Ogden natives Connor Howe, Mitchell Schow take aim at 35th Utah Championship

OGDEN — Former Weber High standout golfer Connor Howe is still searching for his breakthrough win since turning pro three years ago, but most of the time that search has taken him across the western hemisphere.

The 26-year-old Ogden native has made 10 cuts in 10 starts across Latin America and Canada during his current season on the PGA Tour Americas, and he's coming an Osprey Valley Open finish in which he led after three rounds before ending tied for third.

With the Americas on a three-week break, the Georgia Tech alum will take aim at the Korn Ferry Tour with a sponsor's exemption at the Utah Championship beginning Thursday at Ogden Golf and Country Club.

"Making the cut's always the goal," said Howe, who carded a four-day total of 11-under-par 269 a year ago to tie for 37th, "especially at a hometown event. But I would say a top-25 (finish) would be great, to get into next week's event. That would be considered a success.

"I know I know this course better than anyone. A win is always the goal."

Howe is one of two Ogden natives to accept a sponsor's exemption to the event, which is in its 35th season since arriving in Utah on what was then called the Ben Hogan Tour.

Fellow Ogden native Mitchell Schow also received a sponsor's exemption, earning a spot in the field after the 29-year-old University of Utah alum and 2020 Utah state amateur champion has played sparingly on tour in the past year.

These days, the Park City High graduate works for his dad at Mitchell Hardwood Flooring, while playing in Monday qualifiers and state open tournaments as he pilots his next pro move.

"If you get hot and play well on a Monday, you can parlay that into some type of status," he explained during Tuesday's practice round, "which will ultimately push you towards the goal."

Schow has been a recent beneficiary of a grant from the Tony Finau Foundation that contributes $30,000 to $45,000 a year to help cover expenses. Accepted players, which have also included Howe, former BYU golfer Carson Lundell and inaugural recipients Patrick Fishburn and Peter Kuest, are required to be in the program for a minimum of two years, according to mondayq.com.

"It's been awesome," Schow said. "I graduated in 2021, and quite a few people have helped me out since then. But it kind of got to a slow down, and like Tony said yesterday at a clinic, after a couple of years you kind of lose funding.

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to play as much as I'm doing. I'd probably just been playing in Q-school at the end of the year," he added."

Lundell also earned a spot in Thursday's opening round, battling less than 24 hours after winning the Colorado Open to shoot 9-under 63 in a Monday qualifier Glen Eagle Golf Club. Former BYU golfer Zac Jones and Weber State alum Barry Schenk are also among the eight qualifiers, holding off a group that included BYU's David Liechty and former Weber State golfer Hayden Banz 5-man playoff for the final two spots.

Former BYU golfer Daniel Summerhays and his nephew Preston, the two-time Utah state amateur champion who grew up in Farmington before playing collegiately at Arizona State, are also in the field with their Korn Ferry Tour status.

Schow said he'd love to win — or even collect a pay check — to help him and his newlywed wife Kennedy buy a house.

"If there's any pressure, that's it," he admitted.

For Howe, his game has been trending up on the Americas tour, eclipsing more than $37,000 in official earnings with two top-five performances, three top-10s and a No. 17 ranking roughly two-thirds of the way through the season that will likely all-but lock up a spot on the PGA Tour Americas next year. His short game, in particularly, has "has gotten a lot better" in the past couple of seasons.

Of course, that's not the goal for any pro golfer — and Howe would love to move up the ranks, even for all that he's enjoyed of touring golf up and down North and South America.

"It's the nature of the job, though," Howe admitted. "You just get so used to finishing an event, and then booking it to the airport for a practice round or a pro-am the next morning.

"The travel and the jet lag definitely adds up; this is four weeks in a row going from an hour east of east-coast time to working all the way over," he added. "It can be a lot, and taxing — but I love it. It's worth it."

Thursday's opening round will tee off as early as 7:15 a.m. MDT, with coverage on the Golf Channel beginning at 4 p.m.

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