Unlikely winner clinches Utah Championship after 'completely absurd' 5-man playoff

OGDEN — Derek Hitchner followed up his career-low round of 62 with a final-round 67 before birdying the first hole of a five-man playoff to clinch his first Korn Ferry Tour title Sunday at Ogden Golf and Country Club.

The 26-year-old golfer from Summit, New Jersey, who turned pro out of Pepperdine in 2023 was a co-leader at the 35th annual Utah Championship after 54 holes in Ogden. Hutchner shot 3-under-par 67 in his final round, enough to tie him with Cole Hammer, Mason Andersen, Travis Trace and Tommy Morrison with a four-day total of 21-under 259.

"That was completely absurd," said Hitchner, who said he had never been in a five-man playoff before. "I drove out there and there were 10 people on the tee box waiting for me.

"Everyone one is such an incredible player in that group," he added. "It was pretty ridiculous honestly, and obviously there were so many good looks at it. Just feel incredibly blessed that it went my way."

More absurd may be that Hitchner had made just eight of 17 cuts prior to this weekend, and never finished better than T32 on the PGA Tour's developmental circuit.

Absurd or not, though, the third-year pro rolled in a birdie putt on the par-4, 465-yard 18th hole in the first attempt at a playoff to leave no doubt in his Utah Championship debut. That clinched the $180,000 winners' check and earning 500 points to shoot 100 spots up the Korn Ferry Tour Points list to No. 26 overall.

Chris Francoeur, the Korn Ferry Tour rookie who shot a course-record 59 to tie for the lead Friday, closed out the tournament with rounds of 70 and 68 to finish tied for ninth and two shots off the lead.

Former BYU golfer Daniel Summerhays shot 3-under 67 Sunday to finish tied for 50th at 13-under. The 42-year-old local standout who grew up in Farmington punctuated a 4-under start through the first eight holes of the final round with an eagle on the par-5, 519-yard third hole.

But a bogey on the same 18th hole that hosted the playoff dropped him two spots on the points list.

Summerhays was the only one of seven golfers from Utah to make the cut in the 156-player event, including reigning Colorado Open champion Carson Lundell who earned a spot via Monday qualifier at Glen Eagle Golf Club less than 24 hours after his $50,000 win in Denver.

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