This week on the PGA Tour, we head over to Utah for the Bank of Utah Championship, with Black Desert Resort playing host for the third consecutive year. This is a really interesting golf course, and I think it gives us plenty to work with from a betting perspective.
Mainly because there are some very clear scoring opportunities around the course, but also some holes where you can get yourself into trouble very quickly. Either way, let’s start with a snapshot of my squad, with my course analysis and detailed best bets after that.
Bank of Utah Championship 2026 Best Bets: Ginger Joe’s Squad
| Contestant | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Ben James | +1800 |
| Pierceson Coody | +5500 |
| Gordon Sargent | +10000 |
Bank of Utah 2026 Championship Course Analysis
Black Desert Resort is a 7,421-yard par 71, and it sits at around 3,100 feet above sea level, which is obviously going to have an impact on how far the ball travels. We have three par fives that are all over 580 yards. With the altitude bringing those holes into range, they become really important scoring opportunities across the tournament.
We also have a couple of very short par fours, with the 5th and 14th both around 320 yards, so there are plenty of opportunities to be aggressive and pick up shots around this golf course. Last year, the 14th was one of the easiest holes on the course, while the par fives also provided plenty of chances for the field to score. I largely expect the same this time around.
However, it isn’t simply a case of finding the biggest hitters and backing them. There are some very demanding long par fours here too, particularly the 11th and 13th, and the penalty for missing the fairway can be pretty severe.
This is a golf course surrounded by desert terrain, so keeping the ball in play is absolutely crucial. I don’t want players who will be overly aggressive off the tee and bring unnecessary trouble into play. You can score heavily here, but you need to put yourself in the right positions to do it.
The other thing that really interests me is the scoring. Michael Brennan won this tournament last year at 22-under par, shooting rounds of 67, 65, 64 and 66. Rico Hoey finished second at 18-under, while there were then five players tied for third at 16-under. So, we know that this is a golf course where you need to be capable of going low if you want to compete.
That means I’m looking for players who can create plenty of birdie opportunities, and I particularly want players who can take advantage of those par fives. At altitude, the longer hitters have a chance to really attack those holes, and there are also opportunities on the short par fours if they are willing to take them on.
But there is another side to it, because the long par fours are where you can quickly lose ground. The 11th was the hardest hole on the course last year, while the 13th was also amongst the most difficult, so I want players who can limit the damage on those holes rather than feeling like they need to attack everything.
When it comes to the ideal profile, I think I’m looking for a combination of driving distance, accuracy and strong approach play. You need enough length to take advantage of the scoring opportunities, but I don’t think you necessarily need to be the longest player in the field.
I’d much rather have someone who can combine good driving with really solid iron play. If you can keep yourself in position off the tee and then give yourself plenty of birdie opportunities with the irons, I think you can really rack up the scores around here.
Matt McCarty won the inaugural event, while Michael Brennan won last year coming into the event as the highest world ranking player. Both were able to produce really low scores across the four days.
Rico Hoey has also finished runner-up here, while several other players have already shown that they can score well around this layout. I think this is a tournament where we can look a little further down the market.
The obvious names have plenty of claims, but if we can find players who combine length, good approach play and the ability to score heavily, then I think there are some really interesting opportunities.
We’ve got a relatively new golf course, altitude that creates plenty of scoring chances, some seriously long holes and then those short par fours and reachable par fives where you can make up a lot of ground.
So let’s get into the squad. But make sure you sign up to The Sports Geek completely free for more of my golf previews, tips and analysis throughout the season. A new account also opens the door to contests like Beat the Geek, a free NFL Pickem with $500 up for grabs every week.
1. Ben James (+1800)
Ben James is the standout player I really like the look of this week, and I think there is a lot to be positive about.
He has been playing some excellent golf recently, finishing third at the Wyndham Championship before following that up with a runner-up finish at the Biltmore Championship. That second place came after rounds of 67, 67, 65 and 61, so he is clearly coming into this with plenty of confidence.
James has now made eight cuts from nine starts on the PGA Tour this season, with three top-10s and five top-25s.
The stats are another reason I like him, which is significant considering it’s not usually where I look. I simply can’t ignore that he is averaging 305 yards off the tee, whilst hitting 73% of greens in regulation.
He is gaining strokes both off the tee and on approach. His scoring average is 68.03, which is exactly the sort of number you want to see coming into a course where you are going to need to make plenty of birdies.
Black Desert is also a course where driving and tee-to-green play can really pay off. It is a 7,421-yard par 71 and produced a winning score of 22 under last year, so this is going to be about getting aggressive and taking advantage of the scoring opportunities.
Ben James has the game to do that. He is driving it well, hitting plenty of greens and, most importantly, he is arriving here in really good form. He hasn’t won on the PGA Tour yet, but at this stage, I think it is more a case of when rather than if. At the price, I’m happy to take the chance that this is the week he gets that first win.
2. Pierceson Coody (+5500)
Pierceson Coody is another one I really like this week, and at +5500, I think there is a very obvious case for him.
The biggest thing for me is his course form. He finished tied third here last year at 16 under, shooting rounds of 69, 64, 66 and 69. More importantly, the stats from that week were very strong. He ranked second in the field for strokes gained off the tee and sixth for strokes gained tee-to-green, which is a pretty good indication that his game is very well suited to Black Desert.
Coody has also had a very good season overall. He has made 17 cuts from 26 starts, with 11 top-25 finishes, including a runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open and another top-10 at the WM Phoenix Open. He is currently sitting 54th in the FedExCup Fall standings, so this is a player who has been consistently performing at a good level.
I think the course is the key here, though. We know he can play it, we know he can score around it, and we know he can put himself in contention because he has already done exactly that. His 64 in the second round last year is particularly interesting, and he eventually finished just six shots behind the winner.
At +5500, I don’t think we need to find too much improvement from last year’s performance. He just needs to reproduce that sort of week and perhaps find a little more around the greens and with the putter. He is a very backable price this week.
3. Gordon Sargent (+10000)
Gordon Sargent is the bigger price of the three at around +10000, but I think he is worth a look this week too.
He hasn’t quite put everything together consistently this season, but there have been some really encouraging performances. He finished eighth at the Puerto Rico Open before going very close at the Corales Puntacana Championship, where he finished runner-up at 19 under par.
More recently, he finished 33rd at the Biltmore Championship, shooting 14 under, so there have been plenty of signs that his game is in a good enough place to contend, he just needs to hole a few more putts.
The obvious question is whether he can put four rounds together, because the upside is clearly there. We have already seen him shoot low scores this season, and that is going to be important around Black Desert.
The course has produced winning scores of 23 under and 22 under in its first two editions, so this isn’t a venue where you can simply plot your way around and expect to win. You need to make birdies. Sargent has shown he can do that.
He is also playing this event for the first time, so there is obviously a little more risk than with Coody, but that is reflected in the price. At +10000, I’m happy to take the chance that the talent finally clicks for four days. If he gets the irons going and finds the fairways, he has enough firepower to go very low. +10000 each-way is a nice price.
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