Tranlate this title Austin Smotherman wins the Bank of Utah in spanish

Austin Smotherman claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the Bank of Utah Championship, held at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins, southern Utah. The 32-year-old American closed with a final-round 68 (-3) for a tournament-record total of 258 (-26), finishing two strokes ahead of Doug Ghim.

Austin Smotherman, results

Making his 100th career start on the major tour and ranked 79th in the FedExCup standings (the top 100 retain full playing privileges for 2027), Smotherman never relinquished the tournament lead. After opening with rounds of 63 and 62, he extended his lead on Sunday with early birdies—including one from about 10 meters on the 5th hole—building a three-stroke cushion. A critical moment arrived at the par-4 13th: his approach shot came up short and plugged into the edge of a bunker. Smotherman managed only to advance the ball slightly; he then played out to about 3 meters but missed the putt, carding a double bogey. His lead shrank to a single stroke over Trace Crowe, who—playing in the group ahead—had holed a putt of roughly 12 meters for an eagle on the 14th (a par 4 reachable off the tee). Smotherman’s response was immediate. On the 14th, he hit a perfect tee shot that rolled to within 1.8 meters of the hole; he missed the eagle putt but secured a birdie, restoring his two-stroke lead. A favorable bounce on the 15th set up another approach to 1.8 meters (which he missed), but he holed a putt from just under 4 meters on the 16th. A bogey on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th sealed a score of -26—a new 72-hole record for a tournament only in its third year. “We won on the PGA Tour. It’s crazy,” said Smotherman, noting that everything didn’t have to be perfect: “I got a few lucky bounces. I hit some bad shots too, but this game doesn’t have to be perfect.” The victory earns him a two-year exemption (including the “Championship Series” of the new competitive model starting in 2028), moves him up to 51st place in the FedExCup Fall standings, and puts him in a strong position to remain in the top 60 and qualify for the two $20 million Signature Events (Pebble Beach and Riviera) in 2027. Also at stake was a winner’s prize of $1,080,000 from a total purse of $6 million.

Doug Ghim, also seeking his first victory, finished alone in second place at -24 after a final-round 69. Trace Crowe and David Ford tied for third at -23. Among the top 12 finishers, only Kevin Streelman and Steven Fisk had previously won on the PGA Tour; Streelman shot a 67 to tie for fifth with Ben James, the top PGA Tour University graduate to turn professional in June.

Black Desert Resort (par 71, approximately 6,786 meters) once again hosted a maiden victory: following Matt McCarty in 2024 and Michael Brennan in 2025, Smotherman became the third consecutive first-time winner. Another highlight of the week was the performance of amateur Kihei Akina (a BYU sophomore), who finished ninth at -20 after receiving a sponsor’s exemption. PGA Tour – Bank of Utah Championship, The PGA Tour resumes action following the Presidents Cup, continuing the FedExCup Fall schedule with the Bank of Utah Championship, taking place from October 1 to 4 at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah.

With few tournaments remaining on the calendar, every FedExCup point carries significant weight; players are competing for tour status, invitations to signature events, and their future on the Tour.

The 120-player field features a mix of rising stars, established winners, and several names with local ties. Tony Finau is the main attraction: the Salt Lake City native and six-time PGA Tour winner is competing in the Bank of Utah Championship for the first time. Finau is currently on the bubble of the FedExCup Fall standings—sitting in 100th place—and needs points to secure his status for the 2027 season. Billy Horschel (101st) is right alongside him in the rankings, while many players ranked between 102nd and 126th are competing specifically to improve their standing. Both previous winners in Utah are in the field. Defending champion Michael Brennan is the highest-ranked player competing; last year, he triumphed as a sponsor exemption in his first professional PGA Tour event—a feat last achieved by Nick Dunlap in January 2024—finishing at 22-under-par and beating Rico Hoey by four strokes. He has already lifted another trophy in 2026, having won the Wyndham Championship in August. Matt McCarty, winner of the previous edition, defends the course record (261 strokes over 72 holes).