Austin Smotherman needed a big week in Utah. He came into the Bank of Utah Championship at No. 79 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, with full status for 2027 far from settled. He left Black Desert Resort with his first PGA Tour title, in his 100th career start, a tournament record and a card that runs through 2028. Here’s how he won it, what it gets him, and the clubs he used.
The short version
- Smotherman shot a closing 68 to finish at 26-under 258 and won by two over Doug Ghim.
- 258 is a new 72-hole record for the event, which was only in its third year.
- It was his first PGA Tour win, in his 100th start. He earned $1.08 million and 500 FedEx Cup points.
- The win makes him fully exempt through 2028 and moved him from No. 79 to No. 51 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
- His bag: a Titleist GT3 driver, Titleist T100 irons, Vokey wedges, an L.A.B. Golf putter and a Pro V1x.
How He Won
Smotherman started Sunday with a one-shot lead and never gave it up, but it wasn’t clean. At the par-4 13th his approach plugged near a bunker and he made double bogey, cutting his lead to one. He answered right away: a good drive at 14 set up a birdie, and further birdies at 15 and 16 rebuilt the cushion. He walked to the 18th two clear and birdied it anyway.
| Pos. | Player | Score | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Smotherman | −26 (258) | $1,080,000 |
| 2 | Doug Ghim | −24 (260) | $654,000 |
| T3 | David Ford | −23 (261) | $354,000 |
| T3 | Trace Crowe | −23 (261) | $354,000 |
| T5 | Kevin Streelman | −22 (262) | $231,750 |
| T5 | Ben James | −22 (262) | $231,750 |
The pre-tournament favorite, Presidents Cup rookie Jackson Koivun, never got going and finished T65. His bigger news came a day later, when TGL’s new Motor City Golf Club announced he’ll join Brooks Koepka on its roster for the 2027 season.
Who Is Austin Smotherman?
He’s 32, from Loomis, California, and played college golf at SMU, where one of his teammates was Bryson DeChambeau. He turned pro in 2016, won the Mexican Open on PGA Tour Latinoamérica in 2018 and won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including back-to-back wins in 2025 that sent him back to the PGA Tour. That path is why this one mattered so much. Before Sunday he was a player fighting for next year’s card. Now he doesn’t have to think about status for two seasons.
What the Win Gets Him
- Job security. Full PGA Tour exemption through the 2028 season.
- Bigger starts. Spots in the 2027 Players Championship and PGA Championship.
- A shot at the signature events. He jumped to No. 51 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings. Finishing 51st to 60th gets a player into the first two 2027 signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, so he needs to hold that spot through the RSM Classic (how the fall works).
One hundred starts, one double bogey on Sunday, and a two-year exemption anyway. That’s what the FedEx Cup Fall is for.
What’s in Austin Smotherman’s Bag
It’s a mostly Titleist bag with a couple of older TaylorMade pieces and one of the most talked-about putter brands on tour.
| Club | Model |
|---|---|
| Driver | Titleist GT3, 10° (Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 60 TX) |
| 3-wood | TaylorMade Qi10, 15° (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 X) |
| Hybrid | TaylorMade SIM Max, 19° |
| Irons (4–9) | Titleist T100 (KBS Tour 125 S+) |
| Wedges | Titleist Vokey SM10 46°, 50°, 54°; Vokey WedgeWorks 60° |
| Putter | L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i |
| Grips | Golf Pride MCC Align |
| Ball | Titleist Pro V1x |
The Gear You Can Actually Buy
His driver and ball are both current, widely stocked models. The SIM Max hybrid (a 2020 model) and the Qi10 fairway are older and easiest to find used.
Titleist GT3 Driver
$649.98Titleist’s adjustable, lower-spin GT head, with a sliding weight track that lets you move the center of gravity toward where you actually make contact. It’s aimed at better players who want control more than maximum forgiveness. Price shown is PGA TOUR Superstore’s current sale price. See how Titleist stacks up in our 2026 driver comparison.
Check price →Shop at Global GolfTitleist Pro V1x (Dozen)
$58.00The higher-flying, slightly firmer sibling of the Pro V1, with low spin off the driver and plenty of spin around the greens. It suits faster swing speeds; our compression chart shows whether it fits yours.
Check price →Shop at Global GolfWhat’s Next
- Baycurrent Classic (Oct. 8–11, Yokohama, Japan). A limited-field event led by U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark; Xander Schauffele is the defending champion.
- Butterfield Bermuda Championship (Oct. 22–25). The top 10 from Utah earned a spot in the field.
- The RSM Classic (ends Nov. 22). Where the top 100 cards and the 51–60 signature-event spots are locked in.
Who won the 2026 Bank of Utah Championship?
Austin Smotherman, at 26-under 258, two shots ahead of Doug Ghim. It was his first PGA Tour win, in his 100th start.
How much did Austin Smotherman win?
$1.08 million from the $6 million purse, plus 500 FedEx Cup points and a PGA Tour exemption through 2028.
What driver does Austin Smotherman use?
A Titleist GT3 with 10 degrees of loft and a Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 60 TX shaft.
Sources
- Smotherman claims first PGA Tour title — PGATOUR.com
- Points and payouts — PGATOUR.com
- Smotherman wins in Ivins — St George News
- Austin Smotherman — Wikipedia
- Austin Smotherman WITB — GolfWRX
- The First Look: Baycurrent Classic — PGATOUR.com
- Koivun joins Motor City Golf Club — PGATOUR.com
- Titleist GT3 pricing — PGA TOUR Superstore
- Pro V1x pricing — Titleist
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