Michael Brennan rises from PGA Tour Americas to PGA Tour winner in weeks. Stephan Jaeger also finds his form again.
Just weeks ago, Michael Brennan was competing on the PGA Tour Americas. Now, after three wins this season, a promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour, and a sponsor exemption to the Bank of Utah Championship, he is a PGA Tour champion. Brennan finished the tournament at 22-under-par, four strokes ahead of Rico Hoey from the Philippines. Hoey, in turn, had a two-shot lead over a group of six players tied for third. Stephan Jaeger also showed signs of a comeback with a T11 finish.
Michael Brennan wins Bank of Utah Championship
Brennan entered the final round with the lead and quickly extended it with five birdies on the front nine, building a five-shot cushion. A bogey on the 10th after finding a bunker allowed Hoey to close the gap slightly, but Brennan responded with two more birdies. Even with a final bogey on the 18th, he remained comfortably ahead. “My mental strength or focus has improved significantly,” Brennan said when asked about the key to his recent success. “Technically, I’ve also improved a lot around and on the greens. I think that showed this week.”
Stephan Jaeger finds form again
Stephan Jaeger delivered a bogey-free final round to finish T11. After a slow start to the tournament, he improved steadily over the next three rounds, narrowly missing out on a top-10 finish. It marks his best PGA Tour result since placing seventh at the Truist Championship in May. Following several mid-field finishes and missed cuts, Jaeger proved he still has top-tier performances in him.
Jeremy Paul, meanwhile, dropped down the leaderboard with a final-round 72. He struggled off the tee and on the greens. Starting on the 10th hole, he laid up on the par-4 13th and failed to reach the green in regulation. On his second nine, two of his drives found the rocky, sandy terrain surrounding the course, costing him two strokes and resulting in a T51 finish.