Bank of Utah Championship 2026 preview picks analysis

Michael Brennan returns to the site of his maiden dream PGA Tour victory when he defends the Bank of Utah Championship title he won on a sponsor’s invite 12 months ago - in just his third tour start.

Exactly six weeks after his Three Victory Promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour following his third win of the season on PGA Tour Americas, the second-year professional leapfrogged his way to the PGA Tour with a sensational win. He became the first player to win on a sponsor exemption since Nick Dunlap in The American Express in 2024.

"It feels amazing," the 23-year-old said after the final putt dropped. "I get that belief from my family and friends, my team. Jeff Kirkpatrick, my caddie, believes in me more than anyone, maybe other than my parents. He told me ever since we played a great year, ‘We're not going to the Korn Ferry Tour.’ Whether it was, I don't know, through something like this or Q-School. I can't believe he's right."

Brennan began to pull away from the field early in the final round thanks to five birdies and turned with a five-shot lead. His first bogey of the day came at the par-4 10th hole, when he missed the fairway and failed to get up-and-down to save par. It opened the door for Rico Hoey, who made a birdie at the 10th to briefly cut the lead to three. But Brennan kept cool, collecting two more birdies to offset a bogey at 18 and secure his first Tour title by four shots.

"A lot of mental maybe fortitude or focus has gotten a lot better," Brennan said regarding his breakthrough. "Definitely been some technical things that have improved a lot around the green and on the green. I think that showed this week. Feel like I was pretty good around the greens. But a lot of belief in my game that I'm capable." He has since added the Wyndham Championship to his CV.

Dunlap provides a cautionary tale. When he won the American Express at the tender age of 20 as an amateur he appeared to have the golfing world at his feet. He immediately turned professional but struggled for form afterwards and admitted he had difficulty adapting to life as a professional golfer.

In his first six months, he recorded only one top-10 finish, and missed the cut at each of the three majors he played. In July 2024, Dunlap recorded his second PGA Tour win and his first as a professional at the Barracuda Championship.

With the win, Dunlap became the first player in PGA Tour history to win in the same season as both an amateur and as a professional. He was named PGA Tour rookie of the year for 2024. At the 2025 Masters his woes continued when he shot an 18-over-par 90 in the first round. He bounced back with a 71 in the second round.

He struggled throughout the 2025 season. And this year has been a disaster, making just eight cuts from 19 starts without a single top-10 finish.

Not so long ago Tony Finau was riding high in the world rankings and was a Ryder Cup regular but he has endured a miserable 2026 to date and is in serious danger of losing his fully exempt status. He is a six-time PGA Tour winner but his most recent success came at the Mexico Open way back in 2023. In 23 starts this year he has missed seven cuts with a best finish of tied sixth at the CJ Cup.

Rico Hoey was runner-up here 12 months ago but he currently sits in 114th place in the FedEx Cup standings and is in desperate need of another big week here. He has made plenty of cuts but does not have a single top-10 finish to show for his efforts.

Billy Horschel

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Billy Horschel has fallen outside the top 100 after the Biltmore Championship and is another who needs to get his skates on. He had an injury-hit 2025 and began this year with plenty of optimism but he has missed 10 cuts in 25 starts. He is one of the most popular players on tour, both with his peers and the fans, and will have plenty of people rooting for him.

At the other end of the scale, a number of household names have an eye on climbing the rankings to secure their places in the signature events - these include Max Homa and Pierceson Coody.

This is the second event of the Fall Season.

Tournament Winners:

Matt McCarty won the inaugural title in 2024 while Michael Brennan won last year.

The Course:

Played against the stunning backdrop of southern Utah’s red rock mountains, the par-72 Black Desert Golf Course was designed by Phil Smith and the late Tom Weiskopf. Carved through the desert, it measures 7,200 yards and features a lot of bunkers and relatively narrow fairways.

Form Guide:

Michael Brennan announced himself here 12 months ago and has since gone on to win again. He will arrive here full of confidence.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $6m with 500 FedEx points going to the winner.

How to Watch:

Thursday, October 1, Sky Sports Golf, 4pm; Friday, October 2, Sky Sports Golf, 4pm; Saturday, October 3, Sky Sports Golf, 10pm; Sunday, October 4, Sky Sports Golf, 8.30pm.