Get ready for an exciting week of golf as the PGA TOUR returns to Utah for the Bank of Utah Championship! With only three tournaments left on the 2025 schedule, every swing and every point matters more than ever.
This week's event promises to be a thrilling battle, featuring a diverse field of seasoned champions, rising stars, and talented newcomers. They'll be tackling the one-of-a-kind Black Desert Resort, a course carved through a lava field. It's a unique challenge that will test the skills of even the most seasoned golfers.
Let's dive into the key storylines and insights you need to know before the action tees off:
Field Notes:
- Michael Thorbjornsen, fresh off a solo third-place finish at the Baycurrent Classic, is back in the mix. With four top-10 finishes this season, he's aiming for redemption in Utah after withdrawing last year.
- Alex Noren, the top-ranked golfer in the world, makes his presence felt in Utah. Noren, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour this summer, joins the field after serving as a vice captain for the victorious European Team at the Ryder Cup.
- Maverick McNealy, who finished T13 at the Procore Championship, returns to PGA TOUR action. He's had an impressive season with seven top-10 results, including five finishes inside the top five.
- Billy Horschel, who underwent hip surgery in April, makes his PGA TOUR comeback on American soil. He last played in the Baycurrent Classic, finishing T54.
- Matt McCarty, the defending champion, will look to retain his title in Utah. His best finish this season was a T4 at the RBC Canadian Open, and he comes into this event off a strong T14 in Japan, where he shot an incredible final-round 60 with eight consecutive birdies.
Behind the Scenes:
- Matt McCarty, the defending champion, shares his journey and emotions after his win at Black Desert.
Sponsor Exemptions:
- Michael Brennan, a standout on the PGA TOUR Americas circuit this summer, aims to continue his success on the PGA TOUR. Brennan, who won three times in a four-week stretch and closed the season with back-to-back top-five finishes, earns his first PGA TOUR start since the 2023 U.S. Open.
- Kihei Akina, an 18-year-old BYU freshman, tees it up in Utah for the second year in a row. His best finish at BYU so far is a T6.
- Carson Lundell, a BYU alum, Connor Howe, a Utah native and two-time all-ACC selection at Georgia Tech, and Utah Tech freshman David Liechty, the first golfer in school history to reach the match-play portion of the U.S. Amateur, make their PGA TOUR debuts.
- Preston Summerhays, a newly minted pro and Utah native, plays his fourth PGA TOUR event in 2025. He had two top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.
Signature Event Storylines:
- As part of the Aon Next 10, players ranked 51-60 through the FedExCup Fall will secure spots in two early-season 2026 Signature Events: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational. With his runner-up finish in Japan, Max Greyserman moved from 58th to 51st in the standings, guaranteeing his place in these prestigious events.
- Garrick Higgo's T4 finish at the Baycurrent Championship propelled him into the top 60, moving from 62nd to 57th in the standings. Mackenzie Hughes, previously at 60th, dropped to 64th.
FedExCup:
- The winner of the Bank of Utah Championship will receive a massive 500 FedExCup points.
- This event is the fourth in the FedExCup Fall series. Players ranked 51-70 at the start of the fall have already secured their top-100 eligibility for the following year but are now competing for spots in the first two Signature Events after The Sentry.
- Those ranked 71 and beyond can still earn one of the 10 spots available in those Signature Events, but they're also battling to finish in the top 100 of the FedExCup standings at the end of the fall.
- At the conclusion of the FedExCup Fall, players ranked 101-125 on the final FedExCup Fall Points List will earn conditional status for the 2025 PGA TOUR Season.
Course:
- Black Desert Resort, a par-71 course spanning 7,421 yards, presents a unique challenge with wide fairways and just two water hazards in play. Essentially a brand-new course, the Tom Weiskopf/Phil Smith design opened its front nine in November 2022 and the back nine in May 2023. The scorecard has been extended by 50 yards compared to last year.
- Haeran Ryu won the inaugural Black Desert Championship on the LPGA Tour in May 2025 at this very course, finishing an impressive 26 under par.
- The 72-hole record is held by Matt McCarty at 261, while Adam Svensson set the 18-hole record with a stunning 60 in the first round of the 2025 tournament.
Last Time:
- Matt McCarty continued his remarkable run last summer by winning the inaugural Bank of Utah Championship on the PGA TOUR. Having already won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, McCarty earned an automatic promotion to the PGA TOUR and wasted no time claiming his first TOUR victory. He won by three shots over Stephan Jaeger, with Lucas Glover and Kevin Streelman finishing a shot further back at 19 under, tied for third.
How to Follow:
- Television: Thursday-Friday, 5-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, NBC Sports app); Saturday-Sunday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, NBC Sports app)
- PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+: Thursday-Friday, 9:45 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2-8 p.m.
Don't miss this exciting tournament! Who do you think will emerge as the champion at the Bank of Utah Championship? Will Matt McCarty defend his title, or will a new star rise to the top? Let us know your predictions and thoughts in the comments below!
