The Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort has already delivered a whirlwind of drama, resilience, and speculation, with the tournament only halfway through. As the PGA Tour event heads into the weekend, storylines abound—from a rising star’s abrupt withdrawal and a sponsor’s exemption seizing the spotlight, to a fan-favorite’s rollercoaster round that had everyone talking.
It all began on October 23, 2025, when Aldrich Potgieter, one of South Africa’s brightest young golf prospects, teed off at Black Desert Resort, the host venue for the second consecutive year. Potgieter, who has made waves throughout the 2025 PGA Tour season as the longest driver on Tour, posted an even-par 71 in the first round. The 20-year-old had already captured attention earlier in the year by winning the Rocket Classic in a dramatic playoff and making a deep run at the Mexico Open, where he lost to Brian Campbell in extra holes.
However, Friday morning brought an unexpected twist. Before he could start his second round, Potgieter withdrew from the tournament, citing illness. According to a PGA Tour official who spoke with Golf Channel, "Potgieter exited the tournament Friday morning due to an illness." This announcement came just 55 minutes after the PGA Tour’s social media team published a feature video highlighting Potgieter’s quest to qualify for a pair of signature events in early 2026. The timing was uncanny, as only hours earlier, Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter had broken the news that Potgieter was switching agencies—leaving GSE Worldwide to join Entertainment Sports Partners, the same group that represents four-time major champion Ernie Els.
The sequence of events—agency switch, PGA Tour feature, and sudden withdrawal—ignited a firestorm of speculation on social media. Rumors swirled about a potential move to LIV Golf, especially considering Potgieter’s known relationships with several LIV members and his close connection to Louis Oosthuizen, who runs a junior academy in South Africa named after his LIV team, Stinger GC. Still, as Carpenter pointed out, the agency Potgieter is joining also represents Els, an outspoken opponent of LIV Golf. For now, the rumors remain just that—rumors—though golf’s rumor mill never sleeps.
Potgieter’s 2025 campaign has been anything but dull. After his summer breakthrough, he’s faced a rough patch, withdrawing from the John Deere Classic, missing the cut at both the Scottish Open and the Open Championship, and finishing tied for 59th at the FedEx St. Jude Playoffs. Two weeks before the Bank of Utah Championship, he managed a tied-33rd finish at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, a no-cut PGA Tour event. With so much attention on his next move, fans and analysts alike are eager to see where Potgieter’s journey takes him next.
While Potgieter’s withdrawal captured headlines, another young talent seized the moment. Michael Brennan, a 23-year-old former Wake Forest standout, stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a 6-under 65 on Friday, October 24. Brennan, who earned a Korn Ferry Tour spot by winning three times in a four-event stretch on the PGA Tour Americas in August and September, is playing this week on a sponsor exemption—and making the most of it.
His second round was highlighted by a spectacular 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth, electrifying the gallery and giving Brennan a 10-under 132 total after two rounds. "It’s very exciting to be in a Tour event," Brennan shared. "I wasn’t sure I was going to be play any this fall, so to have the opportunity to play in one is awesome. I’m just very grateful to be here. It’s been a really fun week so far. Hopefully, it stays that way." He added, "It’s given me so much great experience playing on the Americas Tour this year and having some success. I feel like I’ll definitely be more prepared for this weekend after having those experiences. I know it’s not the same level, but I am going to try to treat them the exact same and see what happens."
Brennan’s lead is slim, with Pierceson Coody (64), Jackson Suber (67), and Justin Lower (67) all just one shot back at 9 under. The stakes are especially high with only three tournaments left after this week for players to finish in the top 100 of the FedExCup standings and retain their full PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season—a significant change from the previous year, when the cutoff was 125 players. Suber, Lower, and Coody are currently 127th, 129th, and 133rd in the FedExCup, respectively, making every round crucial.
Defending champion Matt McCarty also made waves in his opening round, playing the back nine in a sizzling 7-under 28 before finishing with a 65. He sits at 8 under, having entered the week ranked 84th in the FedExCup. Meanwhile, David Ford was also at 8 under with six holes left when play was suspended due to darkness for the second consecutive day. First-round leader Thorbjorn Olesen, who shot a 70 in round two, is at 7 under and currently 116th in the FedExCup standings.
But perhaps the most relatable moment of the tournament so far belongs to Davis Thompson. During Thursday’s first round, Thompson, the 2024 John Deere Classic winner, nearly drove the green on the 308-yard, par-4 14th with a 302-yard tee shot, leaving himself just 48 feet from the hole. What happened next was a lesson in golf’s unpredictability. His next two shots advanced only 6 feet each, possibly rolling back after failing to reach the green. His fourth shot trickled back to nearly the same spot, and his fifth moved just 6 inches. Finally, Thompson got the ball onto the green, 26 feet past the hole, and two-putted for a quadruple-bogey 8. Despite this disaster, he rallied with four straight birdies to close out a 2-over 73, keeping his hopes alive for the weekend cut.
As the Bank of Utah Championship heads into a pivotal weekend, the leaderboard remains tightly packed, and the pressure mounts for those battling for FedExCup points and 2026 Tour status. Play has already been suspended twice due to darkness, adding another wrinkle to an already unpredictable event. With Potgieter’s future up in the air, Brennan’s breakthrough performance, and the ever-present threat of golf’s cruel twists of fate, fans can expect more fireworks before the champion is crowned.
For now, all eyes remain on Black Desert Resort, where the action is anything but settled. The tournament continues, and with so much at stake for so many players, the final rounds promise to be as thrilling—and unpredictable—as the opening acts.
