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LEHI — Former BYU golfer Daniel Summerhays has been defined by a lot more than one hole or one drive during his PGA Tour career.
And he isn't letting one bogey on the 11th hole at the BMW Championship — one that ultimately knocked him out of the FedEx Cup playoffs — define him, either.
Summerhays was back in town for an event with good friend Tony Finau and the Tony Finau Golf Foundation at Thanksgiving Point on Tuesday, and he isn't letting a bad hole at the end of his 2015 season get him down — especially considering the rebound to his season just to get to that point.
"Mid-summer, I was grasping at straws," he said. "I had missed a couple of cuts by a lot and I played at the U.S. Open, but then hit bottom."
Summerhays took an usual route through the rest of the PGA Tour season, finishing eighth at the John Deere Classic and 11th at the Canadian Open to qualify for the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
He surged into the top 75, then top 50 and barely missed the cut to qualify for the Tour Championship before finishing No. 31 in the FedEx Cup rankings.
Still, the 93rd-ranked golfer in the world is excited with the taste of success he experienced after an up-and-down season when he averaged 70.397 shots per round.
"It was very satisfying to have that chance," Summerhays said. "The Tour Championship, besides winning (a major) is my goal. To have that door opened and to see what is on the other side was very gratifying."
Summerhays' season virtually ended on a bogey on No. 11 at the BMW Championship when he struck his tee shot into the water and was caught taking a moment to collect himself amid an obviously emotional scene.
The shot — as well as his reaction — was heartbreaking and brought national and international audiences to their knees.
But now he's ready for another season which he said, "Begins in two weeks."
"It was heartbreaking, for sure, and there were a few teary-eyed moments," Summerhays said. "But that Sunday afternoon, I laid on my bed for about 10 minutes, let the disappointment set in, and then I got up, clapped my hands and I was ready to go again."
Summerhays' relationship with two other native Utahns also grew during the tour season. Rookies Tony Finau and fellow BYU alum Zac Blair joined him at most major events during the year, and the trio advanced to the same round of the playoffs before failing to make a top-30 finish. Finau, especially, stood out as he made 23 of 34 cuts and finished in the top 10 five times as a rookie.
"We had three golfers on tour, three native-born Utahns and they were top 70 in the nation at the BMW Championship. From state to state, I'd say that's a very high ratio," Summerhays said.
"It's pretty neat to have some other Utah guys out there."
Finau hopes the shot of so many Utah natives making it on tour helps grow the game in the Beehive State. And his Tony Finau Foundation also hopes to use the game to help disadvantaged and inner-city children learn to love golf and earn an education.
"I feel like I've been really blessed to be in the position that I am, to start giving back already," Finau said. "And that's what the Tony Finau Foundation is all about."
Related Story
Summerhays narrowly knocked out of FedEx Cup playoff
Daniel Summerhays finished the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Course tied for 41st with a 5-under-par 279 in the third tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and dropped to 31st in the overall standings — one spot away from qualifying for the final stop of the FedEx Cup, the Tour Championship. Lehi's Tony Finau finished 43rd in the standings, and BYU alum Zac Blair was 59th.The West High graduate finished 43rd in the final FedEx Cup standings and 81st in the World Golf Rankings to lead all Utahns. He averaged 70.281 strokes per round and earned $2.1 million on the PGA Tour during his first season with a full-time card, earning a PGA Rookie of the Year nomination for the 26-year-old who currently lives in Lehi.
The PGA will announce the Rookie of the Year, as well as the Player of the Year winner that includes nominees Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy, on Oct. 2.
"I was happy with a lot of my play, and I know a lot of places I need to work on," said Finau, who finished tied for seventh or better at 31 events in 2015, including top 15 finishes at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. "I played in a lot of golf tournaments and I was extremely tired toward the end. I'm going to play a little less, and hopefully have a little bit more energy at the end to make a run.
"I learned a lot about myself and hopefully I can compete with the best in the world."
