If you can tear your eyes away from the stunning mountain vistas and red lava rock, the Bank of Utah Championship is delivering plenty of action at Black Desert Resort, where a former Ryder Cup star is making waves on the leaderboard.
Danish golfer Thorbjørn Olesen carded a 6-under 65 in the opening round and now sits as the +850 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. Joining him in the clubhouse with matching scores were David Lipsky and Jesper Svensson, while Cameron Champ, Paul Peterson, Justin Lower, Ryan Gerard, Jackson Suber, Nick Dunlap, and Frankie Capan III are all just one shot behind at 5-under.
Play was suspended as darkness fell, leaving several players with unfinished rounds. Among those still on the course, Austin Cook, Kevin Yu, and Takumi Kanaya set the early pace. Cook reached 6-under through 13 holes, Yu dropped from the lead to 4-under through 16, and Kanaya sits 4-under through 13.
Scoring has proven tougher this year compared with 2024, when Adam Svensson opened with a blazing 60 and eventual champion Matt McCarty started with a 62. Cooler temperatures in the 70s (down from last year’s 90s) have made the ball fly shorter and birdies harder to come by.
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Strong approach play has been the key for early leaders, with eight of the top 10 players in Strokes Gained: Approach sitting inside the top 12 on the leaderboard. Olesen also benefited from just 24 putts, highlighting his balanced game.
DraftKings Outright Odds Update:
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+850: Thorbjørn Olesen
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+1100: Kevin Yu
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+1200: Alex Noren
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+1200: Jesper Svensson
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+1800: Takumi Kanaya
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+1800: Ryan Gerard
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+2200: Cameron Champ
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+2500: Rico Hoey
From a betting perspective, there are both conservative and aggressive options to consider as the tournament unfolds.
Conservative Picks:
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Thorbjørn Olesen (+900 to win) – Olesen could see better odds when starting his second round. The eight-time DP World Tour winner has been in strong form with a T14 at the Sanderson Farms and T9 at the Spanish Open. While a PGA TOUR victory has eluded him, his approach and putting stats remain strong.
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Matt McCarty (+320 Top 10 and Ties) – The defending champion began T46 but has shown the ability to go low, as seen with a 60 in Japan last start. He remains a solid bet to challenge the top 10 again.
High-Risk, High-Reward Picks:
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Frankie Capan III (+8000 to win) – Despite ranking 167th on TOUR in SG: Approach this season, Capan III’s first-round performance was an outlier. He also posted a T6 at Sanderson Farms earlier this year, making a Top 10 bet (+450) a more reasonable option.
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Austin Cook (+7500 outright, +900 Top 5 and Ties) – Cook could surge in the morning wave, especially with an opportunity on the par-5 18th, though inconsistency has plagued him in recent events.
With plenty of leaderboard movement still to come and several players yet to finish their opening rounds, the Bank of Utah Championship promises an exciting mix of scoring, strategy, and live-betting intrigue.
