Black Desert Championship 2024 Tips: Five picks to win in the Desert

The PGA Tour and FedExCup Fall moves westwards this week, for the Black Desert Championship at the Black Desert Resort in Utah. It is a new event on the tour’s calendar and represents the first time they have ventured to the state since 1963.

As always, here are Jamie Worsley's Black Desert Championship Tips, as well as his usual comprehensive preview.

THE COURSE

A brand new event gets a brand new course, with the Tom Weiskopf-designed Black Desert Resort setup having only been completed in 2023. This scenic and beautifully manicured desert track is already rated as one of the best in state and is due to also host an event on the LPGA in 2025.

The course plays as a par 71 and measures 7371 yards, though due to being at over 3000ft altitude, will play at closer to 7100 yards. It possesses 11x par 4s (320-532 yards), 4x par 3s (151-202 yards) and 3x par 5s (571-589 yards).

Sculpted through a lava field, this exposed course is framed by striking black lava rock islands and few but large white sand bunkers.

There are some moderate elevation changes throughout the course, which occasionally creates blind shots off the tee. While the fairways are very generous, strategic bunkering and rock formations do encroach on the landing areas, however there is little rough to be concerned about.

The firm and undulating bentgrass greens are large and will play at a speedy 12 on the stimp this week. Many are angled to the position of the fairway and contain some dangerous pin positions that bring the black rock into play, with steep greenside run-offs – often leading into closely mown chipping areas – further protecting the putting surfaces.

Though water only comes into play on three holes, there is a considerable element of risk/reward about the Black Desert Resort. The three par 5s are all reachable in two and there is a drivable par 4 on each nine – the 320-yard 5^th and the 322-yard 14^th. However, this is countered by three 500yd+ par 4s on the back nine.

The course should make for a fun challenge this week and it will be exciting to see the players of the PGA Tour tackle this recently-developed venue for the first time.

THE WEATHER

The forecast is for hot and dry conditions throughout the week, which should enable the event to achieve the green speeds they want. With only a very mild breeze, this heat may be the only weather-related deterrent that the field encounter.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation
• SG: Putting (Bentgrass)
• Scrambling
• Driving Distance

With fairways so easy to find, this course becomes a second-shot course and it’s the strongest iron players who should thrive this week, into firm greens that may prove hard to hold. This is due, in part, to the difficulty in judging distance control at altitude.

The short game should also prove key, both in scrambling and putting, with anybody who has shown a liking for speedy bentgrass surfaces able to benefit.

Finally, the course is short enough that all players should feel they can contend, though I do think the wider fairways play into the hands of the longer hitters. With them possessing the firepower to turn those par 5s and drivable par 4s into easy birdie chances.

CORRELATING EVENTS

We don’t have the advantage of any correlating form for our new course but there are several routes we can go down this week.

The Shriners Open at TPC Summerlin stands out most, as a desert course played at altitude, with generous fairways and large bentgrass greens. TPC San Antonio, home of the Texas Open and TPC Scottsdale, which hosts the Phoenix Open are two further desert courses to consider.

TPC Scottsdale also has the plus of being another course designed by Tom Weiskopf, as is TPC Craig Ranch – host of the CJ CUP Byron Nelson – which too has generous fairways and sizeable bentgrass greens.

Lastly, playing at altitude is a unique experience in itself and those who have shown an ability to perform under these conditions can be favoured. The Barracuda Championsip at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Course is played at altitude and has wide fairways and bentgrass greens. In addition we can also look towards the Korn Ferry Tour, with the Utah Championship at Oakridge Country Club and The Ascendant at TPC Colorado considered; both are situated at altitude, while TPC Colorado has comparably generous fairways and bentgrass greens.

THE FIELD

Though again lacking in star power, we have another highly competitive field teeing it up in Utah. Chris Kirk heads the field as the world #41 and is one of just two players from the world’s top 50 in attendance, alongside #49 Lucas Glover.

There are a further 17 from inside the top 100, including a returning Kurt Kitayama and last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship winner, Kevin Yu, who is up to a career-high #71 in the world.

Utah-born duo, Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair will be hoping to gain a memorable breakthrough victory at the Black Desert Resort. Whilst 65-year-old one-time PGA Tour winner, Jay Don Blake – who was born and lives close to this week’s venue – receives a sponsors exemption into the event.

Black Desert Championship Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Black Desert Championship market on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this tournament.

SELECTIONS

Market leaders: Keith Mitchell 16/1, Kurt Kitayama 22/1, Beau Hossler 28/1, Seamus Power 30/1, Chris Kirk 30/1

Due to the unfamiliar course, I’m going to keep things relatively light this week. There are few players who tick as many boxes here as Erik Van Rooyen and with each of his two PGA Tour wins coming against similar-strength fields, I’m taking him to take advantage of another weak field for success in Utah.

1.75 pts Erik Van Rooyen each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 30/1 

Van Rooyen has had a strong year on tour, recording eight top-25 finishes across his 21 starts. He’s finished inside the top 10 on four occasions, including producing a best of 2^nd in the Cognizant Classic and he arrives here after finishing 12^th in the Irish Open on his latest start.

Most areas of his game have been firing in 2024, though it’s off-the-tee that he excels, with this lengthy driver ranking 22^nd with the club. He’s enjoying one of his best ever years on the greens, ranking 34^th and whilst not too consistent of late, he’s usually a strong iron player.

Hailing from South Africa, Van Rooyen is expectedly at ease at altitude, as he showed to win the 2021 Barracuda Championship. He hit the top 10 in that event again last year, finishing 6^th, before going on to record his second PGA Tour victory in the World Wide Technology Championship towards the end of the year. Possessing plenty of desert form from the Middle East on the DP World Tour, including finishes of 2^nd in the 2019 Qatar Masters and 4^th in the 2022 Dubai Desert Classic, he should be comfortable with most aspects of play at the Black Desert Resort.

1 pt Nick Taylor each way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1 

Nick Taylor’s form since winning the Phoenix Open in February doesn’t look all too impressive. However, he’s been playing much better than those bare form figures suggest and with some strong comp form at hand, he’s an attractive price to go well this week.

Taylor has played 18 events since his win in Phoenix, missing seven cuts and only finishing inside the top 20 on one further occasion. Although, he’s only been missing most of those cuts by narrow margins and there have been many positive rounds on offer. A prime example of this came in the Wyndham Championship three starts ago, an event in which he shot a 7-under 63 to sit 3^rd after round one but followed with a poor 4-over 74 in the second round to miss the cut by one.

He's been solid tee-to-green across this time, excelling in approach, ranking 61^st. His irons have looked especially useful over recent weeks, ranking top 15 in this field over his last 20 rounds.

Taylor’s win at the Weiskopf-designed TPC Scottsdale earlier this year bodes well for his chances here, as do several top-25 finishes across the Shriners and Texas Opens, and in a field lacking such quality at the top, he looks appealing value for a bold showing in Utah.

1 pt Cameron Champ each way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 70/1

Cameron Champ has displayed lots of promise of late. With the length he possesses, he can take apart these par 5s and drivable par 4s to go a long way towards securing his PGA Tour future for 2025.

Champ missed 12 of his first 15 cuts this season and recorded just one top 25 when finishing 24^th in the Mexico Open. He made his first cut in seven starts at the Barracuda Championship five starts ago and maintained an improved level of form thereafter, finishing 12^th in the 3M Open and 45^th in the Wyndham Championship, and though he’s missed his last two cuts, he hasn’t been that far away.

He's driven the ball superbly this year, leading the PGA Tour off-the-tee and in driving distance. The putter has also looked strong, ranking 25^th, whilst those recently enhanced performances have been accompanied by some much stronger approach play than he’s shown throughout the rest of the year.

Champ’s only win on the Korn Ferry Tour came in Utah, winning the Utah Championship in 2018. With top 20s in the Shriners Open and Barracuda Championship proving his talent to perform at altitude further, he’s worth chancing at what should be a suitable setup.Coody makes his debut here but that runner-up finish in the ISCO Championship gives me confidence he can be a big contender in this competitive contest.

1 pt Sami Valimaki each way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 80/1

Sami Valimaki has done most of his best work on exposed, desert courses and he can use that comfort level to strengthen his place within the FedExCup Fall top 125 this week.

Valimaki began his rookie season on the PGA Tour strongly, recording a 2^nd-place finish in the Mexico Open, which is the largest contributor to his position in the standings. He achieved his second-best finish of the season when 12^th in the John Deere Classic in July and carried some of that form over to his recent stint on the DPWT, where he finished 9^th in the Irish Open and 12^th in the Czech Masters, before returning to PGA Tour action to finish 63^rd last week.

He's been inconsistent but solid overall with his ball-striking this year, though it’s on the greens that he’s impressed most of late, ranking 3^rd in this field over his last 20 rounds.

Valimaki has little comp form from the PGA Tour but there’s a lot to like about performances on the DPWT, with two of his three victories there coming in the desert, winning the Oman Open in 2020 and the Qatar Masters last year. His runner-up finish in Mexico again shows his suitability to open courses with wide fairways and this looks a good spot for him to equal or even better that performance.

1 pt Kyounghoon Lee each way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 90/1

Kyounghoon Lee has some handy form to his name across recent starts and as a proven Weiskopf performer, he can outperform his odds this week.

Lee made a positive start to the season, recording two top 10s over his first eight starts, finishing 4^th in the Cognizant Classic and 9^th in the Valspar Championship. He struggled through the middle part of the year but returned to form at the 3M Open, finishing 9^th and comes to Utah having finished 23^rd in last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.

He drove the ball well there, ranking 14^th and maintained the recent gains he’s made in approach and on the greens. As a usually strong scrambler, he has every asset needed to perform around this layout.

Lee won the CJ CUP Byron Nelson back-to-back in 2021/22 at the Weiskopf-designed TPC Craig Ranch, where he showed his ability to putt bentgrass greens. He also went very well at another of his designs in 2021, finishing 2^nd in the Phoenix Open and having finished inside the top 40 in each of his last three visits to TPC Summerlin, recording a best of 7^th last year, he has form in all the right places to suggest he’ll like what he finds at the Black Desert Resort.