Daniel Summerhays retiring from pro golf to become high school teacher

June 25 (UPI) -- Longtime PGA Tour member Daniel Summerhays will retire from professional golf after playing in this week's Utah Championship at Oakridge Country Club.

Summerhays, who earned more than $9 million during his eight full seasons on the PGA Tour, is stepping away from pro competition to become a full-time teacher and golf coach at his alma mater, Davis High School, which is located in Kaysville, Utah.

"It's hard to say it, but after a pretty long, above-average career on the PGA Tour, I'm going to step away and go another direction for awhile," Summerhays told the Deseret News on Sunday. "I'm going to try the education system and move into a teacher-mentor role rather than the touring-golf-pro role."

Summerhays was a standout golfer at Davis before becoming an All-American at Brigham Young University. After his collegiate career, he had a short stint on the Korn Ferry Tour and won an event while he was still an amateur.

He went on to record 19 top-10 finishes -- including a pair of runner-up finishes -- on the PGA Tour. He also had a third-place finish at the 2016 PGA Championship.

Summerhays, 36, lost his PGA Tour card in 2018 and moved back to the developmental Korn Ferry Tour last year. His final event is this week's Utah Championship, where he finished sixth last season.

"It's been emotional and it's been thought provoking," Summerhays told the newspaper. "You question if this is the right step, but I feel like this is the right step for me and my family, and my personal growth. I'm really excited for the next phase of my life.

"I'm really grateful for the last 13-14 years on tour, but I'm really grateful that I have this opportunity to move forward in a different direction."

Summerhays shot a 2-under 69 in the opening round of the Utah Championship on Thursday, putting him in a tie for 73rd. He had five birdies and three bogeys on the first day of play.