CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- It may be mid-January, but the Hurricane City Amateur finds a way to feature hot players. Another cold and windy weekend, which has become a feature of the event, returned Jan. 16-17 to Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, where weather conditions turned the final round into a survival test, and shot-making may have taken a back seat to decision-making.

Through it all, Southern Utah University junior Luke Barnes delivered a steady 36-hole performance, backing up a strong opening round with steady, damage-control golf that wins tournaments on early-season, difficult Dixie Swing days. Barnes carded rounds of (-4) 68-72—14,0 winning the 2026 Hurricane City Amateur, a Utah Golf Association Player Performance Ranking event, earning his first career UGA PPR victory.

Barnes arrived on the final day with the lead and the usual pressure that comes with playing from the top of the leaderboard while Mother Nature tries to pull the leaders back to the pack. While players are used to Sky Mountain's exposed fairways demanding a conservative plan and a lot of patience, Barnes spent much of the final round keeping the ball in play, managing momentum to stack pars, hoping the field makes the mistakes the conditions almost guaranteed.

Every champion faces a moment when the win teeters, and for Barnes, that moment came at hole 12. His tee shot on the par 3 found water. Barnes responded with an up-and-down that preserved his score and, more importantly, preserved his calm. It was the type of recovery that doesn't always show up in the final numbers but often defines why a player wins.

That hole became a turning point. From there, Barnes played the closing stretch with added concentration, making key putts and staying committed to conservative lines as the wind increased.

In a tournament where gusts can turn good iron shots into missed greens, Barnes' short game did the separating. Over two days, his 10-feet and in putting gave him the foundation to keep pressure on the field while avoiding the big mistakes as pressure mounted down the stretch.

With the tournament still requiring a clean finish, Barnes played the 18th hole with controlled decision-making and finished with a well-earned par to defeat last week's St. George Amateur champion, Brock Porter (photo below), by one shot.

Barnes' win also reflected a player trending upward during the winter months. This victory, earned in demanding conditions, serves as a confidence-builder heading into the SUU spring season.

It was also a hometown-style win for a Thunderbird. Barnes is a Cedar City product, and winning in Southern Utah always carries added meaning for players who grew up on these courses and now represent the state's university programs.

Barnes' name is one Utah golf circles recognize because of his father Jared's, a PGA Professional at Cedar Ridge, connection to the profession. His path into competitive golf began early through that influence, but his commitment to serious tournament golf took hold later, when he made the decision as a teenager to pursue competition with purpose.

Southern Utah Director of Golf Richard Church views Barnes as a player whose progress is fueled by a consistent willingness to work. Barnes has been committed to making the changes necessary to elevate from player to winner.

The result at Sky Mountain represented exactly what coaches hope to see: preparation translating into performance under pressure, in a setting where the course demands maturity as much as skill.

A January win can set a tone for an entire season. For Luke Barnes, earning a UGA PPR victory this early provides momentum as Southern Utah prepares for its spring schedule. The timing is ideal as his added confidence now becomes fuel for the weeks ahead.

Barnes also made clear this win was built on support—family, coaches, teammates, and the people closest to him who make the work possible.

Follow Us

For all the latest on Southern Utah Golf, follow @SUUGolf on Twitter and Instagram and like the Southern Utah Golf page on Facebook.

Donate

To help support Thunderbirds athletics consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support click here.