Formerly known as the Black Desert Championship, the Bank of Utah Championship will be played at the Black Desert Resort (par 71, 7,241 yards, bentgrass greens) in Ivins, Utah. This par 71 hosted this fall event last season and for this week, there will be 132 golfers competing and a top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured my two favorite bets for the Bank of Utah Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Christiaan Bezuidenhout to win (+3500)
Bezuidenhout has started the fall swing with a T-6 at the Sanderson Farms Championship and a T-10 at the Baycurrent Classic, shooting under par in all eight of these rounds. The 31-year-old ranks third in total strokes gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds and while he has never teed it up at the Black Desert Resort before, Bezuidenhout’s game suits this easy track.
The Black Desert Course yielded a -23 winning number last season and per usual at low-scoring tournaments, having a hot putter was a key to contending at this par 71, as five of the top-10 finishers ranked inside the top-12 in SGP for the week. Ranking 11th in SGP this season, Bezuidenhout fits this mold of player with flying colors. Also, all three of the par fives at the Black Desert Resort range from 550-600 yards and when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds, Bezuidenhout ranks fourth in efficiency on this length of par five.
Bezuidenhout has yet to win the PGA TOUR, but he was won five times overseas, so he is no stranger to taking home the top prize and these +3500 odds are just too long for the South African in this weak field.
Rico Hoey for a top-10 finish including ties (+250)
Hoey finished T-21 in his first attempt at the Black Desert Resort last season, but he is in even better form this time around. Hoey has been an incredible ball striker this season, ranking second on the PGA TOUR in SGT2G and in his last start, Hoey finished T-4 at the Baycurrent Classic.
To conclude that event, the 30-year-old posted an 8-under 63 at Yokohama CC in the final round, tying his career-low on the PGA TOUR. This marked Hoey’s third top-10 finish in his last six starts and all three of these top-10 finishes notably have come at venues with bentgrass greens, which is the type of putting surface Hoey will be competing on at the Black Desert Resort this week.
Hoey ranks fourth in strokes gained per round when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens and at this appealing +250 price, he is a tremendous bet for a top-10 finish this week.
