For the first time since 1963, the PGA Tour makes its return to the state of Utah for the inaugural playing of the Black Desert Classic.
The FedEx Cup Fall Series continues on with the third of eight stops as golfers fight on for their chance to secure PGA Tour status for the 2025 season.
This week’s host venue will be the Tom Weiskopf designed Black Desert Golf Course which was the final design of the storied career prior to his passing.
Golfers and viewers alike will be greeted by the jaw-dropping backdrop this venue offers with the view of the nearby red rock mountains as the course itself is laid amidst a former lava field.
This venue will host an LPGA event next season, making it one of the only courses in America to stage events across both the premier men’s and women’s tours.
The Field
As we have become accustomed to during the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall Series, most of the Tour’s premier talent will remain idle as the unsung players will continue to fight on for both PGA Tour cards and chances to play in Signature Events across the 2025 season.
Four-time PGA Tour winner Harris English will help headline this week’s field as other former Tour winners Chris Kirk, Nick Taylor and Davis Riley seek second victories to add to their resumes. Other notable names playing this week include Lucas Glover and Kurt Kitayama.
Sixty-five-year-old Utah native and three time PGA Tour Champions winner Jay Don Blake will be looking to claim victory on home soil this week.
Recent Presidents Cup International Captain and former Masters’ Champion Mike Weir too will be among those teeing it up in this inaugural event.
Procore Championship, the first stop of the Fall Series, winner Patton Kizzire too will be teeing it up this week.
The Course
Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah is essentially a brand new venue, opening its front nine in 2022 and its back nine in 2023.
As previously mentioned, it was the final design of storied golf course designer Weiskopf who was also the mastermind behind dozens of golf courses across the world, including regular PGA Tour venues Quail Hollow, TPC Craig Ranch and TPC Scottsdale - among others.
The course plays as a Par 71 at 7,371 and sits 3,000 feet above sea level. This will see the field receiving approximately a four-percent distance bump, making this course play approximately 7,100 yards.
The course is laid amidst a former lava field and although the course itself offers very few traditional lines of defense, this course will penalize the big misses off the tee.
The rough this week is set at just 2-inches with very little rough featured. Water is also in play on just two holes. The fairway bunkers featured this week are essentially non-penal as well.
Although the fairways and corridors are set at slightly below PGA Tour average, off-the-tee, golfers will, for the most part, take driver out of the bag on nearly every par-four and par-five. Golfers will not be penalized for missed fairways this week, outside of the big misses, which is not seen often by the professionals.
Essentially, the golfers who can find that balance of being both long-and-straight off the tee will see the biggest advantage this week.
Around-the-green, there isn’t much to write home about as well as this course is set to play on the easier side compared to PGA Tour standards.
The greens this week average 7,000 square feet and are laid in Bentgrass. They are receptive and soft, seeing them run true. Compared to many other birdie-fests, in which this event will almost certainly be, I don’t see it turning into a putting-content due to this.
The par-threes this week are rather short. One of this venue’s signature holes, the par-three 17th, is Weiskopf’s rendition of Royal Troon’s ‘Postage Stamp’ hole. Weiskopf won The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 1973.
Attacking the par-fives will be crucial this week for any eventual winner. The par-fours play short as well, as at least two will be reachable off-the-tee.
Black Desert Resort Golf Club is just that, a resort golf course. It’s laid out to aid the amateur golfer. However, this course visually looks more intimidating to those outside of the professional golf specter.
In all, we can expect an easier golf course on the PGA Tour with what will almost certainly come down to a birdie-fest.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, the weather looks clear for the week. There is a zero-percent chance of precipitation across all four days. Additionally, temperatures will range between 87-and-89 degrees this week. Winds will also be a non-factor as Saturday currently calls for the highest winds at just ten miles-per-hour. The rest of the week will range between five-and-nine miles-per-hour.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Total Driving
Birdie or Better Percentage
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP) / Proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass (SG: PUTT Bentgrass)
Par 5 Average Scoring
Bogey Avoidance
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)
DFS Suggestions
$10,000+
I know Keith Mitchell ($10,600) three-putt on 18 to take himself out of the Sanderson Farms Championship last week but when it comes to DFS, I view him as a lock. He’s currently second on Tour in birdie or better percentage, fourth in SG: TTG, sixth in both SG: OTT and SG: APP, 12th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 13th in par five average scoring, 19th in bogey avoidance, 26th in total driving, 54th in scrambling and 109 in SG: PUTT Bentgrass. He of course placed T3rd last week but prior to that also placed 12th at the Procore Championship and T12th at the Wyndham Championship. In this field, Mitchell is easily one of the top five golfers on a skill base and for that, he has to be in my DFS lineups, especially as everyone approaches things with short term memory.
$9,000-$9,900
My first play in this price range is Patrick Fishburn ($8,900.) He was a very popular play last week as he went on to place T48th. Again, as everyone heads into this week with a short term memory, he was one of the hottest golfers in the world heading into last week. He placed third at the Procore Championship, T6th at the 3M Open, third at the Barracuda Championship and 15th at the ISCO Championship, all within his last six starts. He is currently third on Tour in par five average scoring, fourth in bogey avoidance, eighth in SG: OTT, 16th in total driving, 33rd in scrambling, 44th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 45th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 56th in SG: TTG, 86th in birdie or better percentage and 120th in SG: APP. Also consider Erik van Rooyen ($9,900.) Rooyen has spent some time recently on the DP World Tour where he most recently placed T12th at the Amgen Irish Open. We last saw him on the PGA Tour at the FedEx St. Jude Championship where he placed T33rd. Rooyen is currently 23rd on Tour in SG: OTT, 31st in birdie or better percentage, 40th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 49th in par five average scoring, 57th in bogey avoidance, 65th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 67th in SG: TTG, 74th in SG: APP, 78th in total driving and 136th in scrambling.
$8,000-$8,900
Chan Kim ($8,900) is becoming a staple of this series. That’s for good reason however. He is currently ninth on Tour in both birdie or better percentage and bogey avoidance, 11th in SG: TTG, 12th in scrambling, 26th in total driving, 28th in SG: APP, 30th in par five average scoring, 36th in SG: OTT, 60th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 107th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. He has made the cut in three straight events coming into this week, including a T33rd at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, T26th at the Procore Championship and a T12th at the Wyndham Championship. He also recently placed T10th at the ISCO Championship and T12th at the John Deere Classic. Also consider Andrew Novak ($8,100.) Novak is currently 12th on Tour in bogey avoidance, 14th in SG: APP, 19th in SG: TTG, 24th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 40th in scrambling, 57th in birdie or better percentage, 58th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 62nd in SG: OTT, 85th in par five average scoring and 130th in total driving. The driving metrics worry me a bit but the rest of his game should help carry him, especially gaining strokes off the tee. Novak comes into this week on the back of seven consecutive made cuts, including a T23rd at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship. He has made the cut in 13-of-his-last-14 events and 16-of-his-last-18 events.
$7,000-$7,900
Leading off this penultimate price range is Rico Hoey ($7,600.) He comes into this week making eight consecutive cuts. Although he most recently placed 68th at the Sanderson Farms Championship, he did place T22nd at the Wyndham Championship, T8th at the Barracuda Championship, T6th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and fell in a playoff at the ISCO Championship within that run of made cuts. He is currently tenth on Tour in SG: OTT, 12th in total driving, 30th in par five average scoring, 37th in SG: TTG, 47th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 48th in birdie or better percentage, 62nd in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 68th in bogey avoidance, 84th in SG: APP and 99th in scrambling. In other words, he’s top 100 in each of the ten statistical categories I took into consideration this week. Also consider Doug Ghim ($7,900.) Ghim has made four consecutive cuts coming into this week, including a T33rd last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He also placed T24th at the 3M Open. Ghim is currently eighth on Tour in SG: APP, 11th in bogey avoidance, 12th in SG: TTG, 27th in par five average scoring, 29th in SG: OTT, 45th in scrambling, 57th in both total driving and proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 95th in birdie or better percentage and 132nd in SG: PUTT Bentgrass.
$6,900-
My first play in this price range is the fan favorite Joel Dahmen ($6,900.) He is currently 19th on Tour in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 31st in SG: APP, 37th in SG: OTT, 39th in SG: TTG, 84th in bogey avoidance, 88th in total driving, 104th in scrambling, 116th in par five average scoring and 120th in birdie or better percentage. He missed the cut last week but prior to that made back-to-back cuts. Also consider Kevin Dougherty ($6,400.) Obviously at this number, Dougherty does a lot of things poorly. However, the things he does well, he excels at. He is currently the best on Tour when it comes to proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. He is also third in SG: OTT. Additionally, he is 37th in total driving, 49th in par five average scoring, 100th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 105th in SG: TTG, 113th in bogey avoidance, 129th in birdie or better percentage, 131st in scrambling and 152nd in SG: APP. There isn’t any form of form to go off of as he’s missed the cut in five-of-his-last -six events. However, being elite with his long irons and stellar off the tee is what excites me this week.
Betting Card
Seamus Power (+3000)
There are some constants in this world. Death, taxes and Power being in contention at a birdie-fest. Power is currently 27th on Tour in both par five average scoring and scrambling. He is also 35th in bogey avoidance, 48th in total driving, 62nd in SG: APP, 63rd in SG: TTG, 92nd in SG: OTT, 108th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 111th in birdie or better percentage and 113th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. He’s also quietly been one of the hottest golfers on Tour. He placed T11th last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Prior to that, he capped his 2024 PGA Tour season with a T10th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He’s made seven consecutive cuts coming into this week with four top 20’s over that span as well.
Mac Meissner (+5500)
Meissner placed T37th last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship and missed the cut to open his Fall Series at the Procore Championship. If we look beyond that however, he placed T12th at the Wyndham Championship, fourth at the Barracuda Championship, T16th at the ISCO Championship and T20th at the John Deere Classic. He is currently sixth on Tour in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 23rd in both par five average scoring and SG: TTG, 24th in bogey avoidance, 27th in SG: APP, 42nd in scrambling, 56th in birdie or better percentage, 57th in total driving, 69th in SG: OTT and 134th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass.
Daniel Berger (+6000)
Berger is currently 18th on Tour in total driving, 24th in SG: TTG, 26th in SG: OTT, 39th in par five average scoring, 48th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 63rd in SG: APP, 98th in bogey avoidance, 105th in birdie or better percentage, 110th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 151st in scrambling. He also placed seventh at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.
Hayden Springer (+8000)
Springer is one of those guys who is either boom-or-bust. Dating back to the Rocket Mortgage Classic and late June, he has played eight events. Of them, he has placed top ten in three of them. He also missed the cut in three of them. In his most recent outing, he placed T8th at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship. Springer is currently 13th on Tour in par five average scoring, 17th in birdie or better percentage, 22nd in SG: OTT, 51st in total driving, 57th in scrambling, 59th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 66th in bogey avoidance, 77th in SG: TTG, 126th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards and 133rd in SG: APP.
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