Utah, BYU coaches lend assist to Kidney Foundation

FARMINGTON - It looks like the "singing" tradition is dying out, but BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham were still on hand to support the National Kidney Foundation Monday at Oakridge Country Club for the 22nd annual Liberty Mutual Invitational golf tournament.

The two coaches lent their support for the annual tournament, just as their predecessors have done for the past two decades. However, while Whittingham still wants to be competitive, for Mendenhall it's more about the fun. And neither wants to sing.

For years it's been about which coach could assemble the best team for his foursome and the Kidney Cup has gone back and forth. However the past two years, Mendenhall has brought football players for his team, while Whittingham brings his usual "ringers."

"It's a competition isn't it?" said Whittingham, whose team of Gladstan pro Tracy Zobell, former State Amateur champion Dan Horner and Shane Peery, shot a team score of 55 in the scramble format.

On the other hand, Mendenhall said he's had more fun than ever the past two years with his players on his team. He and Braden Brown, Terence Brown and Dalin Tollestrup combined for a 67, well back of Whittingham's foursome.

Ever since the first year the coaches participated, the losing coach had to sing his rivals' fight song, which attracts a lot of media coverage. This year, Mendenhall preferred not to sing his rival school's fight song and instead half-heartedly waved a pom-pom while the Utah song was played..

Whittingham suggested next year, the tournament should bring back LaVell Edwards and Ron McBride, both of whom were always willing to sing.

"The coaches have been incredibly supportive of this tournament," said Deen Vetterli, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho. "Kyle and Bronco have gone the extra mile and made a huge difference for us."

The team of Tyler Adams, Chance Allred, Keith Dyer and Steve Adams was the tournament's official winner with a score of 59 and earned a trip to the national tournament at Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina later in the year

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