On Monday, Aug. 12, former Viewmont High golfer Brandon Robison played in a qualifying round at Soldier Hollow trying to make it into the Utah Open at Riverside Country Club that would begin four days later. By the end of the weekend, he had emerged as the Low Amateur at the three-day tournament after shooting a 14-under Aug. 16-18 and finishing one stroke ahead of former BYU golfer David Timmons. He also came in fifth overall among professional golfers.

The son of John and Mikell Robison of Centerville shot a 70 in the first round before a 68 put him “in striking distance” of the leaders heading into the final round.

“I made some stupid mistakes in my early rounds, but as the tournament went on, I made better course management decisions,” Brandon Robison said. “With the nature of Riverside’s course, I was able to hit more wedges and get some close looks. On the last day, I got a few things started early that kicked me up the leaderboard.”

Robison played multiple sports over the years, including basketball on the VHS basketball team, but settled on golf early because “I get to hit all the shots.” “I don’t have to put my trust in others and I can get it done myself, even with all the complicated intricacies,” he said, adding that “golf is a microcosm of life. You have bad lies and sometimes good things happen. There are a lot of life lessons in golf, but it is all about perseverance.”

Since his Viewmont playing days where Robison was a three-time All-State golfer – including a two-time runner up at the 5A state tournament – placed first in the IMG Junior World qualifier, second on the winning Junior America Cup team and was runner-up in the UT State Junior Amateur before serving a two-year church mission. As a freshman at the University of Utah, he competed in nine events with his highest finish at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate where he shot a +2 over. He won the 2023 Agave Amateur at Shadow Hills Country Club in Indio, Calif. and then last fall, he had two top-3 finishes, earning second place at the Gaucho Invitational with a final score of 10-under and a -7 under showing at the Invitational at the Ford where he tied for third. At the NCAA Regionals this past spring, he helped the Utes earn a trip to the national championship where he tied for 141st individually.

“It’s been great. I’ve been working hard to improve a few different aspects of my game,” he said, also noting that he married his wife Libby – “who has a pretty good swing” – this summer. “Now, I’m hoping to take this momentum back to college golf.”

The junior, who earned CSC Academic All-District honors and is a multiple academic scholarship recipient while majoring in finance, is now focused on finishing out his collegiate career. 

“I want to keep getting better physically and mentally and help my team,” he said. “I want to have good seasons the next two years.”

Robison’s long-term sights are set on playing professional golf. “A lot of factors have to go into that, so I just need to keep my head down and keep working,” he said.