Southern Utah's biggest golf weekend is back. The Bank of Utah Championship returns to Black Desert Resort in Ivins from October 1 through 4, with tournament organizers expecting more than 30,000 fans and a field of over 100 top-tier players chasing a new champion on the resort's lava-carved course.
According to ABC4 Utah, Black Desert Resort began preparations back in July, including building out hospitality suites for fans attending the four-day event. Ashley Dove, executive director of the Bank of Utah Championship, said the goal is straightforward: create an exceptional event, make Utah proud, and showcase the state on the world stage, according to the outlet's report. Dove also said fans and young children fuel the event's energy, per the same report.
This marks the third year the PGA Tour has set up shop at Black Desert Resort, a course carved from 600 acres of ancient black basalt lava fields in Southern Utah's Greater Zion region, with fairways cut through volcanic rock beneath towering red sandstone cliffs, according to Salt Lake Magazine. Sources differ on the layout's specifications: the PGA Tour lists it as par 71 and 7,421 yards, while Salt Lake Magazine describes it as par 72 and approximately 7,400 yards. The course was designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Weiskopf alongside partner Phil Smith, and it stands as Weiskopf's 73rd and final completed course design before his death in August 2022, per Wikipedia.
A Long-Awaited Return for Utah Golf
When the tournament debuted in 2024 as the Black Desert Championship, it marked the PGA Tour's return to Utah after a 61-year absence — the tour's last stop in the state had been the 1963 Utah Open Invitational in Salt Lake City, won by Tommy Jacobs, according to Salt Lake Magazine's reporting. The event was renamed the Bank of Utah Championship starting in 2025 under a three-year title sponsorship deal with the Ogden-based bank, Wikipedia notes.
The tournament operates as part of the PGA Tour's FedExCup Fall series, carrying a $6 million purse and awarding 500 FedExCup points to the winner — points that can help players outside the tour's top 70 lock down cards and major exemptions, according to Wikipedia and the PGA Tour. That stakes-driven format has already produced two breakout stories in the tournament's short history.
Past Champions Set a High Bar
Left-handed rookie Matt McCarty won the inaugural 2024 event at 23-under 261, claiming his first career PGA Tour title in just his third tour start after a three-victory promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour, according to a report from The Golf Wire. Last year, Michael Brennan won the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship while competing on a sponsor's exemption, firing a final-round 5-under 66 to finish at 22-under 262 and win by four strokes — also in his third PGA Tour start, per PGA Tour reporting.
Brennan is set to return to Ivins this year. He also won the Wyndham Championship, his second PGA Tour title. The rest of this year's field commitments will be announced later, the outlet reports, though organizers have already promised more than 100 top-tier players will tee it up.
A Trophy Built From the Landscape Itself
Winners don't just take home a title — they take home a piece carved to match the terrain. The tournament's green-and-black trophy, weighing roughly 40 pounds, was designed and crafted by Salt Lake City-based employee recognition firm ABC4 Utah reports O.C. Tanner has now handled for three straight editions, honoring the surrounding lava rock and red rock landscape.
Black Desert Resort's golf ambitions extend beyond the PGA Tour. The resort is one of only two golf courses in the country to host top-level men's and women's professional tournaments, after hosting an inaugural LPGA tournament in May 2025, according to a report from TruGolf.
Volunteers and Fan Experiences Round Out the Week
Running an event of this size takes a small army. Volunteer positions for this year's tournament filled to capacity ahead of the week, with accepted volunteers required to purchase an $85 uniform package and commit to at least three shifts, according to TrustEvent Solutions. Organizers say the tournament will also include unique fan experiences throughout the four days in Ivins, southern Utah's marquee stop on the PGA Tour calendar.
