The Puttin’ Utes lost their best player, Dustin Pimm, to the Canadian Tour.
Pimm recently took part in the Canadian Tour Qualifying Event in hopes of earning a spot on the tour. In his first attempt, Pimm carded scores of 69, 66, 80 and 72. Pimm elected to accept the invitation to join the tour and is now officially a professional golfer, giving up his eligibility to play for Utah.
The Canadian Tour will help Pimm prepare for bigger tours, such as the Nationwide and PGA.
“I plan on playing on the Canadian Tour, and then I am going to try to qualify for the PGA tour this fall,” Pimm said.
Growing up in Sandy, Pimm started playing golf when he was 10 years old and knew he wanted to play professional golf immediately.
Of course, first he had to go to high school. Pimm attended Alta High in Sandy, where he was the individual state champion in 2002 and led the Hawks to a team state championship in 2003.
A couple of days before signing a letter of intent, Pimm knew he wanted to play at Utah. He had received offers from other schools, mainly in California, but Pimm “bleeds red.”
“It just felt right,” Pimm said. “Our family has a lot of history here at Utah.”
His grandfather, Jerry Pimm, is the former Utah men’s basketball coach. He coached the Runnin’ Utes from 1974 to 1983.
“Utah has always been in our blood,” Pimm said. “I knew I could come here and play right away.”
For Pimm, the first year at the U was tough one, both in golf and in life. The freshman’s swing saw a major overhaul, and his parents got a divorce the summer before college started.
“It was tough,” Pimm said. “I was going through a swing change and a divorce. I wasn’t sure about my game at the beginning, but towards the end of freshman year things got better.”
Pimm played 37 rounds in 13 tournaments his freshman year, averaging 73.7 strokes. His best finish was second at the 2004 Countrywide Intercollegiate with a total of 210 for three rounds.
“I started gaining confidence in my game in the summer after my freshman year, which really helped me get back on track,” Pimm said.
During his sophomore year, Pimm averaged 71.23 strokes en route to becoming the first Ute to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships as an individual.
Pimm’s junior year proved to be another challenge. After winning the Wolf Pack Classic in Reno, Nev., Pimm injured his back. Pimm struggled with the ailment the rest of the season and wasn’t able to get back to his normal form.
His senior year proved to be almost as challenging as his junior season because Pimm just couldn’t find a rhythm. He finished from as high as fourth and as low as 82nd, and everywhere in between.
“I have struggled my senior year,” Pimm said. “I think I have played well, but haven’t lived up to my potential.”
Pimm will finish his degree in mass communication in the public relations sequence this fall.
