Golf Glance: PGA Tour makes long-awaited return to Utah

Field Level Media's Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Sanderson Farms Championship (Kevin Yu)

THIS WEEK: Black Desert Championship, Ivins, Utah, Oct. 10-13

Course: Black Desert Resort (Par 71, 7,371 Yards)

Purse: $7.5M (Winner: $1.368M)

Defending Champion: Inaugural Event

FedEx Cup Champion: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday: 5-8 p.m. ET; Friday: 5:30-9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 5-8 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. ET (Featured Groups)

X: @BDChampionship

NOTES: The PGA Tour returns to Utah for the first time since 1963, and the Black Desert Resort is set in a lava field. The course will also play host to an LPGA Tour event next year. ... This is the third of eight events on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which finalizes the top 125 players who will retain exempt status for 2025. Nos. 126-150 after the fall will retain conditional status. Players who finished Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup have secured their tour cards, but are competing for spots in the first two signature events after the season-opening The Sentry. ... St. George, Utah resident Jay Don Blake will make his 500th career PGA Tour start this week and his first since 2018. The 65-year-old is in the field as a sponsor exemption.

BEST BETS: Keith Mitchell (+1800 at DraftKings) posted a solo 12th and a T3 in his first two fall events. ... Seamus Power (+2500) finished T11 last week and is a two-time winner on tour. ... Chris Kirk (+3000), who won The Sentry to begin the season, is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 41. ... Patrick Fishburn (+3000) is an Ogden, Utah native and has collected his fourth top-10 of his rookie season last week. ... Beau Hossler (+3000) is coming off a solo second last week after carding four rounds of 68 or better.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Shriners Children's Open, Las Vegas, Oct. 17-20

LPGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Queen City Championship (Jasmine Suwannapura)

THIS WEEK: Buick LPGA Shanghai, Oct. 10-13

Course: Qizhong Garden Golf Club (Par 72, 6,672 Yards)

Purse: $2.1M

Defending Champion: Angel Yin

Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Wednesday-Saturday: 11 p.m.-4 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

X: @buicklpgashanghai2024

NOTES: This is the fourth playing of the event, which was not held from 2020-22 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It kicks of the Tour's four-event fall Asia swing. ... The field includes 62 LPGA Tour players, 15 CLPGATour players and four sponsor invites. ... World No. 4 Ruoning Yin is the top-ranked player in the field. She has won (Dow Championship) and finished T2 (AIG Women's Open) in her past two starts on the LPGA Tour. ... Danielle Kang won the event in 2018 and 2019. ... Seventh-ranked Hannah Green is playing in Shanghai for the first time.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: BMW Ladies Championship, Seowon Hills, Republic of Korea, Oct. 17-20

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

LAST TOURNAMENT: Constellation Furyk & Friends (Rocco Mediate)

THIS WEEK: SAS Championship, Cary, N.C. (Oct. 11-13)

Course: Prestonwood Country Club (Par 72, 7,005 Yards)

Purse: $2.1M (Winner: $315,000)

Defending Champion: Rod Pampling

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Friday-Sunday, 2-5 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

X: @SASChampionship

NOTES: This is the final regular-season event before the three-tournament playoffs. Els, who won this event in 2020, holds a $187,345 lead over Stephen Alker for the top spot in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. ... Prestonwood CC is playing host to the 54-hole event for the 24th consecutive year. ... Bernhard Langer set the tournament scoring record of 194 in 2018.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Dominion Energy Charity Classic, Richmond, Va., Oct. 18-20

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

THIS WEEK: Season Complete

2024 Champions: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Ripper GC

NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Promotions, Abu Dhabi, Dec. 8-10

--Field Level Media