The PGA Tour rolls on this week as it returns to Black Desert Resort for the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship. A Par 71, 7,421 yard layout, Black Desert Resort was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Phil Smith, first opening for 18-hole play in May 2023. The tournament officially has a title sponsor this year, as it will be played as the Bank of Utah Championship for at least the next three seasons.
Hosting the PGA Tour for the second straight year, Black Desert Resort should be a pretty easy jaunt for the tour’s best once again. Wide fairways, large greens, minimal rough and thin air (sitting approximately 3,000 feet above sea level) will turn this course into a pitch and putt course for many players, as they will be hitting bombs off the tee and ripping darts at the pin all tournament long. Players will still need to navigate the desert/lava field surroundings (there has to be some challenges, right?) if they want to find success in this event, but players who are hitting their irons solidly will absolutely feast on this course. With the inaugural winner finishing at -23 for the week, expect a winning score in that same ballpark, which means birdies are a true must this week. Give an edge to the putting specialists, especially those who are even remotely close to being a half-decent ball striker and can quickly find their groove on bentgrass greens. This is truly a wide open event, as young studs and wily veterans alike will stand a fair chance of finding themselves atop the leaderboard at week’s end. Which player will etch their name into the history books in the Land of the Osmonds (Please don’t cancel me.)?
Despite being in just its second year, the Bank of Utah Championship is already producing a strong field of players, with Jason Day, Kurt Kitayama, Matt McCarty, Maverick McNealy, Alex Noren and Michael Thorbjornsen headlining this year’s event, while players like Ricky Castillo, Luke Clanton, Pierceson Coody, Patrick Fishburn, Rico Hoey and Jeremy Paul, just to name a few, will also look to make their presence known.
Last year’s inaugural edition was won by Matt McCarty, who opened with a 62 in the first round and cruised to a three stroke victory over Stephen Jäeger for his first PGA Tour victory. Lucas Glover and Kevin Streelman finished T-3, four strokes back, while Matti Schmid finished in fifth place, five strokes off the pace.
Maverick McNealy, while a good player, relies mostly on his putting, so one or two rounds of not being hot with his putter will cost him greatly here. He has never played the course, and that will also impact his putting overall. He hasn’t played since early September, and I feel he will struggle finding his way. Sometimes too long of a break can let your hot streak melt away.
Carson Young is standing out to me this week. He took an 11th place finish at this event in 2024. His game has so much potential at a course like this. He can play, and I feel like he is comfortable with this course layout. His biggest setback will be his short game, but if that can come together, he will have a real chance this week.
Cameron Champ has caught my eye for this event. He has had a few up and downs with his putting, but when it is even half put together, he should have no problem snagging a top ten here. He knows how to win, with three tour wins under his belt, but he has to focus in on his putting to pull it off. We have seen really strong moments from Champ, like at the RBC Canadian Open and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. I have a feeling this event will be another top ten with some ease.
Kurt Kitayama is a favorite this week.Desert golf can be a unique beast, and he is no stranger to it. His game has been coming together as of late, and I think this might be the week he secures another win. Wide fairways and large greens will be in his favor, and he should be able to course manage very well. He is ranked ninth in Proximity to Hole and first on Approaches from > 200 yards, so I believe this will be a solid week for him.
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