Andrew's Utah Championship Preview (2025)

A slow start from Kensei Hirata ultimately prevented him from taking high order in what was a predictably fast-moving NV5 Invitational, with the winning score at -26. Johnny Keefer grabbed his second win to formally confirm his tour card for next season (and return to the top of the order of merit) but in finishing tied third, Hirata moved back into the top ten and in the process grabbed us a full place return at 45/1. So a nice profitable week but it could have been far more. The surprise for me was Adrien Dumont de Chassart’s pitiful Sunday performance, hitting a plus-two 73 the day after a 63 to drop to T62 for the week and remain outside the tour card positions for the season. That was a disappointment, but we move on to a different challenge in Utah this week.

The Tournament

This is one of the grand old events of the Korn Ferry Tour. It was first won in 1990 by John Daly, which is a name that conjures an image. Although it has moved around the calendar and from course-to-course in the last 35 years, there’s plenty of evidence that bombers can still thrive in altitude. With the weather forecast to be unsurprisingly hot and dry, but with gusty winds on Thursday and Saturday I doubt we’ll see a scoring record but it will still be a course that the best of these players can take apart.

Since 2017, we’ve been at Oakridge Country Club, and that puts us in Ogden, Utah, and at about 1,400 feet above sea level. Since we moved here winners have included Kris Ventura, Cam Champ and Karl Vilips, the latter dropping the scoring record to 259, which is -25 on this 7,653 yard par-72. That Vilips went on to win the Puerto Rico Open on the big tour this season further confirms what we’re looking for – you simply need to be very long from the tee and ideally be on a good week for putting and approach. It does seem that recent form helps, and it is also probably true that some experience at altitude is ideal. https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/hill_air_force_base_ogden

Finally, one of the little observed secrets of the KFT schedule is how little West Coast golf is played. Because of the (excellent) overseas swing to start the season, and the (excellent) focus on the Midwest, another area that doesn’t see enough PGA golf, we just don’t see the same number of events out west as we do in the PGA. For a number of players, this is a rare opportunity to play closer to home and closer to course designs that are familiar. Vilips played PAC12 golf at Stanford and spent plenty of time at altitude, yes, but he was also heading “home.” Recent winner Josh Creel is a Wyoming boy at home in altitude and out west and we’ve seen high finishes very recently from Taylor Montgomery (Nevada and UNLV) and Justin Suh (Nevada and USC.)

The Selections

I’ve mentioned Justin Suh already and he’s someone I think can turn it around returning to the West Coast and returning to altitude. He’s gone well at this sort of track at every level, with college wins (Southern Highlands in Nevada), PGA Americas (fourth in Peru at serious altitude) and KFT successes (second in this event in 2022.) At one point this season it looked like he’d cruise to regaining his PGA card, with a win in Argentina not long after his seventh in the Bahamas, but he’s been badly off the boil of late, explaining his generous price. He is doing better recently, narrowly missing the cut at The Open and making a first cut in some time at the NV5, and now he’s back at a course he enjoys and in the right environment he can cement his PGA card. Quietly a bomber, he ranks 34^th on the tour for driving distance.

I’m sure I won’t be the only one pointing to Preston Summerhays here, the Utah native is local golfing royalty and ideally suited to this test. Although he let me down badly when I last backed him there were signs of returning excellence at the NV5 last week, in particular an opening round 64. He’s not qualified (too few starts) but his 324 yards driving average is top five stuff, and his putting average would be in the top 50. The ASU graduate was born in Farmington, half an hour from here, and can put on a performance in front of family and friends and re-establish himself among the best of this year’s college graduates.

Finally, I’m taking a chance on Petr Hruby, a long-hitting Czech golfer who I’ve been following for a while since he left Washington as a bit of a star. He went awfully well in Q-school second stage in the California desert and at altitude, and he’s well-suited by this test. Exactly the sort of unheralded golfer who hasn’t really had the right playing conditions for much of this season, I think his talent can shine through at an incredibly generous price this week.

·       Justin Suh, 55/1

·       Preston Summerhays, 125/1

·       Petr Hruby, 500/1

All 1pt e/w, ¼ odds 5 places, Bet365.