SALT LAKE CITY — Bowen Mauss was not going to be denied this year at the Salt Lake City Amateur at Bonneville Golf Course. He made a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th hole to tie for the lead, and then he rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to take the lead for good at 8-under par.
The win at the prestigious tournament came just one year after he struggled down the stretch to finish tied for second place.
"It means a lot," said Mauss. "I took second last year, so that added a little motivation for sure. Just knowing how good the field is and how it's probably the second-best amateur tournament in Utah during the whole year, so I know it's a big one to win."
Mauss committed to play college golf at Arizona State, but he still has one more year at Corner Canyon High School. He is part of an excellent class of 2025 in Utah, along with BYU commits Kihei Akina and Jackson Shelley, and Oregon commit Sean Lampropoulos. They've been competing against each other for a long time.
"I think we all push each other to be better," said Mauss. "When one of us starts playing good, it definitely shows the others that we can also play well."
Before he defends his high school state championship in the fall, Mauss has a big summer planned with a full schedule of tournaments, including the Utah State Amateur. And he started his final summer as a 17-year-old with a bang at the Salt Lake City Amateur.
"I hadn't played good the last month," said Mauss. "To play good this week, it definitely boosts my confidence."
