Sponsor Exemption Breaks Through For Remarkable Win At Bank Of Utah Championship

Michael Brennan wasn’t expected to beryllium astatine Black Desert Resort successful St. George, Utah. 

He was primitively scheduled to do a convention successful Canada for a sponsor, wherever he would deed balls into a simulator, springiness lessons and compete successful a closest to nan pin challenge.   

Then, he was granted a sponsor’s exemption into nan PGA Tour’s Bank of Utah Championship. 

And won. 

MORE: Final results, payouts from Bank of Utah Championship

In his third-ever Tour start, and first since turning master successful 2024, nan 23-year-old from Virginia claimed his maiden title by 4 strokes complete Rico Hoey, finishing astatine 23 nether par. 

Though he’s ne'er won connected Tour, Brennan has been connected a torrid gait this year. The erstwhile Wake Forest star, who claimed 8 wins successful college, played connected nan PGA Tour Americas this twelvemonth and won 3 times successful 4 weeks. Closing nan play pinch consecutive apical fives, he vanished first successful nan tour’s season-long standings, earning Korn Ferry Tour position for 2026. 

Rewarded by Bank of Utah pinch a commencement connected nan world’s apical circuit, he took afloat advantage by showcasing his talent immediately. 

Brennan opened 67–65 to unafraid nan 36-hole lead. In Round 3, it seemed possibly nan magic had tally retired pinch a double connected No. 2. Nope. He eagled No. 7, had 4 consecutive birdies connected Nos. 9–12 and signed for a 64, taking a two-stroke lead complete defending champion Matt McCarty, who, ironically, won past twelvemonth successful his 3rd Tour commencement (he placed 3rd this week). 

Brennan extended his lead to 5 making nan move connected Sunday, but bogeyed No. 10 aft hitting his attack near and agelong from nan fairway bunker arsenic Hoey made birdie. 

Again, however, Brennan displayed nan poise of a veteran, birding nan par-4 12th pinch a 418-yard drive, tying nan 13th-longest tee changeable connected Tour this year. He led nan section successful driving region this week astatine 359 yards and strokes-gained disconnected nan tee (7.5 strokes). Not to mention he deed astir 90% of fairways, almost 80% of greens successful regularisation and was eighth successful strokes-gained putting (5.5 strokes). 

Perhaps that tee changeable was nan infinitesimal it felt safe to opportunity Brennan would decorativeness it off, but it became charismatic connected nan par-5 18th, moreover if location was immoderate trouble. He deed his 2nd changeable into an unplayable area, took a drop, chipped onto nan greenish and two-putted for bogey. 

Brennan is nan 13th subordinate to triumph a Tour arena while playing connected a sponsor’s exemption, and nan eighth to declare their maiden Tour triumph successful their 3rd (or fewer) profession start. 

Now, he’ll person afloat Tour position for 2 seasons—and, for bully measure, a $1,080,000 winner’s cheque to deposit (his profession net successful 26 PGA Tour Americas starts were $247,389). 

Much amended than chipping successful Canada, right?