Austin Smotherman had an answer every time someone caught up to him in the Bank of Utah Championship
IVINS, Utah (AP) — Austin Smotherman responded with a string of birdies each time someone caught him Saturday in the Utah Championship, making one last birdie on the 18th hole for a 6-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Doug Ghim going into the final round.
At stake for Smotherman and Ghim is a chance at their first PGA Tour victory. Smotherman is making his 100th career start, Ghim his 192nd.
“I think it’s good pressure,” Smotherman said. “That’s what we work for. That’s the spot you want to be. Coming down, you kind of hold all the cards. I’m sure there’s going to be some energy.”
Smotherman three-putted from just outside 30 feet on the the par-4 10th, a bogey that enabled Kevin Streelman to tie him for the lead. Smotherman then birdied three of the next four holes.
Then it was Ghim's turn. He holed an 8-foot birdie on the par-3 17th and birdied the par-5 closing hole at Black Desert Resort with a nifty pitch to 3 feet. Both times the birdie gave him a share of the lead. Both times, Smotherman in the final group behind him matched birdies.
The last birdie was a 12-footer that put Smotherman at 23-under 190. His score to par already matches the 72-hole record at Black Desert, in its third year hosting the tournament.
It was the third straight round for at least one player posting a 62, this time from Johnny Keefer, who had to settle for a par when he drove into the lava area left of the par-5 ninth and had to pitch out sideways.
So much of the focus on the FedEx Cup Fall Series is on the top 100 players who secure full PGA Tour cards for 2027. But there's a huge perk for the winners of the eight tournaments — they get a two-year exemption, and that includes starting 2028 on the top-tier Championship Series.
Streelman is the only player from the top five on the leaderboard to have won on the PGA Tour, and the stakes are high for him, too. Streelman had a major medical exemption expire and now is battling to regain his card.
He was tied with Smotherman until a four-shot swing on the 13th hole. Smotherman made a birdie, while Streelman drove into the water off the tee and had to hit again, then found a bunker with his approach and failed to get up-and-down, making triple bogey.
Streelman birdied two of his last three holes and was five shots behind, along with Trace Crowe and Ben James, each with a 64.
Ghim fell back with his first bogey of the tournament on the par-5 ninth. He hit a pedestrian drive that left him 279 yards away. He went for the green and sailed right into lava rocks. He took the stroke-and-distance penalty, laid up, and holed a 13-foot putt for bogey to limit the damage.
“My first bogey of the week, but it didn't feel like one,” Ghim said.
He answered with six birdies on the back nine to get back in the game, giving him a good chance to finally get that first PGA Tour title.
“It’s what we come here to do — 191 times before I wanted to win, and I get another opportunity to do it tomorrow,” Ghim said. “It would be a dream come true. But at the same time, there’s a lot of really good players with a lot to play for. Just going to go out there and try to execute the best that I can and hopefully see where that puts me.”
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