Providence Golfer Ryan Utter is Patch's Mr. October

His dad taught him how to play golf. Years later, his mom nearly paid the ultimate price for that.

Providence Catholic High School senior Ryan Utter—Patch’s Athlete of the Month for October—can laugh now with friends about the time he nearly took out his mom with an errant tee shot.

“We tease him,” Providence coach John Platt said. “I’ve seen him hit great shots. And I’ve seen him hit bad shots. I think the worst shot I’ve seen him hit was on the 18^th hole at sectionals during his junior year.

“His mother (Denise Utter), who I had never seen come watch before, was … we’re talking it was probably 100 yards left of where he should be hitting it,” Platt said. “And he pulls his driver, just misses his mother and the ball goes in the water. He makes double. And he still shot, what?”

“Seventh-five,” said Utter, a sheepish grin crossing his face.

He never was one to dwell on the negative.

He learned early on the importance of staying in the moment in golf, always thinking of his next shot while also coping with course conditions, no matter how daunting the task. And he called on his mental toughness to charge to a tie for fourth place in the Class 3A boys state tournament Oct. 14-15 at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

Utter stood tall, even as winds gusting in excess of 40-mph huffed and puffed and tried to blow him and others down. He carded rounds of 75 and 77 for a two-day, 36-hole total of 152. He finished eight strokes behind medalist Joe Willis of Lake Forest but two spots ahead of any other Providence golfer coached by Platt during his eight seasons with the Celtics.

Utter Sets New Standard for Providence Golf

Providence’s John Thomas tied for sixth in Class 3A state tournament in 2009. Utter dropped a 7-footer for birdie to complete a nifty up-and-down from a greenside bunker on his final hole. His work helped the Celtics nail down a ninth-place finish.

“I really enjoy playing in terrible weather because you have to use your imagination to create shots,” Utter said. “I can picture the ball going a million different ways. So, it was kind of fun for me.

“I just kind of stayed focused throughout the whole tournament. It wasn’t really one thing that helped. It was a bunch of things that I had been focusing on throughout the season that led to me playing well. And, of course, to help the team to finish in the top 10 for the third year in a row, that was great.”

Great is a word many around Providence use to describe Utter.  And not used only by those marveling over his smooth golf swing. He is pure gold in the classroom, too.

Utter boasts a 4.0 grade-point average. He scored a composite 34 on the ACT.  And he recently was accepted by West Point. He plans to study engineering in college. He hopes to speak with coach Brian Watts on an official visit this weekend about playing golf with the Army Black Knights, too.

“Within the last four years, it’s unbelievable how I’ve seen him grow from being a scrawny little kid to the point where he’s at now,” Platt said. “He was captain of the team. Everybody respects him, not only the kids on the golf team, but I think the whole school respects who he is.

“Here’s an individual who is going on to West Point. He’s a 4.0 student. I can’t be more proud of him. I know his family is proud of him. He’s one of the best kids I’ve ever had here at Providence.”

When he departs in June for basic training, Utter will be embarking on a military career path and upholding a family tradition that traces back through several generations. His father—Rob Utter—served 20 years as an Army National Guardsman. He now runs his own health care consulting company.

The irony is Ryan kept the initial phases of his application process secret from his parents, fearing a no-go type reaction from his mom and dad.

“I might not like to admit it, but definitely that’s where it comes from,” Ryan Utter said of his strong personality. “My dad, he’s my rock. He’s been a strong influence on all of us. He likes to get things done.”

Rob Utter first took Ryan to the golf range when he was an infant.

“Growing up, I wanted to be ‘TW’ just like everybody else,” said Ryan Utter, making reference to the Tiger Woods phenomena that gripped the golf world before Woods’ fall from grace. “I got the bug.”

Utter passed the bug on. He has two older sisters. Kelsey is a sophomore at Villanova. Maddie is a junior at Providence and plays on the Celtics’ girls golf team. She shot a career-best 86 in sectionals and missed qualifying for a trip downstate by three strokes.

“She’ll get it next year,” Ryan Utter said. “She’s a hard worker. We’re like two peas in a pod.”

Editor’s Note: Patch Sports Editor Ron Kremer selected Providence’s Ryan Utter for Athlete of the Month recognition. Four other Athlete of the Week winners were considered—Lincoln-Way East’s Kevin Bayer, Tinley Park’s Kyle Sheridan, Lincoln-Way West’s Nick Dangles and Lincoln-Way East’s Jimmy Ralph.