Ivins, Utah — Austin Prepare dinner bought off to begin this week by avoiding lacking the minimize, making six birdies on Thursday to share the lead earlier than a sluggish spherical at Black Desert on the Financial institution of Utah Championship stopped at nighttime.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Jesper Svensson and David Lipsky every shot a 6-under 65 on the distinctive course, surrounded by crimson grime and black lava rock.
Prepare dinner was additionally at 6 beneath with a 20-foot birdie putt on the reachable par-4 14th, nevertheless it was too darkish to proceed. Afternoon tee time was pushed again quarter-hour. The 38 athletes who didn’t end the race have been to restart at 8 a.m.
Mr. Prepare dinner had few complaints. That is solely his eighth begin of the 12 months for the one-time PGA Tour winner. He was far down the reserve listing however was on the seaside together with his household, planning to compete in Monday’s qualifying spherical.
“Saturday was the final minute to make the primary alternate. I felt like I used to be going to make it, so I helped drive everybody residence on Sunday and left on Monday. I bought a textual content message on the aircraft,” he mentioned. Prepare dinner changed Erik van Rooyen, who was absent.
Olesen was additionally surprisingly completely happy together with his begin. He was in Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship, then returned to Europe to compete within the Spanish Open, then returned to his residence in Dubai earlier than coming to Utah. It was a very long time within the air.
“I might say my expectations have been fairly low this morning,” Olesen mentioned. “However the previous couple of days I’ve simply been making an attempt to get better and get my physique prepared for at present.”
Olesen is 116th within the FedEx Cup and has associates on the bubble. Svensson is a hundred and fifteenth and Lipsky is 99th.
After this week, there are solely three tournaments left within the season for gamers to complete within the high 100 within the FedEx Cup and maintain a full card for the 2026 season. The highest 100 is down from 125 gamers who held playing cards a 12 months in the past.
The 66th-place group, one stroke behind, included Paul Peterson, who had an eight-hole spherical at 2 over earlier than ending with six birdies and one eagle.
Black Desert has a variety of birdie alternatives, nevertheless it additionally has a variety of bother. Billy Horschel, who missed 5 months this 12 months attributable to hip surgical procedure, rounded the spherical at 1 beneath till beginning with a bogey on the again 9, however hit a quadruple-bogey 8 on the eleventh gap.
He tried to play exterior within the desert, however fell into black lava. Regardless of receiving a penalty drop, Horschel continued to play within the crimson grime, balancing on some rocks. The shot missed to the left of the inexperienced. He saved pitching and sank a three-putt from simply inside 20 toes.
Horschel at the least bounced again by driving the 14th inexperienced to twenty toes for an eagle putt and including a 12-foot birdie on the par-3 fifteenth. He salvaged 72.
Max Homa was near the lead and improved to three beneath par, then fell into the water on the thirteenth gap for a double bogey. He additionally bounced again with a drive on the 14th inexperienced (profitable a birdie), however faltered additional with a tender bogey on the sixteenth and an lack of ability to avoid wasting par from the bunker on the par-3 seventeenth. He was even par with a 27-foot birdie try on the 18th to begin Friday.
Alex Nolen completed his spherical with a 4-under 67. The Swede was sidelined till early Could attributable to a foot damage, however remains to be aiming to interrupt into the highest 100 on the FedEx Cup. Nolen received the BMW PGA Championship in Britain, the European Tour’s flagship occasion, and served as vice-captain of Europe’s profitable Ryder Cup group.
