The PGA TOUR resumes the FedExCup Fall this week after an exciting break for the Presidents Cup last week. The Bank of Utah Championship will take place at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah. This will be the third straight fall that the event visits this venue, which has led to some exciting results and first-time winners in the last two years. The tournament begins on Thursday, October 1, and will conclude on Sunday, October 4, weather permitting.
Let’s start the week with a look at the format, history, and course for the Bank of Utah Championship.
Bank of Utah Championship Format
This week’s format follows the standard setup for a PGA TOUR full-field event. The cut after Round 2 will reduce the field of 120 players to the top 65 (including ties) advancing into the final two rounds.
All four rounds will be played at the Black Desert Resort. This is the second of the eight FedExCup Fall tournaments. Winners of fall events earn the same benefits as regular-season events – including a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR, 500 FedExCup points and spots in THE PLAYERS, The Sentry and those major championships that invite PGA TOUR winners.
At the end of the FedExCup Fall, the top 100 players in the FedExCup Fall Standings earn full-time membership and exemption for the 2027 season, while players ranked No. 101-125 will have conditional status. Additionally, players who finish ranked from 51-60 in the standings earn entry into the first two Signature Events following The Sentry via the Aon Next 10.
Plenty is at stake throughout the Fall on the PGA TOUR, including this week’s stop in Utah.
Tournament History
The tournament began in 2024 as the Black Desert Championship, with the Bank of Utah joining on a three-year sponsorship agreement before last year’s event.
In 2024, Matt McCarty won the inaugural tournament to claim his first PGA TOUR win, and last year, 23-year-old Michael Brennan claimed his first PGA TOUR win in his first PGA TOUR start as a professional. Brennan had a solid year on the PGA TOUR this year, including claiming his second career win at the Wyndham Championship just over a month ago.
The event provides players a chance to earn key FedExCup Fall points as they look to improve their status for next season. With the upcoming schedule changes in 2028, the future of this tournament is a little unclear, but it seems likely to end up as part of the Challenger Series. Over the next year, players will be looking to lock in spots on either the Challenger or Championship series, and tournaments like this week’s will be key to earing spots.
Be sure to check out this week’s full field and opening odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Closer Look at the Course
Black Desert Resort Golf Course will be hosting the PGA TOUR for a third straight season. The picturesque course winds its way through lava rock fields and red rock landscapes in the arid desert of southern Utah. Legendary designer Tom Weiskopf crafted the layout, and his design partner Phil Smith completed the project after Weiskopf passed away.
The course sits at over 3,000 feet of elevation, so it plays much shorter than its scorecard yardage of 7,421 yards. Overall, the course is a relatively easy-scoring one with generous fairways, minimal rough, and large greens. Winning scores in the last two years were more than 20 under par, and it does seem to be a course where driving distance and Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee set players up for plenty of success.
For a comprehensive review of the layout, check out the hole-by-hole overview of the official site that breaks down all the challenges the field will face in the desert. The black lava rock all around the course makes it visually stunning, and they are seen as a feature not an obstacle in this unique layout.
Due to the wind at times, the fairways are typically very easy to hit. In the first two years on the PGA TOUR, the course has the highest driving accuracy rate on Tour at 83%. That being said, gaining strokes off the tee has been critical to success, so emphasize players who can hit it far as you set your strategy.
It has also been the sixth-easiest course for approach on the PGA TOUR over the last two seasons, with an average proximity well below the PGA TOUR average. The course’s most difficult section is on and around the greens, so targeting players who have had success on the greens here the last two years or excel in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass greens is a strong strategy.
As you get ready for this week’s tournament, be sure to get your DFS fantasy golf lineups and betting cards filled out with help from DraftKings Network! We’ll have ongoing coverage throughout the week to help you enjoy this weekend’s tournament.
