In this week’s “Playing Through,” PGA Professional Brendon Elliott examines the storylines as professional golf showcases three compelling tournaments. The PGA TOUR’s Bank of Utah Championship returns to Black Desert Resort, the LPGA Tour stages the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in Korea, and the DP World Tour concludes its regular season at the Genesis Championship.

PGA TOUR: McCarty Defends Title in Utah’s Lava Fields

The PGA TOUR returns to Black Desert Resort this week for the Bank of Utah Championship, where Matt McCarty defends the title he captured just three starts into his PGA TOUR career last October.

McCarty Seeks Rare Back-to-Back Triumph

McCarty’s victory capped an extraordinary summer run that included three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour and an automatic promotion to the PGA TOUR. His wire-to-wire performance at Black Desert posted 23-under 261 to win by three shots over Stephan Jaeger.

Now the left-hander aims to accomplish something increasingly rare: winning the same event in consecutive years. The last player to record his first two PGA TOUR victories at the same tournament in back-to-back seasons was K.H. Lee at the 2021 and 2022 editions of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

McCarty arrives in Utah off a T14 at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, where he fired a final-round 60 that included eight consecutive birdies.

Course Carved Through Ancient Lava

Black Desert Resort stands as one of professional golf’s most unique venues. The late Tom Weiskopf and his partner Phil Smith designed the course, literally blasting through black lava fields in Ivins, Utah. Every square inch of playable land required dynamite to carve fairways and greens from the volcanic rock.

“It’s the most difficult project that I worked on in my career,” Smith told Golf Digest, likening the technical challenge to “a calculus, differential equations and trigonometry class all wrapped into an art class.”

The result is a dramatic contrast of colors: red rock mountains, lush green fairways, and black lava that lines nearly every hole. Weiskopf continued to visit the property even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away in August 2022 at age 79, four months before the course was completed. Black Desert stands as his final design masterpiece.

The par-71, 7,421-yard layout has been lengthened by 50 yards from last year. Last year, it ranked 38th of 50 PGA TOUR courses in scoring average at 69.06 and sixth in birdies and eagles.

Thorbjornsen Leads Talented Field

Michael Thorbjornsen enters as the betting favorite after a solo third-place finish at the Baycurrent Classic. The young talent has posted four top-10 finishes this season, including three top-fours in the last six months.

Thorbjornsen withdrew from last year’s event after an opening-round 67, making this week’s return particularly meaningful. He’s joined by a field that includes Alex Noren, who won twice this summer on the DP World Tour, and Maverick McNealy, who sits 23rd in the FedExCup standings after seven top-10 results this season.

FedExCup Fall Bubble Intensifies

With just three tournaments remaining in the 2025 schedule, the pressure mounts for players fighting to finish inside the top 100 of the FedExCup standings. Those who succeed will secure full playing privileges for 2026, while players ranked 101-125 will receive only conditional status.

Max Homa sits precariously at No. 100 on the bubble. Max Greyserman jumped from No. 58 to No. 51 with his runner-up finish in Japan, moving into the coveted Aon Next 10. Those players ranked 51-60 through the FedExCup Fall will earn spots in two early-season 2026 Signature Events: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational.

Stephan Jaeger returns to a venue where he held the 36-hole lead last year before finishing runner-up. The German opened 65-63 and led by one after two rounds, ultimately posting 20-under to finish three shots behind McCarty.

Weiskopf’s Signature Touches

Black Desert features several holes inspired by famous designs from Weiskopf’s playing career. The 198-yard par-3 third hole pays homage to Riviera Country Club’s famous sixth, with a bunker cut into the middle of the green. The 17th hole serves as a “spin-off” of Royal Troon’s legendary “Postage Stamp” par-3 eighth, where Weiskopf won his only major championship at the 1973 Open Championship.

The course features two drivable par 4s: the 320-yard fifth and 322-yard 14th holes. The 14th offers a prime opportunity to play over the black lava fields, with the right side of the green blind from the tee and guarded by a large mound of volcanic rock.

Last year’s tournament saw 31 players circle 20 or more birdies. The top 10 finishers all posted 16-under or better. Posting rounds in the 60s on this resort course layout is essentially a requirement to contend.

LPGA Tour: International Crown Returns to Korea

Team competitions are some of the most exciting events on the golf calendar, and this week the LPGA Tour stages the fifth edition of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown just outside Seoul at New Korea Country Club. The best players in the women’s game will represent their countries over four days of competition for a $2 million purse.

Eight Teams Battle for Glory

Every two years, the top-ranked countries in women’s golf square off in this unique team format. In 2025, seven of the top-ranked countries qualified based on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings of each country’s best four athletes. New this year is the addition of a World Team, composed of the top four ranked players from countries that didn’t have enough athletes eligible to field a full team.

The eight squads include top-seeded United States (Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin, Lilia Vu, Yealimi Noh), No. 2 Japan (Miyu Yamashita, Rio Takeda, Mao Saigo, Ayaka Furue), and No. 3 Republic of Korea (Hyo Joo Kim, Haeran Ryu, Jin Young Ko, Hye-Jin Choi). Also competing are Australia, Thailand, Sweden, a World Team featuring Brooke Henderson and Lydia Ko, and the People’s Republic of China.

Four-Day Format Builds Drama

Teams compete over four days, beginning with four-ball pool play on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Teams earn one point for a win, a half point for a tie, and zero points for a loss. The two countries who earn the most points over the first three days from Pool A and Pool B will advance to Sunday’s semifinals.

Sunday morning’s semifinals consist of two singles matches and one foursomes match. The first country to win two points advances to the finals. The winning team will split $500,000, with each member receiving $125,000.

Tournament History

The International Crown debuted at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland in 2014, with Team Spain claiming the inaugural title. The United States won on home soil in 2016, and the Republic of Korea triumphed when the event went international for the first time in 2018. After a pandemic hiatus, the tournament returned in 2023, where Team Thailand emerged victorious. Now the competition returns to Korea, where the home team will look to recapture the magic of their 2018 victory.

Home Advantage for Korea

The Republic of Korea enters as the No. 3 seed but carries the weight of home expectations. Their roster features Jin Young Ko, a two-time major champion and former world No. 1, alongside Hyo Joo Kim and Haeran Ryu, who won the inaugural Black Desert Championship on the LPGA Tour in May at the same venue hosting this week’s PGA TOUR event.

The top-seeded Americans haven’t won the International Crown since 2016. Despite losing world No. 1 Nelly Korda to withdrawal, the U.S. roster remains formidable. They’ll face Australia’s powerful quartet led by major champions Minjee Lee and Hannah Green. Thailand, the defending champions, bring world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who captured her second title of the season just two weeks ago at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

DP World Tour: Regular Season Finale in Korea

The DP World Tour regular season concludes this week at the Genesis Championship, with players up and down the Race to Dubai Rankings fighting for their futures. The tournament moves to a new venue at Woo Jeong Hills in Cheonan, South Korea.

An Returns to Defend Title

Byeong-hun An returns to defend his title after a dramatic playoff victory over Tom Kim last year. Both players landed their approach shots to eight feet on the 72nd hole, setting up birdie putts. An drained his to move back alongside Kim at 17-under, while Kim lipped out, forcing a playoff. An needed just one putt to seal his first DP World Tour victory since lifting the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

New Venue Brings Fresh Challenge

This week marks the first time the DP World Tour has held an event at Woo Jeong Hills, though the venue has a rich history. The course hosted 21 editions of the Kolon Korea Open on the Asian Tour from 2003 to 2024, with winners including Vijay Singh, John Daly, Rickie Fowler, and Y. E. Yang.

Designed by Perry O. Dye, the course opened in 1993 and was renovated earlier this year with completely new greens. The signature hole is the 13th, a par-three with an island green.

An is joined by fellow PGA TOUR regulars Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, along with Masters champions Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama.

Bubble Battle Intensifies

The top 115 players on the Race to Dubai will secure category 10 status for 2026, gaining entry into almost all DP World Tour events. Masters champion Adam Scott sits right on the bubble at No. 115, with Clément Sordet, Niklas Lemke, and Sami Välimäki also looking over their shoulders.

Beyond the top-115 battle, players are fighting to reach the top 70 and advance to the DP World Tour Play-Offs. Rafa Cabrera Bello currently occupies the 70th position, but with Andrea Pavan in 82nd, less than 100 points back, the race remains wide open.

As the regular season concludes, every shot carries added weight. One good week could secure futures for some players, while one poor performance could leave them scrambling for starts in 2026.