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.

Russell Henley looked like he was running out of holes.

He saved par on the 15th, but found himself three back with three to play.

Henley proceeded to finish regulation at Colonial with three straight birdies – then rolled in a 5-footer on the first playoff hole to beat Eric Cole and claim his sixth PGA Tour win.

That’s four consecutive birdies to finish the day, for the mathematicians out there.

He made two fifteen footers, one from seventeen feet, and the final from about five.

Sometimes the putter really can be like a magic wand.

Now he gets to drive this awesome car around.

What about everybody else?

 

Henley’s late heater was brutal news for Eric Cole, who was chasing his first PGA Tour victory. Cole had it right there, but he parred his final seven holes of regulation – eight if you count the playoff – and watched Henley come take it from him.

Meanwhile, Ben Griffin gave it a proper run with a final-round 65, but came up one shot short of a chance to do something only Ben Hogan has done: win back-to-back tournaments at Colonial.

Griffin, Alex Smalley, and Mac Meissner all finished at 11 under, one behind the Henley-Cole playoff.

What’s Next?

 

The Memorial Tournament at Jack’s place.

Odds: Memorial Tournament

 

  • Scottie Scheffler: +285

  • Rory McIlroy: +920

  • Cameron Young: +1300

  • Xander Schauffele: +1750

  • Ludvig Aberg: +1950

  • Matt Fitzpatrick: +2050

  • Si Woo Kim: +2250

  • Russell Henley: +2600

  • Patrick Cantlay: +2600

  • Tommy Fleetwood: +2700