Austin Smotherman appeared to be cruising to his first PGA Tour victory when a double bogey threatened to derail his chances of winning the Bank of Utah Championship
But Smotherman responded in style to the mishap, hitting a 3-wood 304 yards to the green on the next hole and two-putting for a birdie to regain his grasp on the lead.
He ended up shooting a 3-under-par 68 for a tournament-record 26-under total at Black Desert Resort and a two-shot victory over Doug Ghim.
“I just leaned into trusting it and hit a great shot,” said Smotherman of his tee shot to 6 feet on the par-4 14th hole. “I would have loved to make a couple of those putts, but gosh, we did it.”
Smotherman, 32, who won in his 100th career PGA Tour event and earned $1.08 million, had the 36-hole lead and began the final day with a one-shot lead over Ghim.
He birdied three of his first five holes Sunday, making two tap-ins and a 33-footer, and had a three-shot lead over Trace Crowe when he got into trouble on the par-4 13th hole.
Smotherman’s Bunker Trouble
His approach came up short and plugged near the lip of a bunker. The best Smotherman could manage was to advance it to a flatter lie in the sand, where he blasted out to 10 feet and missed the putt to make double bogey.
Playing in the group ahead, Crowe, who finished tied for third with David Ford at 23 under, drove the 14th green and sank a 41-foot eagle putt to cut Smotherman’s lead to a shot.
But Smotherman got his lead back to two shots and sandwiched birdies at the 16th and 18th holes around a three-putt bogey on the 17th to secure the victory.
“It didn’t have to be pretty,” Smotherman said. “I got some nice bounces. Made some poor swings, but this game doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Moving up the FedExCup Standings
Smotherman came into the week at No. 79 in the FedExCup – the top 100 keep full PGA Tour cards for 2027 – and picked up some immediate rewards. He now has a two-year exemption, which includes the lucrative “Championship Series” when the new competitive model starts in 2028.
Along with that exemption, Smotherman moves to No. 51 in the FedEx Fall and is likely to stay among the top 60 to get into a pair of $20 million signature events at the At&T at Pebble Beach and the Genesis at Riviera next year.
Ghim, also seeking his first PGA Tour victory, three-putted from 30 feet on the 13th and missed a 6-foot par putt on the 15th to hurt his chances of catching Smotherman, his playing partner. Ghim birdied the final hole for a 69 that gave him solo second, moving him from 89th to 58th in the FedExCup.
“Today was Austin’s day,” Ghim said. “I did everything that I could, and hopefully I’ll learn from some of the mistakes and be a little bit more comfortable next time. But always grateful.”
Good finishes for the Chasers
Crowe shot 66 for his best finish in 46 starts. Ford closed with a 64 to tie his previous best finish, a tie for third in Utah last year.
Kevin Streelman closed with a 67 to tie for fifth with Ben James (67) at 22 under.
Next up is the Baycurrent Classic in Yokohama, Japan, where Xander Schauffele is back to defend his title along with Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth.
