitter about the UGA's decision and praised Watts and the rest of the UGA board who organized and put on the event.

"I had a great time and made a lot of great friends," Miller said.

"I appreciate all the hard work they've done for Jeremy Ranch, giving up their course, and appreciate the way they handled this. I'm fine with the decision."

He said he isn't planning on being a professional golfer and competing on Sunday like his father and numerous other LDS athletes do.

"I'm going to do something in the golfing profession, but I hope I won't have to work on Sunday," he said.

As for next year, Miller isn't sure whether he will enter the State Amateur and he may not have a chance to anyway, according to Watts.

"We will be considering changes in our entry form for players to declare in advance if they're not going to play until the end of the tournament," said Watts. "We don't want them taking other people's places.

"We have people working hard to get in this tournament; they deserve a chance if someone isn't really here to win it."

---

E-mail: sor@desnews.com