Former Ute Martin Leon repeats as Salt Lake City Open champion, this time as a professional
That goal was to beat the tournament record.
Mission accomplished.
Martin, a former University of Utah golfer from Chile, carded a 7-under 65 on Sunday to post a 17-under 127 and beat 2023 champion Mitchell Schow's tournament record by two shots. The 2023 Utah State Amateur champion repeated the title he won last year, when he posted a 9-under 135.
Leon, 23, wins $4,500 for the effort, and gets to pocket all of it this time around. When he won last year, he was an amateur and so low pro Rhett Rasmussen got the first-place prize money, which was $4,000.
'I really like Bonneville, ever since I moved here five years ago,' Leon said. 'I would come and play here pretty much every weekend during the summer with some friends, and yeah, I think I just got used to the place.'
Skyline High senior Austin Shelley placed second with an 8-under 136 (70-66) and was the low amateur, while Schow placed third at 7-under 137 (67-70).
Professionals Spencer Wallace and Pete Stone and amateurs Tyler Ewell and John Fox tied for fourth at -6.
After playing bogey-free on Saturday, Leon was not quite as sharp on Sunday — making three bogeys — but it hardly mattered. There was a moment Sunday when Fox got within a shot of Leon with a birdie on No. 12, but the amateur would bogey four of his last six holes to drop down the leaderboard.
Leon bounced back from bogeys on 9 and 11 with an eagle on 12 and birdies on 13 and 14 to regain his big lead, and he cruised to the finish line.
'Lovely,' he said when he was told he broke the tournament record by two shots.
'I did not know that. I remember Mitch played pretty well two years ago. I played with him, so that's great to know.'
Leon didn't make anything longer than 25 feet over the course of the 36 holes, but credited his putting for the victory.
'The putter was pretty hot this week,' he said.
He thanked Bonneville head professional Lynsey Myers for putting most of the pins on the backs of the greens, 'because the greens were so firm you had no chance to stop it.'
After he left the University of Utah, Leon played for Rutgers in 2023-24 and for the University of San Francisco in 2024-25. The Salt Lake City Open was his first tournament as a professional.
He said he will play in the Larry H. Miller Utah Open at Riverside Country Club in Provo this week, then head out to European Tour Qualifying School the following week. If things go well there, he might sign up to play in the PGA Tour Qualifying School this fall.
Leon said he would eventually like to call Utah his permanent home.
'The people here have been super welcoming, and the support system here is great. I really enjoy Utah overall. It kind of reminds me a little bit of home,' he said. '… I'm just one random kid from Chile, but since I went to the U. you guys have been awesome to me.
'I went to New Jersey, then went to California, and you don't really feel that same hospitality (at those places). I really like being here, and that's why, eventually, one day, I hope I can fully move back here.'
Todd Tanner was the low senior professional, shooting a 3-under 141, and earned $2,600 for the win.
Bountiful's Haley Sturgeon, who was second at last week's Utah Women's Open, was the low women's pro with a 4-over 148 and earned $750 for the effort.
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