It was all about having fun and raising money for a good cause at the annual charity golf scramble Monday. The event featured a team led by BYU coach Kalani Sitake against a team led by Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
Hidden Valley Country Club was filled with smiles and laughter, stories of great and terrible shots, near holes-in-one, and outright misses. "It is right around the corner," Sitake noted, referring to the upcoming gridiron clash on November 9 between the Cougars and Utes, now both in the Big 12. "I love it."
Here are some highlights from the day:
- Longest Drive: Zac Jones, a senior at BYU this fall, smashed a 371-yard drive to win the longest drive competition.
- Female Longest Drive: Stephanie Palmer took the honors for the longest drive among female contestants.
- Overall Winners: BYU's Sitake-led team edged out Utah's Whittingham-led team by a stroke, shooting a 14-under 58.
For the record, Sitake's team included current BYU golfer Zac Jones, former BYU quarterback Robbie Bosco, and Rob Brough of Zions Bank. Whittingham's team featured former State Am champion Dan Horner and Utah boosters Rich and Brandon Elggren. “It always helps having a player like Zac,” Sitake said. “We have had some really good golfers. Robbie (Bosco) wasn’t bad, either. And Rob (Brough) is a good golfer, so they made up the difference for me."
Deen Vetterli, CEO of the local franchise, announced that around $50,000 was raised. “In the premier golf event for charity in the state of Utah,” kidney patients were the biggest winners. The event benefits the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho.
Trash talk was minimal, except for some mild jabs from master of ceremonies Scott Mitchell, the former Utah quarterback. “It is just for fun now,” Sitake said. “Honestly, I just want to see how these guys golf. The last four years have seen college golfers from BYU on my team, and it has been really cool watching them play. I am shocked at how good they are.”
The Coaches Legacy Invitational, formerly known as the Rivalry for Charity, has a rich history. The event, which started in 1989, originally had coaches LaVell Edwards and his quarterback Ty Detmer going up against Jim Fassel and his QB, the aforementioned Mitchell. Back then, the losing coach had to sing the winning coach’s fight song. Now, it’s more about camaraderie and honoring past coaches like Ron McBride, Urban Meyer, Edwards, Fassel, Gary Crowton, and Bronco Mendenhall. “It is for a great cause, and that’s the key,” Whittingham said. “It has value and it serves a purpose for the Kidney Foundation, which is awesome.”
Beyond Utah vs. BYU, there was more competition:
- Top Teams: Seven “qualified” teams met the combined handicap requirement of 43 or higher, with no more than one golfer having a handicap of eight or lower. They produced a four-way tie, each shooting an 11-under 61.
- Scorecard Playoff Winners: Vaughn Pulsipher, Brandon Pulsipher, Mark Meadows, and BYU deputy AD Brian Santiago emerged victorious, earning the right to represent the state in the NKF national tournament at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, next May.
- Other Winners: Second place went to the Liberty Homes team of Dave Clark, Sean Clark, Jeremy Clark, and Scott Clark. Third place went to Dan Hansgen, Jasmine Hansgen, John Hansgen, and Quint Chipman. Fourth place went to Larry Lawrence, Landon Lawrence, David Bradford, and Kirt Kimball.
- Non-Qualifying Teams: The best score among these teams, not bound by handicap restrictions, was a 54 by Ian Hall, Jim Hamlin, and BYU golfers Simon Kwon and Brock Goyen. Kwon also won the closest-to-the-pin contest with a shot just 6 feet from the hole on the par-3 second hole on the Lakes nine.
Vetterli, who helped create the event format in 1989 along with longtime volunteer president Dave Trimble, praised the coaches' dedication. “We are so grateful for the coaches,” she said. “Their humanitarianism and sportsmanship make it work year after year. Affiliates all over the country call us, asking how we do it. It’s the coaches. They make it work.”
“It is just really honored to be here,” Sitake said. “Being the head football coach at BYU has been an amazing journey for me and I don’t take it for granted. I appreciate the opportunity to be here, be around these people. That makes it all worth it. I am living a dream and am appreciating every step of the way.”
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