SHS grad Joey Lovell wins Montana State Amateur

MISSOULA, Mont. — Joey Lovell came through in the clutch on Saturday to win the men’s Montana State Amateur Championship at Canyon River Golf Club.

Lovell, a 2006 Sandpoint High grad, entered the 18th hole of the final round with a one-shot advantage over Joey Moore, a San Diego State University golfer.

Moore, the 2019 champion, converted a birdie to move into a tie for the lead on the final hole, but Lovell still had a chance from about 12 feet away to match his competitor. With the pressure on, the 33-year-old sunk the birdie putt to claim Montana’s amateur title by a stroke with a three-round score of 197 (-19).

“I just kind of stood up over it, steadied my hands a little bit and looked up and the ball was going dead center of the cup, and I lifted my hands up in victory,” Lovell said. “It was pretty sweet.”

It was Lovell’s fourth appearance in the tournament and first title at the event. He finished in a tie for fifth in 2020 and runner-up in 2018. Lovell, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, said it felt great to beat out the top talent in the state.

Now he gets to hold on to the 104-year-old championship trophy for an entire year. The trophy, which Lovell said weighs about 60 pounds, has the name of every past champion engraved on it. He said it’s special to look at the trophy and know that he is forever etched in history.

“It’s definitely been something I’ve wanted to win and it didn’t take me too long, which is great,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable trophy.”

Lovell took fifth at the 4A state golf tournament as a Bulldog in 2006 and went on to play two years at Lewis-Clark State College. After that, he joined the Boise State University golf team and in 2011 he turned pro.

Lovell made it to the U.S Open sectionals in 2015 by winning a local qualifier in Wyoming, but he eventually discovered a professional golf career wasn’t for him.

“I wanted to give it a shot and I just think it was a hard time to give it a shot,” he said. “It’s a long road and it is hard to give it up because that’s the ultimate dream, but in the same sense you got to make a living, so it was time to get to work.”

He got back his amateur status from the USGA and began competing in tournaments again in 2017. Lovell said he dialed in his game after that, and started seeing the results. Just like wine, his golf game seems to be getting finer with age.

Lovell was the head golf pro at The Idaho Club from 2011-2013. That was his first opportunity out of college, which he said jumpstarted his golf career.

He then took on the same position at Black Bull Golf Course in Bozeman and eventually became the director of operations at the club.

This past year, he turned to being a realtor full-time and will add another job to his resume this fall as an assistant coach for the Montana State University women’s golf team.

Since leaving Boise State, Lovell has always had a desire to get involved with coaching at the collegiate level and give back to the next generation of golfers.

He said he knows he can help athletes hone their games and become better individuals on and off the course. He can also relate to them because he’s been in their shoes.

“I enjoy teaching, but I also love the competitive side of it,” Lovell said. “To have eight to 10 players who are a part of a team that all work for each other and are trying to practice and get better, I think that’s where I can excel the most.”

Lovell grew a passion for the game while watching Tiger Woods win the 1997 Masters Tournament with his grandfather, Les Downs, and two cousins. He said his grandpa purchased golf lessons for him soon after and he’s found it hard to put down a golf club ever since.

“It’s been something I’ve always loved and wanted to be around,” he said. “It’s definitely given me every opportunity I’ve ever been given in my life.”

That’s part of the reason why Lovell has stuck with golf for so long — because the sport shaped him into the person he is today.

Lovell will return to Sandpoint next week to play in the 119th Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men’s Amateur Championship that starts Monday at The Idaho Club.

Montana is not part of the PNGA, so Lovell had to write a letter to get a special exemption into the tournament. The PNGA granted him an invite not once, but twice after the championship was canceled last year due to the pandemic.

The first PNGA men’s amateur was held in 1899. Lovell is grateful that he gets to compete in such a historic event on a course he grew up on.

“It’s a very special event and I definitely look forward to coming home and playing in front of my family,” he said.

The first two days of the tournament consist of 36 holes of stroke play. After that the 168-player field will be cut down to 64 and the tourney will move to match play Wednesday through Saturday.

Lovell said his goal is to reach match play and see what happens from there.

“I probably know that course better than anybody in the field,” he said. “If I get through stroke play and into match play, then it’s let’s go win this thing. It would be very hard and it’s a lofty goal, but that’s always the goal when you head into these.”

As much as Lovell hopes to use his experience at the course to his advantage, he also knows that his tournament can come to an end with just one bad shot due to the difficulty of the course.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “It’s one of the hardest golf courses I’ve ever played and one of my favorite golf courses I’ve ever played. I could be a little biased because it’s in my hometown.”

Lovell said every hole at the course is picturesque and he loves what the new owners have done to the place.

“It’s back to life and it’s exciting,” he said.

The 2022 Montana State Amateur Championship will be held at Riverside Country Club in Bozeman. Lovell shot a 62 at the course a few weeks back and he is already looking forward to defending his title.

“That’s next year,” he said. “I’m going to relish in this victory first.”