Dean Goes Wire-to-Wire at Idaho State Amateur
6/25/2018 | by Idaho Golf Association
see also: View results for Idaho State Amateur, Jug Mountain Ranch
Colby Dean grabs a five-shot lead in round one and never looks back at Canyon Springs GC
TWIN FALLS, ID (June 25, 2018) – Not often do we see a dominating performance at the Idaho State Amateur. The event reserved for the state’s finest players was led start to finish by Eagle’s Colby Dean. Colby hoisted the trophy on Sunday afternoon after finishing with a score of 10-under at Canyon Springs Golf Course.
If you’ve been following along you’ll already know that Dean is a former Chico State golfer who played for state championship teams at Eagle High School, as well. “High school and college victories are nice,” said Dean, “but winning on home soil in front of friends and family is well near the top of the rankings for me.”
Dean began Sunday’s final round at 10-under; five shots ahead of Hunter Ostrom in second place. The round started off a little shaky for Dean. A misplaced drive on the Par-4 12th left him with a difficult approach shot into an elevated green guarded by trees right in Dean’s line. The approach landed next to a tree root off the green; Dean could not convert and walked away with a bogey.
At that point, Dean switched gears and put on a fantastic ball-striking display on Canyon Spring’s back nine.
A booming drive in the middle of the fairway on the par-5 14th set up an easy wedge shot into the green. Dean knocked it to about 12-feet from the hole and drained the eagle putt. Right after that on the Par 3 15th, Dean struck a perfectly flighted iron shot that landed a mere 5 feet from the hole. Once again, he capitalized on the opportunity and made the birdie putt.
Consistent play tee-to-green was the theme of the rest of the first nine holes (back nine). Great drives and short irons in set up great chances, but many of the birdie putts just missed.
On the second nine, Hunter Ostrom put the pressure on Dean. Ostrom outdrove his competitors by a wide margin and was finally able to get some birdie putts to drop. After birdies on 1, 3, and 4 cut the lead down to 4 strokes. Dean made a rare bogey on the par-3 5th hole and suddenly the lead was only 3 with 4 holes remaining.
An unfazed Dean bounced back by hitting the green in regulation on the last four holes, preventing him from any high pressure putts. Dean made par on those last four holes, sealing the victory.
Dean says he plans on remaining an amateur for the summer and will play in events like the PNGA Amateur before turning pro. After turning pro, Dean plans on playing in pro events in Asia with the eventual goal of moving his way up to the PGA Tour.
About the Idaho State Amateur
54-hole stroke play championship. Entries are open to amateur golfers who must have an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index®. A Handicap Index must either be issued from an IGA District I, II, or III member “golf club” (as defined in the “USGA Handicap Sys...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.