Self-made Lindheim earns 1st Web.com Tour win with Utah Championship title


12 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LEHI — Not even a bogey on the 18th hole could spoil Nicholas Lindheim’s final round Sunday at the Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club.

Winning your first Web.com Tour event will do that.

Lindheim carded a 2-under-par 69 Sunday to finish with a four-day total of 15-under 269 in the PGA Tour’s only affiliated tournament on the Wasatch Front.

“I just never really knew if I could do it,” Lindheim said. “I kept telling myself that I could do it. But I lean on my family for support, and they kept telling me I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t good enough. I have to believe more in myself than they believe for me. I kept them in the back of my mind.”

The $117,000 winning purse is the biggest share of Lindheim’s career, too — no small chunk for the self-made golfer who eschewed the collegiate game and didn’t start playing until his sophomore year of high school.

“This one tops all of them pretty heavily,” he said. “I play golf for the love of it, and to provide for my family. Regardless of where I am playing, as long as I can provide for my family is the most important thing for me.

“Playing on the big stage with the best golfers in the world is just icing on the cake.”

Playing partner J.J. Spaun finished second, and another San Diego State alum, Xander Schauffele, moved up six spots on the leaderboard in the final round to third at 14-under 272. Austin Cook and Sebastian Cappelen rounded out the top five.

J.J. Spaun hits out of a sand trap as he and other golfers compete in the final round of the Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Sunday, July 24, 2016. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
J.J. Spaun hits out of a sand trap as he and other golfers compete in the final round of the Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Sunday, July 24, 2016. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Each of them tried to contend with Lindheim. In the end, none of them could.

“He played so solid; he was unbeatable,” Spaun said of Lindheim. “I don’t think anyone could’ve beat him today. He scrambled great, hit great shots and made the putts he needed to make to keep the round going.

“He deserved the win.”

After firing a 1-under 34 with three birdies on the front nine, Lindheim opened the final stretch with back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes to push his lead to four shots.

“Getting off to a good start any time, regardless if you are in the lead, or just trying to make the cut, any time you get off to a good start the wheels get moving,” Lindheim said. “It was nice to birdie Nos. 2 and 3 out of the gate.

“I just kept pushing and telling myself, if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen.”

After the big lead, Lindheim was good enough to preserve his lead the rest of the way. A birdie on No. 15 recalled a lost stroke on the 13th hole, a four-iron approach that Lindheim called the best shot of his day.

“I pushed it from where I was trying to hit it,” he said. “But we know that it isn’t a game of how good your good shots are, but how good your bad shots are. I tried to aim at the middle of the green, and if I pushed it a bit, I would still be on the green. It went right toward the hole and it worked out.”

Spaun drained three birdies, including “the perfect shot” for one of them on No. 16, to clinch his runner-up finish that earned him a PGA Tour card for next season.

“It’s still surreal. I knew I could do it, but I was just taking each week as it came,” Spaun said. “To finally get there and be locked up and not have to worry about being on the bubble is a great feeling.

“It’s all about going out and just having fun now.”

Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point (Top 10)

Place Name 4-day Total
1 Nicholas Lindheim 269
2 J.J. Spain 271
3 Xander Schauffele 272
4 Austin Cook 273
5 Sebastian Capeen 274
T6 Bill Lunde 275
T6 Ollie Schniederjans 275
T8 Trey Mullinax 276
T8 Alex Prugh 276
T10 Keith Mitchell 277
T10 Cheng Tsung Pan 277
T10 Jack Maguire 277

Lindheim wasn’t without other challengers, as well. Among the top contenders was Schauffele, who started the day seven shots off the lead but quickly rallied to finish third for his first top-10 career finish.

Schauffele carded a 2-under 33 on the front nine, but went to work on the back. He opened the turn with two birdies and an eagle via a chip-in on the par-5, 678-yard 11th hole to pull within two shots at the time.

“I was in my own world; my goal today was to stay as level-headed as possible,” he said. “I had a couple of easy putts, which was good.”

Even a bogey on No. 13 couldn’t sway Schauffele’s momentum; he immediately got the stroke back with a birdie on the next hole.

“Overall, I played as good as I could,” he said. “The course is firming up, greens are getting a little bumpy, and everything seemed to be into the wind.”

Schauffele’s 65 was the low round of the day, and tied for the low round of the tournament after Spaun carded the same score Saturday. He nearly added another birdie on No. 17, but his chip from just off the green stopped a few inches short of the cup.

But Schauffele, a San Diego State graduate like Spaun who had just two top-25 finishes in his first year on the Web.com Tour, was happy to be in the mix on the final nine holes. The first-year pro golfer with the funny name (it’s pronounced “Shah-full-ee,” for those wondering) takes plenty of confidence away from his stay in Utah.

“I’ve been one shot out (of a top-10 finish) twice, and I feel like I’ve been playing better. I’ve been scoring,” Schauffele said. “It’s just an average rookie year in my eyes. It’s cool to bounce back with this one.”

Xander Schauffele hits off of the dirt as he and other golfers compete in the final round of the Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Sunday, July 24, 2016. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
Xander Schauffele hits off of the dirt as he and other golfers compete in the final round of the Utah Championship at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi on Sunday, July 24, 2016. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

His best shot of his seven-birdie day might have been a par-save, though. After chunking his tee shot on No. 18, Schauffele smacked a four-iron approach that landed on the green and trickled to within 10 feet of the hole for an easy par.

“That was the worst tee shot of the day, and then bounced back with my best shot of the day,” Schauffele said. “We had no idea how far out it was, so I just hit a 4-iron to 10 feet and made the putt.

“I’m happy with the par, for sure.”

Lindheim is also happy with his finish, as the win means he’ll bring his attorney wife and 3-year-old daughter from their home in Florida to enjoy the next week’s Web.com Tour events in town.

“I didn’t play a whole lot of golf growing up,” Lindheim said. “I’m sure my parents thought it was just another thing. Baseball, soccer, now golf. I don’t think they ever knew it would come this far.”

Photos

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsGolf
Sean Walker

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast