The PGA TOUR continues the FedExCup Fall following last week’s Presidents Cup. This week’s Bank of Utah Championship is the second of the eight tournaments that will give players a chance to improve their status for next season over the next few months. This will be the third straight season the PGA TOUR visits Black Desert Golf Course in Utah, a stunning setting where black lava fields meet the vibrant red rock canyons of southern Utah. It sets up to be a big week with a lot on the line, so let’s look at the available options and pinpoint a few of my best bets for Round 1 of the Bank of Utah Championship from DraftKings Sportsbook.
The 120 players in the field will tee off in 40 groups of three from both the first and 10th tee. The earliest groups start at 9:35 a.m. ET, with the later wave getting underway at 2:30 p.m. ET and continuing through 4:09 p.m. ET. Since we have some course history to consider with the current form, we should be able to identify potential course fits and props to attack.
Let’s dive into my three best bets for Round 1 of the Utah Bank Championship on Thursday, September 24.
Top Round 1 Bets for Bank of Utah Championship
Doug Ghim Over 5.5 Birdies or Better (+126)
Black Desert Golf Course typically gives players plenty of chances to post parbreakers. Over the last three years, players average over 4.5 birdies or better per round, so Ghim just needs to be a little better than that average to hit this over at nice plus-money returns.
In his most recent tournament, Ghim finished T17 at the Biltmore Championship two weeks ago, giving him seven top-20 finishes in his last 11 tournaments. His best finishes during that stretch are a pair of T6’s at the John Deere Classic and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. While he hasn’t been at the very top of the leaderboard during that run, he has been consistently above average.
Over the last six months, he ranks third in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. Since this course rewards good, long drives with plenty of birdie chances, Ghim should get a chance to work his way over this prop total on Thursday. He tees off in the very first group on Thursday, starting at 9:35 a.m., alongside Peter Malnati and Vince Whaley.
Michael Brennan Under 67.5 (+108)
The par-71 layout at Black Desert Golf Course means that Brennan will need to be four-under or better to hit the under on this prop. The 24-year-old went under that total in each of his four rounds at last year’s Bank of Utah Championship on his way to claiming his first PGA TOUR victory. He put on a driving display last year, posting the most Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee of any player in any event all season.
Since that breakthrough win, Brennan has become one of the PGA TOUR’s top young stars. He claimed another PGA TOUR win at the Wyndham Championship and finished in the top 50 in the FedExCup standings, locking up his spot in all of next season’s signature events.
Over the last six months, Brennan has led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, ranked second in Driving Distance, and sits in the top five in Total Strokes Gained. He finished in the top 25 in four of his last five PGA TOUR events, including a T10 at the BMW Championship. That was a while ago, so there is some risk of rust. But given how he dominated this track last year, he should be able to get going early in his title defense.
Brennan tees off at 10:08 a.m. ET and will play in an exciting trio with Jackson Koivun and Ben James.
Justin Lower (+240) Over Beau Hossler and Chad Ramey – 3 Ball – Round 1
Lower is a longshot play I like to round out my Round 1 best bets. He finished T3 at this event last year, consistently posting 66-67-68-67. Ramey finished T33, and Hossler missed the cut with a 75-70.
The veteran also has a history of strong finishes in the FedExCup Fall, and he started this year’s eight-tournament series with a T33 in Asheville. In that event, he started with a 72 but then caught fire with a 67-64-67 to finish the week. If he can carry that momentum into this week, he could get off to a faster start, even though Hossler and Ramey bring more name recognition.
Hossler missed the cut at the Biltmore Championship two weeks ago after finishing second behind Brennan at the Wyndham. Ramey finished T33 after missing two of the last three cuts in the tournaments he played during the regular season.
Lower has a better course history and good short-term form, so I love getting him at almost +250 to take down Hossler and Ramey in Round 1. This trio of players tees off at 3:36 p.m. ET and should be a nice way to close out a great day of action from the desert
