​The Utah Men’s State Amateur typically sees a strong showing from collegiate golfers, and this year’s event continued that trend. After two rounds of Thursday matches, seven college players had already secured spots in Friday’s quarterfinals. The bracket looked nearly all college-driven, until Cameron Crawford surged from behind to outlast BYU’s Angus Klintworth on the 19th hole, keeping the dream of a college-dominated final within reach. Crawford isn’t a current college athlete; he last played intercollegiate golf 16 years ago for Dixie State College and, at 38, stands as the veteran presence among the competitors.
Leading the charge on Thursday was the defending champion, Bowen Mauss of Arizona State. Mauss blistered Brock Sivulich 6 and 5 in the morning, then defeated Aidan Thain 3 and 2 in the afternoon to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Layton’s David Liechty. Liechty is transitioning from Utah Tech to BYU for the upcoming season and has been a rising star on the local scene for years. Three years ago he burst onto the State Am scene by reaching the finals, and last year he advanced to the semifinals and qualified for match play at the U.S. Amateur. Liechty’s late afternoon win came courtesy of a 2 and 1 triumph over 39-year-old Steele DeWald, after he had eliminated Joseph Jack 4 and 2 in the morning. DeWald had been 1 up after 12 holes before Liechty captured holes 13, 15, and 17—winning the last with a birdie—to close out the match.
Two matches featured friends from Lehi: Carter Frisby faced KJ Ofahengaue in a quarterfinal spot. Frisby, who will be a senior at the University of Idaho, edged Ty Brady on the final hole Thursday afternoon, while Ofahengaue, a Utah Valley junior, defeated Andrew Cottle 2 and 1 to advance. In another tight tilt between two 18-year-olds, Kanyon DeRyke defeated Austin Shelley 2 and 1. DeRyke hails from Brigham City and will head to Providence College in Montana, while Shelley—an alum of Skyline High—will begin his freshman year at BYU. DeRyke next drew Utah State’s Noah Moody, who edged Ammon Allred 1 up in the afternoon round.
BYU also saw a fellow competitor advance: Jackson Mauss, another Mauss in the field, made it through to the quarterfinals with wins over former champion Cole Ogden and University of Utah golfer Brandon Robison. Mauss will meet Cameron Crawford in the 8:30 a.m. quarterfinal, a rematch of Crawford’s recent success at the Art City Amateur two weeks earlier.
Friday’s quarterfinals will determine the four semifinalists, who will play in the afternoon. The winners of those two matches will return Saturday for a 36-hole final starting at 8 a.m. The stage is set for an action-packed conclusion, with several key college players contending for the championship, and a determined mix of veteran and rising talents aiming to add their name to the Utah State Amateur record books.
Friday’s results reverberated through the leaderboard as follows: Aidan Thain defeated Krew Labrum 1 up; Bowen Mauss defeated Brock Sivulich 6 and 5; Steele DeWald defeated Parker Bunn 3 and 2; David Liechty defeated Joseph Jack 4 and 2; Carter Frisby defeated Tim Brophy 2 and 1; Ty Brady defeated Tyse Boman 2 and 1; KJ Ofahengaue defeated Kaha Helm 1 up; Andrew Cottle defeated Jake Griffin 6 and 5; Austin Shelley defeated Lincoln Markham 2 and 1; Kanyon DeRyke defeated Ryan Liechty 3 and 1; Ammon Allred defeated David Timmins in 19 holes; Noah Moody defeated Bridger Holmes 4 and 2; Angus Klintworth defeated Will Blanchard 3 and 2; Cameron Crawford defeated Noah Schone 5 and 4; and Jackson Mauss defeated Cole Ogden 1 up. The colonel of the bracket remains highly competitive, with the remaining stars of college golf shaping the championship’s trajectory as the final rounds approach.