Austin Prepare dinner moved from a late entry to a share of the lead at Black Desert within the Financial institution of Utah Championship after hitting six birdies earlier than darkness halted a gradual spherical.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Jesper Svensson and David Lipsky every posted a six-under 65 on the distinctive course lined by purple grime and black lava rock.
Prepare dinner additionally was at six below and going through a 20-foot birdie putt on the reachable par-four 14th when it was too darkish to proceed. The afternoon tee instances had been pushed again by quarter-hour. The 38 gamers who didn’t end have been to renew within the early morning.
Prepare dinner had few complaints. A one-time winner on the PGA Tour, that is solely his eighth begin of the yr. He was nicely down the alternate checklist and on the seaside together with his household, planning to play the Monday qualifier.
“Saturday got all the way down to first alternate. I felt like I was going to get in so I helped drive everybody home on Sunday and flew out Monday and on the plane I got a text,” he stated. Prepare dinner changed Erik van Rooyen, who had withdrawn.
Olesen additionally was surprisingly happy together with his begin. He was in Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship, then the Dane headed again to Europe to play within the Spanish Open, went to his dwelling in Dubai after which got here to Utah.
“I would say my expectations were pretty low this morning,” Olesen stated. “But did some recovery work the last few days and just tried to get the body ready for today.”
Olesen is at No 116 within the FedExCup, and he has firm on the bubble. Svensson is at No115 and Lipsky is at No 99.
After this week, solely three tournaments stay within the season for gamers to complete among the many prime 100 within the FedExCup to maintain full playing cards for the 2026 season. The highest 100 has been lowered from 125 gamers preserving their playing cards a yr in the past.
The group one shot behind at 66 included Paul Peterson, who was two over for his spherical via eight holes till ending with six birdies and an eagle.
There are many birdie probabilities at Black Desert, and loads of hassle. Billy Horschel, who missed 5 months this yr with hip surgical procedure, was at one below for his spherical till beginning the again 9 with a bogey after which taking a quadruple-bogey eight on the eleventh gap.
He tried to play out of the desert and wound up within the black lava. Horschel took a penalty drop, nonetheless enjoying within the purple grime whereas making an attempt to steadiness off some rocks. That shot went left of the inexperienced. He pitched on after which three-putted from simply inside 20 ft.
Horschel at the very least bounced again by driving the 14th inexperienced to twenty ft and making the eagle putt, after which including a 12-foot birdie on the par-three fifteenth. He salvaged a 72.
Max Homa was making an attempt to creep nearer to the leaders and reached three below till driving into the water on the thirteenth for a double bogey. He additionally bounced again by driving the 14th inexperienced (he made birdie), however misplaced extra floor with a smooth bogey on the sixteenth and failing to avoid wasting par from a bunker on the par-three seventeenth. He was even par and had a 27-foot birdie try on the 18th that may begin his day on Friday.
Alex Noren completed his spherical at four-under 67. A leg harm saved the Swede out till the beginning of Could and he’s making an attempt to work his means again into the highest 100 within the FedExCup. Noren gained the BMW PGA Championship in England – the flagship occasion on the European tour – and was a vice captain for Europe’s profitable Ryder Cup crew.
Watch continued protection of the PGA Tour’s Financial institution of Utah Championship reside on Sky Sports activities Golf from 9.30pm on Saturday
