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A bit of a rarity for the PGA Tour this week: a new tournament and a new course. In fact, it’s the first time the PGA Tour has returned to the state of Utah since 1963. It’s a dramatic venue, too – the Black Desert Resort. It features lush fairways and greens that ribbon through desert scrub and black lava, all of it overlooked by startling rocky mountains that have the potential (light permitting) to sensationally change colour throughout the day. It’s a bit like computer golf - but for real. We haven’t got much to go but one element will be that players are continuing to fight for either cards or better playing rights for 2025. The other is the rarity factor of Utah (perhaps note that Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn won the Utah Amateur Championship). It looks like a classic desert resort track so think of that. And also factor in the course architect, Tom Weiskopf, who also designed TPC Scottsdale, Loch Lomond and TPC Craig Ranch. They have very different backdrops (although the fact that Scottsdale is also desert might make it the best pointer) but what they do all have in common is that they are fun to play, and reward aggressive golf. Weiskopf likes to tempt golfers and if they play well they will be rewarded, but risk does exist. The course will play as a par 71 at 7,371 yards. The greens are bent grass.
Angles to consider 1/ Altitude Ivins is at an altitude of 952m. 2/ Tom Weiskopf Remember: Loch Lomond, TPC Scottsdale and TPC Craig Ranch. 3/ Desert golf Think the Palm Springs courses used at The American Express, TPC Scottsdale, and Summerlin, Summit Creek and Shadow Creek in Nevada. On the Korn Ferry Tour: Paiute in Nevada. And on the DP World Tour: in the Middle East. 4/ On the bubble Seamus Power, Patrick Rodgers, Harris English and Nick Taylor are currently in the AON Next 10 (which gets them into the first two Signature Events next year). Michael Thorbjornsen is currently 126th in the FedEx Cup rankings and getting into the top 125 will make his 2025 a lot more fun.
Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Daniel Berger Still on the comeback trail having been out of the game for 18 months with injury. He has struggled for most of 2024 but his best result before last week was 13th at TPC Craig Ranch. And the only time he ended a round in the top 10 ahead of last week? At TPC Scottsdale! He has four top 12 finishes at Scottsdale and has a best of third at Craig Ranch. So what happened last week? He opened with two 65s and finished seventh. His first top 10 all year. He's also landed two top 20s in the WGC Mexico event at altitude. Kyoung-Hoon Lee After a poor early summer he ended 2024 with a top 10 in the 3M Open and his 23rd last week was a solid effort. He ought to be very intrigued by the idea of a Weiskopf design. He finished third at TPC Scottsdale in 2021, won at Craig Ranch a few months later and successfully defended that title in 2022. He was top 20 through 36 holes at the same venue earlier this year. He was third at halfway in Palm Springs earlier this year and was seventh at Summerlin this time last year. Sami Valimaki The Finn made his DP World Tour breakthrough in the desert of Oman and added victory in Qatar last year. He’s also been fifth at Jumeirah in Dubai. He’s got a fine record at minor altitude in the Czech Republic and Munich – and was second in Johannesburg's genuinely thin air. He was a best of second on the PGA Tour this calendar year in Mexico in February and set that effort up by carding a final round 64 at TPC Scottsdale.
Tips: 0-3; -6.00pts 1pt e.w. Daniel Berger at 45/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, William Hill, 888Sport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 33rd 1pt e.w. Kyoung-Hoon Lee at 80/1 (William Hill, 888Sport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 45th 1pt e.w. Sami Valimaki at 90/1 (Paddy Power, William Hill, 888Sport Ladbrokes, Coral 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc
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