Black Desert Championship 2025 Tips: 275/1 one of five for Utah

Quick on the heels of Mao Saigo winning a five-woman playoff for a first major success in Sunday’s dramatic final round of the Chevron Championship, the LPGA showcases a brand new event in Utah – the Black Desert Championship at the Black Desert Resort.

Star golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with five more outright selections for glory ranging from 30/1 to 275/1! Here are his Black Desert Championship 2025 Tips...

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

This week's Black Desert Championship is not only the very first edition of this event, but it also represents the first time the LPGA has played in Utah since the 1964 Riverside Ladies Open.

THE COURSE

The Black Desert Resort was designed by the late Tom Weiskopf, in collaboration with Phil Smith, and the completed course opened for play in 2023. It is already regarded as one of the best courses in the state of Utah and also hosted an event of the same name on the PGA Tour in October last year, which was won by Matt McCarty on just his second tour start.

This par 72 course measures in at 6629yds, though will play closer to 6391yds due to being at 3100ft of altitude. It possesses 4x par 3s (137-178yds), 10x par 4s (320-418yds) and 4x par 5s (522-556yds).

This scenic and well-maintained desert course has been carved through a lava field, with striking black volcanic rock framing the holes. Typically exposed, there are moderate changes in elevation, which occasionally creates blind tee shots and water comes into play on just three holes.

Although the fairways are extremely wide, ranking as some of the easiest to hit on the PGA Tour through that event last year, large white sand bunkers offer some strategic protection. However, there is little rough to trouble the players.

The undulating bentgrass greens are large and could run at 12 on the stimp this week. They're easy to hit but challenging to putt, and even more demanding to scramble around – ranking 7^th in scrambling difficulty on the PGA Tour in 2024 – with steep run-off areas leading into tightly-mown chipping areas; from which only the most confident short-game players will feel comfortable playing from.

McCarty shot -23 when winning here on the PGA Tour last year and it's easy to see why, as a fun, scoreable course with four par 5s and two potentially drivable par 4s (the 5^th and 14^th). It feels like the perfect antidote to last week's slog at Carlton Woods and providing the weather cooperates, we should expect birdies and eagles to flow this week.

THE WEATHER

The conditions look pretty perfect over the first two days, with warm, dry and bright weather accompanied by a mere 4mph breeze. That wind will stiffen over the weekend, with gusts at upwards of 30mph potentially on the cards but for the most part it will remain fairly benign at around 8mph.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach
• SG: Putting (bentgrass)
• Driving Distance
• Birdie or better %

Low scoring means players will have to bring their best in approach and on the greens this week, to both create and take advantage of the abundance of scoring opportunities.

Furthermore, whilst the course will play short enough for all players to have a chance, the collection of par 5s are reasonably long, even when taking altitude into account and with the two drivable par 4s needing a whack to get it up there, I would favour distance around this setup.

CORRELATING EVENTS

It's always tricky to correlate a new course but there are a few roads we can go down to help us out this week.

There have been several events played on similarly exposed desert courses with wide fairways and large greens in recent years. This includes the Ford Championship in Arizona the last two years and the 2023 edition of the Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain.

The Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club and the 2024 Kroger Queen City Championship at TPC River's Bend could also be a good guide. Both courses have very wide fairways and large, sloping bentgrass greens.

Last of all I wonder if last year's Women's Open at St Andrews' Old Course may be of use. Again we have extremely wide fairways and imposing, undulating greens that pose a seriously difficult short-game challenge.

THE FIELD

A deep field has assembled for this debuting event, headed by world #4 Ruoning Yin. She is joined by Lilia Vu (#5), Hyo Joo Kim (#7) and Ayaka Furue (#9) from the world's top 10.

There are 17 of the world's top 25 in attendance in total. This includes last week's first-time major winner, Mao Saigo, along with the four women she been in that playoff at Carlton Woods: Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn, Hyo Joo Kim and Lindy Duncan.

Black Desert Championship Odds

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Haeran Ryu 12/1, Minjee Lee 14/1, A Lim Kim 16/1, Charley Hull 18/1, Ayaka Furue 18/1, Ruoning Yin 18/1

It can be tricky to judge events right off the back of majors, let alone on a new course. Therefore, I'm going to avoid the very top of the betting this week.

I'm also steering clear of those who contended the playoff in that chaotic finish in Texas, instead beginning with a player who went well for most of last week before eventually finishing 9^th, Hye-Jin Choi.

1.5 pts Hye-Jin Choi each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 30/1

Choi is in the early stages of her fourth season on the LPGA and though still failing to earn that breakthrough win, the consistent Korean continues to knock at the door.

She ended last season with four top-10 finishes across her last six starts and has been solid at the start of this season, finishing no worse than 35^th in her first four events. A missed cut in the JM Eagle LA Championship two starts ago was her first on the LPGA since the US Women's Open in June last year and she immediately bounced back with that 9^th-place finish last week.

Her scoring has been strong this year, ranking 17^th in birdie or better %; aided by rankings of 25^th on the greens and 43^rd in approach. In addition, she also appears to have picked up some more length in 2025, currently ranking 47^th in driving distance.

Choi is a former #2 amateur and took to winning immediately in her native Korea when turning pro, notching up 12 victories in total on the KLPGA. Continually contending in the game's biggest events, having twice finished inside the top three in the US Women's Open, she has the ability to transfer that winning habit to this level, and this looks as good a place as any for her to do just that.

1.5 pts Ina Yoon each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 33/1

Choi’s fellow Korean, Ina Yoon is just at the start of her LPGA career having earned her card via Q-School last year. She’s shown promise so far and as a powerful ball-striking type who makes plenty of birdies, this looks a great spot for her.

Yoon missed the cut in the Founders Cup on her first start of the year but responded brilliantly the following week, finishing 4^th in a strong field in the Saudi Ladies International. She’s looked much more comfortable on the LPGA since and has recorded two top-25 finishes across her last four starts, which came in the Ford Championship and JM Eagle LA Championship.

Her approach play has been excellent, ranking 8^th and as the 14^th-longest driver on tour, she has the power to create plenty of chances for herself here. This is something she has done throughout the season so far, ranking 8^th in birdie or better %.

Yoon has had little time to build up any comp form but her 22^nd-place finish in the Ford Championship shows that she can perform at least solidly in a somewhat similar setting. Furthermore, that 4^th-place finish in Saudi came on an exposed desert course with generous fairways and large greens, much like she’ll encounter this week.

1 pt Celine Boutier each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 45/1

Celine Boutier has had a solid start to the season and with both her irons and putter currently firing, this proven desert performer looks a danger in this event.

Boutier recorded seven top-30 finishes in her first eight starts this season, going best when 7^th in the Founders Cup and reaching the quarterfinals of the T-Mobile Match Play, where she lost to eventual winner, Madelene Sagstrom. She did narrowly miss the cut for the first time of the season last week, but that monstrous layout wouldn’t be one at which I’d expect her skills to shine through.

That is to say that the Frenchwoman lacks power, but she makes up for that in other areas. Her putting has been particularly impressive, ranking 18^th and she’s also been a sound 38^th in approach. With both combined, it’s no surprise to see her rank a healthy 29^th in birdie or better %.

Boutier won a low-scoring desert event back in 2023, beating Georgia Hall in a playoff in the Drive On Championship. A top-five finish in Arkansas also bodes well, as does a win in the 2023 Women’s Scottish Open, where she again displayed her talent at performing on exposed courses with large greens and wide fairways.

1 pt Lilia Vu each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 45/1

Lilia Vu hasn’t been at her reliable best as yet this year. That being said, it was only three starts ago that she finished 2^nd in the Ford Championship and as one of the best putters on tour, this two-time major winner shouldn’t be underestimated.

Vu showed repeated improvement across her first three starts in 2025, finishing 61^st in the Honda LPGA Thailand, 29^th in the HSBC Women’s World Championship and 2^nd in the Ford Championship. She has missed the cut in the LA Championship since and comes into this week after an underwhelming 78^th-place finish in last week’s Chevron Championship. Although, I’m inclined to forgive anyone a bad week around that course.

The putter has done all of the heavy lifting, ranking 10^th this season. She was solid enough in approach in that 2^nd place finish in the Ford Championship and as a player who has won two of her five LPGA titles in scores of -19 or lower, she’s not afraid to go low.

Vu’s runner-up finish in Arizona could be a good pointer this week, and she also relied on her short-game prowess to finish 2^nd in last year’s Women’s Open at St Andrews. Results that offer plenty of encouragement that this classy player can collect her sixth LPGA title in Utah.

0.5 pts Bailey Tardy each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 275/1

I considered several players at three figures, but it’s bomber, Bailey Tardy who gets the nod. She’s one of few players in this field to have previously won in this state and with her only LPGA win coming on a generous driving course with large, undulating greens, she could well outplay her odds.

Tardy hit some positive form at the end of last year, recording two top 10s over her final three starts. She hasn’t quite managed to replicate that as yet in 2025 but I’m happy to take the chance on her turning that around on this suitable layout.

She’s all about power, ranking 11^th in driving distance on the LPGA in 2025 and should appreciate these extremely generous fairways. Meanwhile, her approach play has looked better recently, ranking inside the top 20 three starts ago in the Ford Championship.

Tardy’s first professional win came in the Copper Rock Championship on the Epson Tour in 2021, which is played at Copper Rock Golf Course – an exposed desert course located around a half-hour drive from this week’s venue. In addition, she can also draw inspiration from her win in last year’s Blue Bay LPGA, an event in which wide fairways and big, sloping greens are again the order of the day.

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