IVINS, Utah — Austin Cook had a great begin to his week by avoiding a qualifier and took benefit with six birdies Thursday that allowed him to share the lead earlier than darkness halted a gradual spherical at Black Desert within the Financial institution of Utah Championship.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Jesper Svensson and David Lipsky every posted a 6-under 65 on the distinctive course lined by pink grime and black lava rock.
Prepare dinner additionally was at 6 beneath and going through a 20-foot birdie putt on the reachable par-4 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 had been to renew at 8 a.m.
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 seashore along with his household, planning to play the Monday qualifier.
“Saturday obtained all the way in which all the way down to first alternate. I felt like I used to be going to get in so I helped drive all people residence on Sunday and flew out Monday and on the aircraft I obtained a textual content,” he stated. Prepare dinner changed Erik van Rooyen, who had withdrawn.
Olesen additionally was surprisingly happy along 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 residence in Dubai after which got here to Utah. It was plenty of time within the air.
“I might say my expectations had been fairly low this morning,” Olesen stated. “However did some restoration work the previous couple of days and simply tried to get the physique prepared for at the moment.”
Olesen is at No. 116 within the FedEx Cup, and he has firm on the bubble. Svensson is at No. 115 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 FedEx Cup to maintain full playing cards for the 2026 season. The highest 100 has been diminished from 125 gamers conserving their playing cards a yr in the past.
The group one shot behind at 66 included Paul Peterson, who was 2 over for his spherical via eight holes till ending with six birdies and an eagle.
There are many birdie possibilities at Black Desert, and loads of hassle. Billy Horschel, who missed 5 months this yr with hip surgical procedure, was at 1 beneath for his spherical till beginning the again 9 with a bogey after which taking a quadruple-bogey 8 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 taking part in within the pink grime whereas attempting to stability off some rocks. That shot went left of the inexperienced. He pitched on after which three-putted from simply inside 20 ft.
Horschel not less than 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-3 fifteenth. He salvaged a 72.
Max Homa was attempting to creep nearer to the leaders and reached 3 beneath 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 comfortable bogey on the sixteenth and failing to save lots of par from a bunker on the par-3 seventeenth. He was even par and had a 27-foot birdie try on the 18th that can begin his day on Friday.
Alex Noren completed his spherical at 4-under 67. A leg harm stored the Swede out till the beginning of Could and he’s attempting to work his method again into the highest 100 within the FedEx Cup. Noren received the BMW PGA Championship in England — the flagship occasion on the European tour — and was a vice captain for Europe’s successful Ryder Cup group.
