You thought the Procore Championship was new with its name change? Take a look at the next event on the PGA Tour’s Fall season. Yes, we’re talking about the 2024 Black Desert Championship that will tee off on October 10, Thursday. This tournament will mark the first Tour event in the scenic state of Utah in a surprising span of six decades, the last of which took place in 1963 at the Utah Open Invitational. No wonder there are a lot of golfers teeing it up for glory in the mountainous state.

The glory is not the only thing that the upcoming event in Utah holds for the golfers. For quite some dollar bills are also mixed in with the rewards alongside the FedEx Cup points. As a result, many, if not all, in the field would be eagerly awaiting to kick off the Black Desert Championship to claim a cut of the $7.5 million.

Top picks at the Black Desert Championship

The contest, owing to it being held for the first time, does not boast any defending champions. But that doesn’t mean the 2025 edition wouldn’t have one! As per the official site of the event, a total of 132 golfers are teeing it up at the Black Desert Championship. And some among them have more chances of winning the title than any other.

1. Beau Hossler: He was this close to clinching the top spot at the Sanderson Farms Championship. But alas, fate had other plans. And that might very well be a crown at the Utah event where the PGA Tour will be making its stop after 61 years. Aside from the T2 finish that came off a playoff against Kevin Yu at Country Club of Jackson, he also carded five top-15 placements, out of which two were top-5. Currently at No. 68 on the Fall standings, a win at the Black Desert Championship would be more than enough to earn him a sure exemption into the 2025 season.

2. Lucas Glover: Take a peek below Hossler at the leaderboard at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and you will be able to spot the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship winner. Although he hasn’t been having the best of seasons, the golfer’s track record this year is not something to be scoffed at. Including the recent T3 finish, the American boasts four top-15 placements, the best of which came last week. A chance at redemption in Utah? Can’t deny the possibility!

3. Chris Kirk: He’s the golfer who kickstarted the PGA Tour season with a win at the 2024 Sentry. But since then, luck hasn’t been on the 39-year-old’s side. Clarification: The American athlete only managed to card a T18 at the tournament that followed in Hawaii, after which his notable finish came from a T10 at the RBC Heritage. The golfer then hit a slump, which saw him miss the cut several times. Then why is his name on the list?

Well, Kirk was able to dish out a notable performance at the BMW Championship, where he managed to finish 9th. Moreover, seeing as how he’s inside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, the pressure of earning a Tour card next year won’t be there at the Black Desert Championship.

4. Stephan Jaeger: Here’s another one of the athletes inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup standings, and consequently, without any pressure of earning an exemption into 2025. But if you’re judging him based on the recent T23 finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship, then you might have to rethink your opinions. The athlete had clinched a win this season at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, all the while carding a total of 3 top-5 finishes.

5. Keith Mitchell: A 2024 track record without a win shouldn’t mislead you. The 32-year-old recently clinched a T3 placement alongside Glover at the Country Club of Jackson. But let’s take a peek at his finishes before that. He brags seven top-15 finishes, out of which four he placed inside the top-10. Moreover, the last two events the PGA Tour Pro played in before the Sanderson Farms Championship also saw him card consecutive T12 placements. Thus, underestimating him at the Black Desert Golf Course might have serious consequences.

PGA Tour’s stop in Utah after 61 years

The resort is truly a picturesque setting for the PGA Tour’s Fall season to kick off in Utah. The golfers will have to tee off against a backdrop of a stunning landscape that is filled with red rocks and mountains, not to mention the black lava rock in every hole. And this 19-hole, 7200-yard layout in Utah was designed by none other than Tom Weiskopf.

While the grounds do offer a forgiving fairway, alongside fair greens, multiple risk and reward elements on the layout pose more than enough challenges for the golfers. With such a course in place for the athletes to tie off at the Black Desert Championship, the fans can surely expect an exciting weekend in place.