After a brief break in the schedule, the PGA TOUR heads west for the Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah.

This is just the second edition of this event, so course data remains limited. However, since it is a Tom Weiskopf design, comparisons to other Weiskopf projects can be drawn, which should help our forecast.

While it is a resort course, Black Desert Resort offers a unique challenge for the field. This isn’t a hit-and-hope bombers paradise. With fairways averaging just 30 yards in width — the 12th-narrowest on TOUR — accuracy off the tee is at a premium. The rough is short, providing some forgiveness, but there’s little margin for error. Anything straying too far offline brings the black lava rock into play. Built directly into the lava rock, the course rewards control and course management.

At 7,421 yards, the par-71 layout features a blend of 12 par 4s that range from drivable to demanding off the tee. The 320-yard fifth hole and the 322-yard 14th both present classic Weiskopf-style, risk-reward opportunities. The fifth is protected by a bunker in front and lava rock deep, while the 14th is a blind tee shot surrounded by lava rock and a greenside bunker.

The trio of par 5s stretches between 587 and 595 yards, but the altitude becomes an important aid. Sitting 3,100 feet above sea level, Ivins’ thinner air adds distance, putting all three par 5s within reach for those who find the fairway.

With limited historical data to draw from, advanced modeling plays a more minor role this week. Still, several correlating metrics will be key indicators in identifying who’s best positioned to contend in Utah.

Key stats

• Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
• SG: Approach
• Proximity: 175-200
• SG: Putting (Bentgrass)
• Bonus Putting
• Birdie or Better Gained
• SG: Par 5s 550-600 yards

Here’s a look at two players that I have circled for my card this week, both in the outright and finishing position markets at DraftKings Sportsbook:

Rico Hoey

• To win: +2500
• Top 20: +135

Betting on Rico Hoey at this price (+2500) might feel a touch short, but glancing at his recent form makes it difficult to scroll past his name without a closer look. For much of his career, the question was never about his ball-striking ability — Hoey has always had every shot required to contend — but rather whether the putter could cooperate long enough to get him across the finish line.

Between the RBC Canadian Open and the Wyndham Championship, Hoey struggled mightily on the greens, losing more than 10 strokes putting at the Wyndham alone. That performance appeared to be the breaking point. He arrived at the Procore Championship with a broomstick putter in his bag and immediately procured his best putting display since early June.

The results have followed. Hoey finished T9 at the Procore Championship, missed the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship and rebounded with a T4 finish at the Baycurrent Classic, where he closed the tournament with a blistering 8-under 63.

His ball-striking remains elite—ranking second in the field in SG: Tee to Green over the last 36 rounds. The putter now appears to be trending upward. If that progress continues, start No. 58 on the PGA TOUR could very well deliver his first career victory.

William Mouw

• To win: +4500
• Top 40: -150

A young talent from California might just be developing into the TOUR’s premier bentgrass specialist. William Mouw (+4500) enters the week with a game tailor-made for these conditions, having already shown an apparent affinity for bentgrass greens early in his professional career.

Mouw’s breakout moment came at the ISCO Championship in July, where he seemingly rolled in every putt he stood over, gaining +6.5 strokes on the greens en route to his first PGA TOUR victory. He carried that momentum into the 3M Open, gaining another +7.1 strokes putting and finishing T7. Both Hurstbourne Country Club and TPC Twin Cities feature bentgrass greens and Kentucky bluegrass rough, surfaces that continue to bring out his best.

Looking back at his Korn Ferry Tour resume, the trend becomes even clearer. He posted great finishes at several courses with bentgrass greens: T2 at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (Ohio State University Golf Club), T2 at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron (Hillcrest Country Club) and solo fourth at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and InterMountain Health (Oakridge Country Club). Each result reinforces how comfortable he is on this type of grass.

Of course, success doesn’t come from the surface alone. Mouw’s combination of distance off the tee, skill on longer courses and a putter that can catch fire makes him a threat to go low anywhere he plays. His T18 finish at the Baycurrent Classic, capped by an 8-under 63 on Sunday, showed his tremendous betting upside.

With a win and two top-20 finishes in his last four starts, Mouw is the most underrated golfer in the +5000 range.

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