For the first time since 1963, the PGA Tour is returning to the 'Beehive State.'
The inaugural Black Desert Championship — the third of eight FedEx Cup Fall events — begins on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah. Located 120 miles from Las Vegas in Southwest Utah, Black Desert Resort is a brand-new facility and was the 93rd and final golf course created by the late Tom Weiskopf before he died in 2022. The resort-style setup unsurprisingly appeals to amateurs and tourists, as the course meanders through a lava field and offers immaculate scenery of the Utah mountains.
Considering all the high-end players on the PGA Tour utilize the fall as their offseason, the 132-player field teeing it up in Ivins this week is understandably lackluster. Chris Kirk and Lucas Glover are the only players ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking , while Keith Mitchell, Kurt Kitayama, Beau Hossler, Stephan Jaeger, Nick Taylor, and Utah native Patrick Fishburn are other notables in the field. Michael Thorbjornsen, Rico Hoey, and Matt McCarty are three up-and-comers to watch in Utah this week.
THE ODDS
Keith Mitchell (+1600), Seamus Power (+2000), Lucas Glover (+2500), Patrick Fishburn (+2800), Kurt Kitayama (+2800), and Chris Kirk (+2800) enter the week as the betting favorites, according to BetRivers Sportsbook.
Ben Griffin (+3300), Beau Hossler (+3300), Patrick Rodgers (+3300), Stephan Jaeger (+3300), Erik van Rooyen (+3300), Ryan Fox (+3300), Chan Kim (+3300), Michael Thorbjornsen (+3300), Adam Svensson (+4000), Andrew Novak (+4000), Justin Lower (+4000), Mac Meissner (+4000), and J.J. Spaun (+4000) round out the group of players listed below 50/1 odds.
Doug Ghim (+5000), Patton Kizzire (+5000), Daniel Berger (+5000), Harris English (+5000), Bud Cauley (+5000), C.T. Pan (+5000), Matti Schmid (+5000), Harry Hall (+5000), Chandler Phillips (+5000), Alex Smalley (+5000), Matt McCarty (+5000), Rico Hoey (+6000), Mark Hubbard (+6600), Jacob Bridgeman (+6600), Vincent Whaley (+6600), and Michael Kim (+6600) fill up the middle tier of the betting board.
Greyson Sigg (+8000), Chesson Hadley (+8000), Justin Suh (+8000), Zac Blair (+8000), David Skinns (+8000), Henrik Norlander (+8000), Hayden Springer (+8000), Lee Hodges (+8000), Luke List (+8000), Nick Taylor (+8000), Max McGreevy (+8000), K.H. Lee (+8000), and Cameron Champ (+8000) are the rest of the players under 100/1.
For the complete tournament odds board, click here .
*ODDS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
KEY STATS
SG: Approach
SG: OTT (Driver-Heavy Courses)
Driving Distance
Birdie Or Better Gained
Opportunities Gained
SG: Putting (Bentgrass)
Proximity 100-125 Yards/125-150 Yards
SG: Par-5s
SG: Weiskopf Designs
Courses With Altitude
THE COURSE
Black Desert Resort (par 71) opened in May 2023 and stretches 7,371 yards with wide-open fairways (30 yards wide on average), two-inch Kentucky Bluegrass rough, Bentgrass green complexes, 44 sand bunkers, and only two water hazards. The course also sits 3,100 feet above sea level, leading the golf ball to travel roughly six percent further than usual. Because of the altitude, Black Desert Resort will likely play closer to 6,900-7,000 yards.
Keeping the ball in the fairway at Black Desert Resort is a must, as a severe miss from off the tee or with an approach shot brings the bumpy, black lava fields into play. Aside from the Utah winds that can gust upwards of 40 miles per hour, the lava fields serve as the primary course defense. However, with some fairways stretching over 50 yards wide, I doubt many players will find the lava this week. That seems more of an issue for the amateurs who play this course on vacation.
Another reason I question the challenge presented this week in Utah is the 7,000-square-foot Bentgrass green complexes (on average), some of the bigger greens featured on Tour. PGA Tour pros aren't going to bat an eye with their approach shots, as they'll have plenty of room to work with and should generate birdie opportunities on most holes.
Among the 11 par-4s on the course, seven stretch longer than 450 yards. Two of the four par-4s shorter than 450 yards are driveable for a chunk of the field -- the 320-yard 5th and 322-yard 14th holes. Three par-4s are also over 500 yards (Nos. 11, 13, and 16), and they all come on the back nine.
Three of the four par-3s are shorter than 200 yards, with the 202-yard 15th hole being the exception. It's also worth noting Weiskopf designed the 151-yard 17th hole as a homage to Royal Troon's 'Postage Stamp', as he won the Open Championship there in 1973. The average distance of the par-3s is 175.5 yards.
All three par-5s will be sure-fire birdie opportunities for the field, as they each play shorter than 600 yards. Considering the altitude, many players can reach the greens in two shots and will be disappointed to come away with anything other than a birdie. The 571-yard 18th hole is a chance to provide a firework finish on Sunday.
Like most resort courses that host PGA Tour events, I anticipate this turning into a birdie fest with a winning score of around 25-under. There just isn't much to stop these players from racking up birdies, especially with the wind expected to be minimal throughout the tournament.
All in all, I'll target elite birdie makers who are in sturdy form from tee to green and can make enough putts to reach the winning score. I'll also look at players who have performed well in Utah on the Korn Ferry Tour and past appearances at courses that feature elevation.
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