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Farmington • No one was absolutely certain about the length of Clay Ogden's putt on the 17th hole.
Was it 70 feet? More?
"Twenty-two paces," said Ogden of a tournament-defining putt that all but clinched his second career Utah Open championship Sunday at the Oakridge Country Club. He won his first trophy in 2007.
It was a Sunday punch of a putt from the fringe of the quick, undulating green that actually hopped once before rattling the pin and cup. On a seesaw final round that saw 22 players in contention with nine holes to play, Ogden's sensational putt was good enough for a one-stroke victory.
Ogden's par on 18 was a formality, though the $20,000 first-place check was gladly accepted.
"All of us just want to two-putt [from there] and he holes it," said Arvada, Colo., resident Zen Brown, who held a two-stroke advantage with five holes to play and ultimately tied for second one shot back. "I wouldn't say I lost it. Clay outplayed me."
Ogden, who had lipped out two shorter putts earlier in the round, was torn between putting or chipping on No. 17. The ball had come to rest in a depression.
"About eight feet out I raised my arms," Ogden said. "That's the point where they lip out."
Ogden's clinching putt was the one standout moment in a fairly steady three days of playing. Starting with a 64 on Friday, the Farmington resident who lives "30 seconds away" from the course was solid to the end. His Sunday round of 66 was the second best score of the day.
Defending champion Nicholas Mason of Denver moved into contention with a 65. He used a pair of eagles on the front nine to roar into a tie for the lead.
On No. 16, however, Mason's 15-foot birdie putt just eased by the hole. Meanwhile, as Mason looked on from the nearby green, Brown moved to minus-17 on No. 11 with his fourth consecutive birdie.
Mason eventually finished three shots back.
Brown eventually lost his lead almost as quickly as it was built. On the par-3 No. 13, his shot was wedged between a sand trap and the rough, leading to a bogey. He then 3-putted No. 14.
"Other than that, I played awesome," Brown said.
Then there was James Drew, who started the day one shot from the lead. The Las Vegas native dominated the par 5s all week to finish at 16-under par. He finished with a one-stroke lead, which shortly disappeared as Ogden birdied 16 and 17.
"My goal was to get to 18 under par," he said. "I figured 18, at worst, would get me into playoff."
Ogden proved Drew right.
"I knew I had to play consistently," Ogden said. "There were so many guys [in contention].
As for that putt, "I usually take the pin out. But it was so far away I couldn't see the hole."
The sound of ball and cup, however, was beautiful.
Twitter: @tribmarty —
Utah Open results
1. Clay Ogden, Farmington, -17 ($20,000)
2. James Drew, Las Vegas, -16 ($11,500)
2. Zen Brown, Arvada, Colo., -16 ($11,500)
4. Dustin Pimm, Sandy, -15 ($4,500)
4. Ryan Ellis, South Jordan, -15 ($4,500)
6. Nicholas Mason, Denver, -14 ($3,000)
7. Zac Blair, North Ogden, -13 (Amateur)
7. Dustin Volk, Layton, -13 ($3,000)
7. Derek Tolan, Denver, -13 ($3,000)
10. Adrian Wadey, Park City, -12 ($2,500)
10. Chris Satterlee, Chandler, Ariz., -12 ($2,500)
10. Devon Purser, Clearfield, -11 (Amateur)
11. Boyd Summerhays, Scottsdale, Ariz., -11 ($1,850)
11. Luke Swilor, West Jordan, -11 ($1,850) —
What happened at the Utah Open?
• Farmington's Clay Ogden sinks a putt of nearly 70 feet on the 17th hole to all but clinch the Utah Open.
• Zac Blair of North Ogden finishes as the top-ranked amateur with a seventh-place showing.
• Ogden wins the Utah Open for the second time, having claimed the championship in 2007.