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The state of Utah continues to grow its sports offerings, adding major events and teams to its lineup.
Earlier this year, Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics, bringing the prestigious event back to the state. Meanwhile, the hockey scene received a boost with the relocation of the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes. Now playing as the Utah Hockey Club, the team begins its regular-season play on Tuesday night.
On the heels of these developments, Utah will host its first PGA Tour event since 1963, as the inaugural Black Desert Championship kicks off on Thursday at Black Desert Golf Course in Ivins, located in the southwestern part of the state.
Among the players competing in the tournament are Utah natives Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair, both of whom are excited for the chance to play in front of a home crowd during the FedEx Cup Fall.
“It’s exciting,” Fishburn shared on Tuesday. “Utah is kind of the state of sport, so another big event coming to Utah is awesome.”
Playing at altitude presents a unique challenge for the golfers, something that Fishburn, who grew up in Ogden, knows well.
“Playing at altitude is definitely different for sure. I grew up in Ogden, playing Ogden Country Club, which is probably 4,000 feet elevation and we’re probably 3,000 here,” Fishburn said. “The ball just does different things.
“With the heat this week, there are a lot of different factors. If you’re maybe not used to that it’ll cause a few more calculations going on in the brain, which for me personally, less calculation is better.”
Blair also noted that the course’s black lava rock, a distinctive feature, could challenge players unfamiliar with the terrain.
“Some places you might go and (landing on rock) might be hazard or you might go to Arizona and hit it in the desert and you can still find it and chip it out,” Blair said. “Here, you’re not going to find it most of the time. Especially in the rocks. So I think it’s very unique, very different. People are all kind of seeing it and learning it for the first time.”
Both Fishburn and Blair were born and raised in Utah, and both attended BYU, where they overlapped for a season and developed a close friendship. They later teamed up at the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, finishing in a tie for fourth this past spring.
Although Blair has yet to claim a victory on the PGA Tour, he reached a five-man playoff at the ISCO Championship this July, where Englishman Harry Hall eventually won. Fishburn, still in his rookie season, has secured four top-10 finishes, including a third-place result at the Procore Championship to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall.
Fishburn’s recent strong performances have propelled him to No. 85 in the points standings, while Blair enters the week ranked No. 110. The top 125 players secure their PGA Tour cards for 2025, while those ranked 126-150 receive conditional status.
“Just been a process throughout the year,” Fishburn said. “Lately I’ve been playing pretty consistent, and I like playing in the state of Utah. Got a lot of experience playing at altitude obviously. The dry desert air, a lot of factors I just feel comfortable with. Bent greens and things like that. Hopefully it turns out.”
“Been playing good,” Blair added. “Kind of just keep doing the same thing. You know, hopefully go have another good event or two in the fall, and it’d be nice to do it here at home.”
Source: Field Level Media
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