Overview
- Mauss defeated Cameron Crawford 9 and 7 in the 36-hole final at Soldier Hollow on Saturday to successfully defend the Utah State Men’s Amateur title.
- Mauss reached the title match as a low seed after finishing tied for 45th in stroke play and then advancing with upset wins and tight matches, including a 19-hole quarterfinal over David Liechty and a semifinal victory over KJ Ofahengaue.
- Crawford, a 38-year-old mid-amateur, reached the final after dramatic late-round wins that included a 23-hole quarterfinal and an eagle on the par-4 18th to win his semifinal, but he said fatigue from 41 holes over two days affected his performance in the final.
- By winning, Mauss earned an exemption into this year's U.S. Amateur at Merion and a sponsor's exemption to the PGA Tour’s Bank of Utah Championship, giving him direct access to higher-level national competition.
- The Utah Men’s State Amateur is the longest continuously played golf tournament in the world and Mauss’s back-to-back titles put him in a small group of repeat champions; the 129th championship will be played next year at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy.