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15-year-old girl shoots 76 in Korn Ferry Tour qualifier, is the latest star from a famous golf family

June 25, 2020
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Courtesy of Boyd Summerhays, via Golfweek.

This week's Utah Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour will be a family affair for the Summerhays clan. PGA Tour veteran Daniel, 36, has announced he is walking away from competitive golf following the event to teach and coach at his former high school. His nephew, 17-year-old Preston, is also in the field on a sponsor's exemption. But both have already been overshadowed by another member of the family.

Preston's younger sister, Grace, teed it up in Monday's qualifier for the event. And the 15-year-old more than held her own by shooting 76 from 7,021 yards at TalonsCove Golf Club.

“She’s not intimidated playing against the men,” her father, Boyd, told Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols. “She isn’t scared.”

Boyd, by the way, is Daniel's brother and a former PGA Tour pro who now coaches Tony Finau. Their uncle, Bruce, is a three-time PGA Tour Champions winner, and cousin Carrie is a former LPGA player turned BYU golf coach.

“Golf is definitely in my blood,” Grace told Golfweek. “The good thing about our family is my dad never pressured me into playing golf, which I’m really glad. I think that grew me into the game even more, made it even more special. I grew to love the game by myself.”

Grace finished T-129 of 148 finishers, including tying with former phenom Ty Tryon. Here was her scorecard for her four-over-par round, highlighted by three birdies.

Preston caught the golf world's attention last summer when he won the U.S. Junior Amateur, defeating teen sensation Akshay Bhatia along the way. He also captured his second consecutive Utah State Amateur.

Grace has also distinguished herself in that event, becoming the youngest female to ever qualify at 14 and becoming only the second woman to qualify for the match-play portion of the tournament. According to Golfweek, Grace has won two of the three Utah Junior Golf Association events she's entered so far this year.

So while she'll be watching her brother and uncle compete the rest of this week, there promises to be plenty of other tournaments in her future.