Michael Brennan turned a sponsor exemption into a PGA Tour victory Sunday, closing with a 5-under 66 to win the Bank of Utah Championship by four shots at Black Desert.
In his first PGA Tour start as a professional, the 23-year-old Wake Forest alum became the first sponsor exemption to win since Nick Dunlap captured The American Express in January 2024 as an amateur.
The win means Brennan gets to skip the Korn Ferry Tour entirely and head straight to the PGA Tour with a two-year exemption. He’ll also earn spots in the PGA Championship and the $20 million RBC Heritage.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Brennan said. “Winning golf tournaments is one of the better feelings in the world. It takes a lot to play professional golf, and I have such a great team behind me.”
Brennan’s dominance at Black Desert mirrors his recent tear on PGA Tour Americas. He was ranked No. 451 in the world after the South America portion, but then won three times in a four-tournament stretch in Canada (with one win in Minnesota) and posted eight top-10s in 10 starts.
Starting the final round with a three-shot lead, Brennan quickly took control with three birdies in his first five holes to stretch his advantage to five shots. Rico Hoey (67) briefly got within three shots after a two-shot swing at the 10th, but Brennan responded immediately.
On the 12th hole, he hammered a drive that rolled out to an eye-popping 411 yards, setting up an easy birdie. He then drove the par-4 14th green with a 3-wood for another birdie that effectively sealed the tournament.
The only hiccup came on the final hole when he put his second shot into a deep pit with lava rocks, took an unplayable lie penalty, and closed with a bogey. He finished at 22-under 262, comfortably ahead of Hoey.
What makes this win even more significant is that Brennan now has a realistic path to the Masters. His summer success in Canada, combined with Sunday’s victory, has moved him just inside the top 50 in the world rankings. If he maintains that position through the end of the year, he’ll earn an invitation to Augusta National.
Hoey’s runner-up finish moved him from No. 91 to No. 61 in the FedExCup standings, securing his PGA Tour card for 2026.
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (68) and defending champion Matt McCarty (70) were among those who tied for third at 16-under 268. Olesen’s finish bumped him up 19 spots to No. 97 in his quest to maintain full status next year.
Brennan’s caddie, Jeff Kirkpatrick, apparently saw this coming. During Brennan’s hot summer run, Kirkpatrick predicted they would bypass the Korn Ferry Tour entirely and make it straight to the PGA Tour.
“I can’t believe he’s right,” Brennan said with a laugh.
