Golf

Sizzling low scores the order of day one in Utah

By AAP Newswire

Oct 2, 2026

Jordan Smith. — A first-ever albatross at the PGA Tour event in Utah has fired Jordan Smith up the leaderboard. -AAP Image

Zach Bauchou has birdied his last two holes for a career-best round of nine-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead on a day of low scoring at the Bank of Utah Championship.

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With several players having set the pace at the Black Desert Resort on Thursday (Friday AEST), Bauchou holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and reached the 602-yard closing hole in two for a two-putt birdie and his first 18-hole lead on the PGA Tour.

Bauchou is at No.86 in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 100 at the end of the FedEx Cup Fall in November retain full cards for 2027.

"I felt like I ... played pretty solid most of the year, just didn't have that many high finishes," he said.

"Just try to improve when I'm home and know that I am actually playing probably better than what my results are."

Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju was the first of the nine players to post a 63. He is 59th in the FedEx Cup, among those who are hopeful of a good fall to finish among the top 60 and be eligible for signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera.

Jackson Koivun (69) took a while to get back to his Presidents Cup form. The 21-year-old, who was unbeaten in his Presidents Cup debut last week, had three straight bogeys and was two over for his round before four birdies in his last five holes.

He still has work to do to make sure he sticks around for the weekend because of the low scoring on a beautiful day in southern Utah.

Nick Taylor is still making big putts, as he did at Medinah last week for the International team, and finished his round with a 50-foot eagle putt to be among a group of six at 64 that included Presidents Cup teammate Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Three players from the group at 63 are outside the top 100, including Kevin Streelman, who birdied six of his last eight holes, and Nick Dunlap.

Jordan Smith of England reached eight under in most spectacular fashion. He holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the eighth and then holed out his second shot from 238 yards on the par-5 ninth for an albatross.

"It's the first time I've ever done it, so it was pretty special, and to end a round like that is even more special," Smith said.

Cam Davis is the only Australian in the field and opened with a four-under 67, while defending champion Michael Brennan carded a 64.

With AAP.