As we head into another amazing weekend of sports full off pigskins and seamheads its important to realize the greatest sport in history is teeing off in Utah. This time of year tends to lack the star power of tournaments held earlier in the season, but its got all the drama and the stakes. For many of these men playing, this isn’t about legacy, this is about survival. Lets get into it.

1.  Michael Brennan defends his title. Last year he won by posting a -22 and beating Rico Huey (shanks pick!) by four strokes. He won the Wyndham Championship in August and is now ranked a career high 33 in the world rankings. We’ll see if the belt holder can stave off the men trying to push him off his volcanic mountain top.

2. Utah is kind to newbies. Matt McCarty and Brennan each won here in their third career PGA Tour start. The course may reward players who haven’t been through the Tour grind. It’s important to know that especially if you have your eye on a young up and comer. Experience doesn’t take you as far in Utah golf.

3. Guys like Tony Finau and Billy Horschel will be fighting and clawing for tour status. Every shot matters, where they sit at the end of fall will determine if they are on the tour for 2027. So this weekend might as well be the PGA championship for them.

4. Gonna be a lot of birds! It’s gonna be a classic birdie fest at Black Desert Resort. Black Desert is a Tom Weiskopf design routed through a lava field. It plays as a par 71 at 7,421 yards, with 3,100 feet of elevation. The winning scores have been 23 under in 2024 and 22 under last year, so the question is who can keep pace with a low number.

5. Utah flavor and field shuffling. Bowen Mauss, the 2026 Utah State Amateur champion, got a sponsor exemption. The field also changed late: Lanto Griffin, Taylor Pendrith and Austin Eckroat withdrew, replaced by Kevin Streelman, Will Gordon and Harry Higgs.