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We return to the Utah desert and to the Black Desert Resort for the Bank of Utah Championship. A new golf course and supporting facility including an 800-room hotel, the public course was opened in 2023 with fairways chiselled out of fields of black lava rock that had to be blasted into golf formations. The course now holds both PGA and LPGA tournaments.
The Bank of Utah Championship has a slightly deeper field than we saw at the Biltmore Championship a fortnight ago, with Presidents Cup players Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Jackson Koivun and Nick Taylor in attendance. Top 50 FedEx Cup players, namely Eric Cole, Matt McCarty, Maverick McNealy and defending champion Michael Brennan all play, as do current AON Next 10 players Max Homa, Pierceson Coody, Harry Hall and Sudarshan Yellamaraju.
Before we go into the detail surrounding the Bank of Utah Championship, we always have new visitors to Golf Betting System. Welcome and let me point you in the direction of our weekly Golf Betting System Podcast (published every Tuesday of the golfing calendar), the Steve Bamford Golf Channel on YouTube and our hugely popular, +6,600 strong, private Group on Facebook – you can Join Here.
You can read Liam Williams’ Power Rankings for the Bank of Utah Championship at bet365 News.
Course Guide: The Black Desert Resort is a new, constantly growing, facility built in Ivins, Utah. Set 120 miles North West of Las Vegas, Ivins sits 3,100 feet above sea level. Part of the Greater Zion region, this whole area has plenty of golf courses which cater for the amateur golfer. Black Desert is Tom Weiskopf’s 93rd and final golf course design prior to his untimely death in 2022. Black Desert Resort is owned by Reef Capital Partners, who are bringing the PGA Tour to their resort for the next 3 years, plus the LPGA.
Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah: Designer: Tom Weiskopf / Phil Smith, 2023; Course Type: Resort, Desert, Altitude, Short; Par: 71; Length: 7,421 yards; Number of Holes with Water In-Play: 3; Number of Sand Bunkers: 50; Acres of Fairway: 51; Fairways: Dominator Bentgrass; Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass, 2″; Greens: 7,000 sq.ft average 007XL Bentgrass.
Fairway Widths (yards): Below are the fairway widths for Black Desert Resort and how they compare to recent courses that we’ve seen on Tour:
Course Scoring Average + PGA Tour Difficulty Rank:
Course Designer Links: For research purposes other Tom Weiskopf designs include (including re-designs):
Course Overview: The basic details of Black Desert Resort are that it’s a 7,421 yard, Par 71. However take 6% off yardages due to the course being over 3,000 feet above sea level and in reality the professionals will be playing a 7,000 yard Par 71, which features 3 reachable par-5s, 2 reachable par-4s and short par-3s.
Fairways and Greens are Bentgrass – pretty unique in Utah where Poa Annua dominates, with what rough there is being Kentucky Bluegrass rough quoted at 2″ in height. Greens are large and “funky” at 7,000 sq.ft average, featuring 007XL Bentgrass.
Beyond the tiny amounts of rough, the unique nature of this golf course is the fact that stray balls enter a lava field. It’s effectively desert golf though as rocks, sand and even cacti that we find on most desert set-ups in Western United States are replaced here by rocky, black lava outcrops.
Knowing there would be lava in play, and knowing that winds here in the Utah desert can reach 40 mph, course designers Weiskopf and Smith came up with a routing that provided plenty of room to swing away. That width therefore provides strategic options for plotters and it also allows plenty of room to avoid the lava and allow for power play for the longer hitters.
Under the fairways, sand has been positioned above the lava which provides excellent drainage and the firm, bouncy conditions that are the hallmarks of a desert course in Utah.
On a resort course designed for amateur visitors, the only defence on this golf course are the desert winds which can be pretty severe here. The forecast though is for light winds pretty much throughout, so I’m expecting low scoring.
OWGR of Bank of Utah Championship Winners: 2025: Brennan 111; 2024: McCarty 76.
Datagolf Ranking Bank of Utah Championship Winners: 2025: Brennan 127; 2024: McCarty 74.
Bank of Utah Championship Cut Line: 2025: -2; 2024: -5.
Black Desert Resort Lead Score Progression:
2025: Round 1 -6; Round 2 -10; Round 3 -17; Round 4 -22.
2024: Round 1 -11; Round 2 -14; Round 3 -19; Round 4 -23
Path to Victory: Below are the end of round positions for the winners of the Bank of Utah Championship:
From the Lead: Below are the Bank of Utah Championship winners and where they were positioned in terms of shots from the lead during the tournament:
Incoming Form of Bank of Utah Championship winners:
Tournament Stats: We’ve published some key player statistics for this week’s event that are well worth a look. Naturally they’ll help to shape a view on players who could go well this week: Current Form | Tournament Form | First Round Leader | Combined Stats
My published predictor is available here. Top 10 of my published predictor are: 1) Michael Brennan; 2) Marco Penge; 3) Matt Wallace; 4) Pierceson Coody; 5) Justin Lower; 6) Stephan Jaeger; 7) Ben Kohles; 8) Lucas Glover; 9) Eric Cole; 10) Kevin Yu.
Our brand new predictor model is running alongside, where you can build your own rankings in live time, using the variables listed on the left hand side.
Bank of Utah Championship Winning Prices: 2025: Brennan 125/1; 2024: McCarty 66/1 Average: 96/1.
Historical Weather:
Weather Forecast: The latest weather forecast for Ivins, Utah is here.
From relative cold 12 months ago, it won’t surprise you to read that the weather in South-West Utah will be hot this week. Where we saw temperatures of 23-25 degrees Celsius – 74-77 Fahrenheit in 2025, this year is far warmer at 31-34 Celsius – 88-93 Fahrenheit. This can only aid scoring.
The real defence of this course is wind that can howl up to 40 mph quite often. However winds this week look the lightest we have seen here, with nothing higher than 10mph. With a 75% of chance of rain on tournament Monday night, we might also see some cut in the fairways on Thursday. However greens also got fast here in 2024 on Sunday with the heat. I could see this being a resort-level winning total target tournament, with plenty sub -20/264.
Player Strokes Gained Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the Wyndham Championship which includes both PGA Tour and DP World Tour events, where recorded. Player rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:
For a summary of the Strokes Gained Performances from this week’s field here at Black Desert click here.
Trends & Key Factors: Analysing the Strokes Gained Stats of the Bank of Utah Championship winners here at Black Desert gives us a little more insight into the requirements for this desert, Par 72:
Strokes Gained Tournament Trends:
Strokes Gained Tournament Skill Averages:
It’s only 2 renewals but statistically from a Strokes Gained perspective it’s clear that Strokes Gained Off the Tee here is critical with McCarty and Brennan gaining a combined 1.42 Strokes per round with their first shots. That’s the highest by a margin over the next best Augusta National and accounts for 36% of the total strokes gained. With 2.42 strokes gained per round Tee to Green (62%) and 1.50 Putting (38%), we can see that Black Desert to this point is a Driving and Putting contest. The Putting number is high as well, the likes of which are the sort seen at Copperhead (Valspar Championship), Memorial Park (Houston Open) and Sedgefield Country Club (Wyndham Championship).
Tournament Trends & Key Factors: Analysing the final stats of the winners here gives us a little more insight into the requirements for this test:
Tournament Skill Averages:
Let’s take a view from players as to how Black Desert Resort played last year and what specific skills it requires:
Michael Brennan (2025): “Yeah, I’ve been driving the ball really nicely, putting the ball in the fairway a lot, giving myself some good wedge and short iron opportunities. I’ve also made some nice mid-range putts the first two rounds, which always great to see those go in. After the double on 2 I told myself, let’s get back to even for the nine. Back nine I feel like I can get a little bit, hit a lot of drivers out there. So to be able to get to 1-under with a par-5 coming in was a really good feeling.
On 12, I did not hit driver on Thursday. The pin was kind of front left tucked over the from bunker and I figured it was going to be a pretty difficult 50, 60-yarder. I hit two good drives on Friday and Saturday. Today the course had been steadily getting a little firmer throughout the week. Had a little wind down of the left. Even to the front pin I told Jeff on the tee that I was just going to hit it really hard and I hit a good drive. I was surprised to see to get all the way down to the front of the green, but it ended up making the second shot much easier.
Yeah, it’s pretty clear where you need to hit it and where you don’t need to hit it just with the black and green contrast. The fairways are pretty forgiving, pretty wide. There is no rough, so it’s either going to be fairway or rocks basically. So just had one of those weeks where my driver went pretty straight and was able to send it and let it go and felt very confident over the driver all week.”
Max Homa (2025): “It’s a very unique golf course. There is a very small handful of very difficulty shots, and the rest are pretty turn your brain off. It fits my game really well. Not necessarily my eye, but fits my game. I hit my irons really well. Been hitting them really well. This week the greens are crazy, but I feel like that kind of let’s maybe kind of artistic on the greens, around the greens a lot of short grass I’ve been chipping well on. So it fits a lot of things. I just have to get more comfortable with the lines. There is just a couple tee shots where it’s just not 100 percent sure exact middle and left and right boundaries.
Yeah, for the most part just getting use to it. The elevation makes everything tricky. The morning is easier. It just goes back to what we normally play. But it’s a phenomenal golf course. The greens are great. I love how firm it’s getting. Been a pretty awesome, surprised I didn’t come here last year about how cool this place is.”
Matt McCarty (2024): “I hit it well. I had a few short birdie putts, which always helps. But yeah, just played solid. Hitting fairways out here is very important because if not I think you’re kind of re-teeing, so that was helpful. Yeah, just a fun day, and played really free, and I think that was helpful for sure. And growing up in Scottsdale, I think it’s helpful to be back in the desert, kind of feels like home, like the environment and everything. That’s been real nice this week for sure.
Yeah, there’s some courses in Scottsdale and Phoenix that are kind of the same thing, though. If you miss a fairway, you’re never going to find it. I think growing up with desert golf, sometimes it’s tough to get your lines off the tee and you don’t have trees lining the fairways so it’s a little tough like that, so I think that’s helpful for sure. But yeah, kind of the dry heat, a little elevation, the ball is travelling similar. I think it’s pretty similar to where we were at for the Korn Ferry in Boise this year, like same elevation, so kind of just going back to those same numbers, honestly.
There is a little kind of wind the last couple days, but I felt like for the most part it’s kind of soft. There are two drivable 4s, all the par-5s are kind of gettable. Kind of makes sense. Everybody out here is so good.”
Harris English (2024): Yeah, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, especially with the black lava rock. I haven’t played a ton of desert golf other than next week in Vegas, a little bit of Phoenix I guess you would call desert golf. So I wouldn’t say I’m used to this terrain a whole lot. For me, it’s a little more blind shots than we’re used to. You see it over in Scotland and England in the British and Scottish Opens.
You just got to pick really good lines and hit your targets, trust that you’re aiming the correct spot. For us out here on TOUR, we’re used to seeing landing areas a lot more and being able to see where the fairway starts.”
Stephan Jaeger (2024): “Yeah, you know, I started well the last couple days. It just kind of, it’s one of those golf courses when you get off to a good start, you can take your chances sometimes and be conservative on some shots. I like this golf course. You got to keep it in play, play somewhat conservative at times, and take advantage of the par-5s and short par-3s. I feel like I have done that this week.
The golf course is starting to play a little firmer. You saw on 18. I think my 7-iron bounced maybe 12 yards onto the green. You know, I think they’re let ting it get firmer for the weekend. I haven’t seen the wind so I’m not sure what the wind looks like this weekend, but definitely hit a drive through the fairway at 370, so you’ve got to slowly figure out where to hit drivers, where to lay back a little bit. Yeah, it’s just a nice golf course for sure.
Yeah, I think obviously this golf course you first of all got to hit it in between the rocks, number one. So I’ve done a good job of that. I feel like it fits me off the tee pretty well.
Some holes I can kind of be aggressive on and some we have to all lay back a little bit. From there, I am sure they’re going to tuck the pins a little bit more tomorrow. They’re a little firmer in the afternoon. Obviously late, late afternoon greens always get a little bumpy. It’s a challenge. I’m up for it. Excited for tomorrow. Yeah, hopefully I can get a good one.”
First Round Leader Analysis: First round leader(s), their wave and winning score since 2014. Full First Round Leader stats are here.
For the record, here’s the breakdown of pure Bentgrass green PGA Tour victors in the field since 2008:
Michael Brennan 2.5pts EW 14/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365
Matt McCarty went close to defending his Utah Bank of Championship title here 12 months ago, finishing T3 and I expect Michael Brennan to do the same this week on his initial PGA Tour title defence. A player who undoubtedly has the mental fortitude to win, I could see him successfully defending on a course that suits perfectly. 5 wins across his last 35 professional starts is a strong clip. Link that specifically to the PGA Tour and it’s 2 wins from his first 29 starts. How Tommy Fleetwood or Ludvig Aberg would love such a conversion rate!
He’s also proven to win in clusters. As a kid he successfully defended the Middle Atlantic Amateur in 2017, 2018 and 2019, plus on his PGA Tour Americas initiation to professional golf, 2025 saw him win 4 times in 7 starts, the last of which was this Black Desert title, when he stepped up to the PGA Tour. That by the way came almost a month after his previous start, where he’d finished 4th at the Fortinet Cup Championship – so a few weeks off post-Playoffs is of no concern.
The winner at the Wyndham Championship in late August, Brennan went on to finish 42nd at the FedEx St Jude Championship and 10th in the BMW Championship at Bellerive, in Playoff events with the very best in the world taking part. His -7/203 Final 54-Hole Score was good enough for T6 – level with Rory McIlroy.
An elite, world-class driver of the golf ball who in this field ranks 3rd for Strokes Gained Putting across my 8-week Strokes Gained Analysis, I think the World Number 33 will go super close in Utah. RESULT: T13
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Kristoffer Ventura 1pt EW 50/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365
On a course where Strokes Gained Off the Tee is huge as well as spike Strokes Gained Putting on Bentgrass greens, Kristoffer Ventura is worth a bet in my view. This Black Desert course undoubtedly welcomes long and straight driving and Ventura is the 6th best on the PGA Tour, sitting below just Alex Fitzpatrick, Jordan Smith, Neal Shipley, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. Ventura sits directly above Cam Young, Collin Morikawa and Gary Woodland – rarefied air. So long and straight gets a tick.
From a recent form perspective, Kris has also been playing well. 5th at the ISCO Championship, 15th at the Corales Championship and 5th at the Rocket Classic across his last 6 appearances have helped Ventura back into the World’s Top 200 players. The keen amongst you will have noted that both of those top-5s were on Bentgrass greens.
The Florida-domiciled Norwegian in this field ranks in the top 20 for Off the Tee, Approach and Tee to Green across my 8-week Strokes Gained Analysis, plus spike weeks with the putter tend to come on Bentgrass, with TPC Summerlin, TPC Craig Ranch, TPC Deere Run and here at Black Desert all within his top 13 putting performances on the PGA Tour across his career.
At 107th in the FedEx Cup Fall Points List. one big week grabs guaranteed full PGA Tour status for 2027 and Ventura was 11th here 12 months ago so clearly likes the set-up. That’s understandable as he won the 2019 Utah Championship played at Oakridge Country Club on the Korn Ferry Tour. RESULT: T32
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Neal Shipley 1pt EW 75/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365
Neal Shipley is a must-back for me this week in the Utah desert. When he hit our screens at the 2024 Masters where he was low amateur – a feat he also achieved at the 2024 U.S. Open where he finished 24th – the sky looked the limit for the Pennsylvanian, who signed with Ping when he turned pro just after Pinehurst Number 2. Progress has been steady, with promotion from the PGA Tour Americas in the latter end of 2024 turning into a 2025 Korn Ferry Tour campaign with 2 wins and promotion on to the PGA Tour.
Aside from a Hole in One in February for Bay Golf Club in the TGL, 2026 has been a slow grind for the 25 year-old, with his opening 10 events resulting in 9 Missed Cuts, blighted by a sub-PGA Tour standard game from approach and in. However that changed from mid-July onwards with 44th at the 3M Open driven by a top 20 Tee to Green performance. All of this was the precursor for the Biltmore Championship a fortnight ago, when the real Neal Shipley we remember from that 2024 Masters and his summer Korn Ferry Tour campaign last year finally arrived. 5th for Total Driving, 21st for strokes gained Tee to Green plus 7th for Ball Striking, linked to a putter that finally fired, ranking 4th for Strokes Gained Putting across the week. The 36- and 54-Hole leader at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, an eventual 3rd place was his best finish on the PGA Tour to date.
That takes us to this week and a Black Desert Resort course which welcomes long, straight driving and spike putting across on its Bentgrass greens. I also think the altitude nature of the course will suit, as Shipley’s second win on the Korn Ferry Tour last year came at TPC Colorado (The Ascendant), a course that’s at 5,000 feet and which also features Bentgrass greens. RESULT: T10
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John VanDerLaan 1pt EW 140/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365
John VanDerLaan is a first ever bet for me. A Tour rookie, like many do it’s taken time for the 30 year-old to find his feet at the top level. These Fall events undoubtedly feel more comfortable for Tour rookies as the level of competition is lower, plus at the end of the season top 100 (Full Tour PGA Tour cards) and top 125 (Conditional Status) qualification lines for next year become clear and spark performance levels yet unseen.
Nothing better than 21st (Puerto Rico Open) for John became a T10 finish last time out at the Biltmore Championship where he was in contention from Friday onwards. Strokes Gained-wise he was “green” across all skill-sets, ranking 6th for Off the Tee, 14th for Tee to Green and in the top 25 for Putting. At 149th in the Fall Points List he simply has to keep the positive momentum going.
Remember The Cliffs at Walnut Cove was at around 2,250 feet above sea level, whilst this week’s Black Desert course is over 3,000 feet above sea level. VanDerLaan has in the past shown he’s comfortable at altitude on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing 13th (2022), 19th (2023), 13th (2024) and 12th (2025) at TPC Colorado (The Ascendant), plus 15th (2025) at Hillcrest Country Club (Boise Open). Fascinatingly his win on the Korn Ferry Tour last year came at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in late September on Bentgrass greens. RESULT: T40
✅ Bet £10 get £30 in free bets for new customers with this qualifying link
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Odds and bookmaker offers correct at 12:50BST 28.9.26 but are naturally subject to fluctuation.
Steve Bamford is co-founder and part of our editorial team at Golf Betting System and he focuses mainly on the PGA Tour. Steve has been involved in the gambling industry for over 15 years and has a passion for golf as well as football, horse racing and MMA, where he has developed a deep understanding of both online and offline betting gathered through practical experience. Steve also hosts the popular Golf Betting System podcast.
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