Bauchou’s 62 leads Bank of Utah first round, one ahead of nine

First round complete: Bauchou leads by one

Zach Bauchou closed with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to finish a bogey-free 9-under 62 and take the outright first-round lead at the Bank of Utah Championship. He finished one shot ahead of nine players at Black Desert Resort.

The nine golfers tied for second at 8-under 63 are Sudarshan Yellamaraju, David Lipsky, Stephan Jaeger, Steven Fisk, Jordan Smith, Kevin Roy, Kevin Streelman, Nick Dunlap and Austin Smotherman. This final first-round order supersedes the earlier live snapshots, including the five-way tie at 8 under recorded at 8:01 p.m. Eastern.

The Associated Press reported that Bauchou made a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, then reached the par-5 closing hole in two and two-putted from 25 feet. His 62 was a career best and gave him his first 18-hole PGA Tour lead. Field Level Media independently confirmed the closing birdies, the 62 and all nine players tied behind him.

Smith reached his 63 with an albatross on the par-5 ninth, holing his second shot from 238 yards to finish his round. He had started on the back nine, making No. 9 his closing hole. The earlier five-way tie changed as more late starters finished and Bauchou moved ahead.

Kevin Roy also reached 8-under 63. Golf Channel’s Thursday first-round video below shows him holing a fairway shot for eagle, with the ball spinning back into the cup. He finished among the nine players one stroke behind Bauchou.

Golf Digest reported that the field is competing for a $6 million purse, including $1.08 million for the winner. The event runs through Sunday, October 4, when the final results will determine the payouts.

Defending champion Michael Brennan shot 7-under 64. Tony Finau completed a 1-under 70 in his tournament debut. The official leaderboard now marks Round 1 as Official; the four-day tournament continues Friday.

Sources: PGA Tour official leaderboard, AP via Golf Channel, Field Level Media.

Preview background — reported before Thursday’s first round

Tony Finau makes his Bank of Utah Championship debut Thursday with a home crowd waiting and a plan to leave driver in the bag more often. The Utah native said at Wednesday’s press conference that Black Desert Resort’s lava-lined layout calls for a more conservative approach as he tries to improve on a disappointing 2026 season.

Finau had never visited the property before Tuesday’s practice round. Playing a PGA Tour event in his home state gives him an occasion he did not have growing up in Salt Lake City, when the local tournament he watched was on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“It’s nice to have a home game,” he said.

A different approach off the tee

Finau expects to rely on his driving iron rather than use his distance at every opportunity. His concern is the cost of missing into the black lava surrounding the course. He said keeping the ball in play over 72 holes gives him a better route to contention than an aggressive driver-heavy plan.

He is also continuing with a hockey-style putter he introduced roughly a month ago. Finau said its flat grip and alignment help him aim, an area he considers especially important on short putts. He used it at his earlier fall start in North Carolina and plans to keep it this week.

The adjustments come with a clear goal: adding to his six PGA Tour wins. Finau’s most recent victory came at the Mexico Open in April 2023, according to the Deseret News. He also plans to return to Mexico during this fall schedule.

A home start, with status already protected

Finau entered the week at No. 100 in the FedExCup standings. His previous wins keep him exempt through the 2027 season, but he said he still wants to finish inside the top 100 after the fall.

Jay Drew of the Deseret News reported that Finau starts Thursday at 1:14 p.m. Mountain time, or 3:14 p.m. Eastern, alongside Aldrich Potgieter and Eric Cole. Finau’s wife and children have traveled to southern Utah, and he expects more family support in the gallery.

The tournament runs October 1-4 in Ivins. Defending champion Michael Brennan is back after winning last year at 22 under, four strokes ahead of Rico Hoey. Golf Channel reported that Harry Higgs entered the field following Austin Eckroat’s withdrawal.