Lashley fires 63 to win Utah Open

FARMINGTON — Even a brief downpour and a stiff breeze couldn't cool down Nathan Lashley on Sunday at Oakridge Country Club.

On a day when most golfers were struggling with the conditions and the pressure, the 26-year-old western Nebraska native quietly pulled away from the field with a blistering final-round 9-under par 63 to take home the top trophy at the 83rd Siegfried & Jensen Utah Open and the $20,000 first-place check. Actually, he really only ended up with $19,950, but we'll get into that later.

"This is definitely as big as any (tournament) I've won. I'd definitely rank this high," Lashley said.

The former University of Arizona and Nationwide Tour player who took a break from golf after his parents and girlfriend were killed in a Wyoming plane crash in May 2004, finished at 14-under par and three shots up on second-round leader Doug Garwood. The 46-year-old Garwood, from Los Angeles, took home $14,000 for his 11-under-par runner-up effort.

The most money a golfer from Utah won over the weekend at Oakridge was $4,650, but the best score turned in by a local golfer in the 54-hole event came from Utah State Amateur champion and BYU freshman-to-be Zac Blair, who finished alone in third at 10-under par after posting his third -straight sub-70 round on Sunday.

"I had a good week, but I need to keep playing well because college is what's important to me now," said Blair, an 18-year-old Fremont High graduate.

Three Utahns — Clay Ogden, Steve Schneiter and Jake Ellison — finished tied for fourth at minus nine, five shots behind Lashley. Joining them in collecting a $4,650 check each were Colorado's Derek Tolan and California's Andrew Hoffer. Nicholas Mason, Zach Johnson and Mark Owen finished tied for eighth at 8-under. At 7-under, good enough for a tie for 11th, were Tony Finau, Jay Don Blake, Dustin Pimm, Nickolas Carter and Chandler Cocco.

"It was a good tournament for me," said Johnson, who began the day one shot behind. "But I really didn't hit the ball that good all week and it finally caught up with me."

Lashley, who began Sunday's round five shots back, made up ground quickly by making birdie on his first four holes. With a bogey on the par-3 fifth, which came during the heaviest rain, he finished the front nine with a 3-under 33 and at 8-under for the tournament, four shots behind Johnson at the time.