The PGA Tour is back in the US, and it heads to one of its most visually striking stops of the fall. A beautiful spectacle to watch on TV, no doubt, the Black Desert Championship at Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah, will leave viewers talking about the scenery and some low-scoring golf!.
Last season, this course made its debut and quickly captured golf lovers' attention. Matt McCarty won the event by three strokes with a -23 score, and experts alike agree we will likely see another -20 score. The combination of altitude and stunning design makes Black Desert Resort GC one of the most entertaining stops on the fall calendar.
Black Desert Resort GC measures 7,371 yards (par 71) but sits nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. With this sea level change, the ball travels noticeably farther, shortening the course to play more like 7,100 yards.
The layout winds through black lava rock and desert terrain, blending landing areas with visually intimidating hazards. Black Rock ranks #7 on tour in missed fairway penalty and #1 in missed fairway penalty fraction, basically meaning if you miss the fairway enough, you are likely guaranteed a stroke penalty.
That said, the fairways are generous, ranking 6th widest on par-4 and par-5s on tour. The course’s signature features include two drivable par 4s (Nos. 5 and 14), and rank as having some of the easiest par-3 and par-4 average scores to par on tour.
The greens are bent grass and larger in size. Last season, we saw almost 25% of approach shots come from 175-200, and almost 19% from 150-175. Players who can gain strokes off the tee, find greens-in-regulation with some proximity, and don’t give back strokes should be in the hunt!
After last season, we saw strokes gained off the tee, on approach, and putting correlated the most to gaining overall strokes to the field last season. Without years of data on this course, these are some of the key statistics I believe will matter come Sunday.
● Birdies or Better % – As mentioned, going low is critical to competing here if last season is any sign. The top two scored -23 and -20, players who can convert birdies and eagles over pars and bogeys will finish towards the top.
● SG: Off-the-Tee – Compared to tour average since 2015, gaining strokes off the tee here plays a critical part in a player's success. Players who can find both distance and accuracy (avoiding the hazards) can set themselves apart.
● SG: Approach (150-200 yards) – 43% of last year's approach shots came from 150-175 yards (18.9%) and 175-200 yards (24.5%). 75% of greens in regulation were hit by the field, so players who can find 80%+ with proximity will have a clear advantage
● Bogey Avoidance - In a track race like this, the first to -20 could possibly win. Avoiding giving back any strokes will be critical to finding a top 10 finish this weekend.
Michael has been playing very well, and the books agree that he sits top 3 in current odds to win this tournament. Coming off a 3rd place at the Baycurrent Classic, Michael has reeled off four straight top 40s.
Since the Corales Puntacana Championship, where he finished T2, he has only missed one cut and has ten top-40s, finishing outside the top 40 just three times in his last thirteen tournaments.
He ranks 9th in strokes gained off the tee, 2nd in total driving, 1st in greens-in-regulation %, and 7th in birdie average. Prior to last year's round two withdrawal, he started off round 1 scoring -4, gaining +1.21 true strokes, which was 14th best.
McNealy has also been lights out, and the books have him as the odds-on favorite to win this event. He has been on a nice run, finishing inside the top-28 in four straight, while finishing inside the top-28 in six of his last seven events.
He may have the most impressive resume in this tournament. In 2025, he had 7 top-10s and nine top-20s. In his last four tournaments, he has gained strokes in almost every part of his bag, in every event.
He ranks 19th in strokes gained total, 21st in strokes gained putting, and 48th in greens-in-regulation. In this field, over their last 20 rounds, he ranks #2 in true strokes gained total, #3 in true strokes gained putting, and #13 on approach.
Meissner ranks #5 in total true strokes gained in this field over their last 20 rounds,#7 in tee-to-green and around the green, and #8 on approach. If Mac can find his putting strokes and at least break even, he can finish inside the top 20.
Mac doesn’t do anything spectacular. His highest ranking is 7th on tour in scrambling, 40th in approach to green, and 41st in proximity. In a limited field with 20+ of the top players not in this field, those rankings are a lot better compared to the field.
He finished T25 here last season while giving back -0.85 true strokes gained putting per round. If he can clean that up, he gained strokes total, off-the-tee, and +1.67 on approach.
Perhaps an unknown name to some, but one who may quickly stay on my radar if he can keep producing. Riding a hot four tournament streak, he won the ISCO Championship, followed that up with a T7 at the 3M Open, a T38 at the Wyndham, and a T18 at the Baycurrent.
He has gained almost 7 true strokes gained total over his last four events. He has gained strokes with the putter in all four and has been just good enough off the tee. He ranks 25th in strokes gained off-the-tee, 33rd in strokes gained putting, 22nd in total driving, and 31st in greens-in-regulation.
In previous events, when he struggles, it's with his putter. If he can keep that stroke rolling and keep to his current form, another top-20 is certainly within reach for the youngster.