PGA Tour: Austin Smotherman Wins the Bank of Utah Championship
Austin Smotherman won the Bank of Utah Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour’s fall schedule, and with it his first career PGA Tour title. I don’t have the final scoreboard in front of me this week, so I won’t quote a winning number or margin. You can check the full results on the PGA Tour leaderboard. Here’s why this one is worth your attention anyway.
Golf.com’s recap of the week points out that Smotherman wasn’t the only winner at Bank of Utah. The fall events mean different things to different players. Some guys are chasing a first trophy, some are protecting status, and some just want momentum before the new season. A first win beats all of those, and Smotherman got it.
Smotherman’s Gear: L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i Putter and a 7-Year-Old Hybrid
This is the part I like best, because it’s about equipment. Smotherman’s win was the first PGA Tour victory for L.A.B. Golf’s VZN.1i putter, the company’s newest mallet. A new putter getting a tour win this quickly is what a marketing department dreams about. I’m staying measured, though. One week doesn’t tell you whether a putter will fit your stroke, and I don’t have pricing or availability details for the VZN.1i yet. If you’re a mallet player who has been curious about L.A.B.’s approach, put it on your list for a fitting. Just don’t buy it because of a leaderboard.
The other note comes from his winning WITB. Smotherman carries a 7-year-old hybrid. That’s a long time in this industry, and the equipment companies would love for you to believe a club is obsolete after two seasons. Yet a tour winner still trusts a hybrid that old. If you have one you hit well, don’t let a launch event talk you out of it.
DP World Tour, LIV Golf, LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions
I don’t have verified results for the other four tours this week, and I’m not going to guess. For the latest, try the official sources: the DP World Tour leaderboard, the LIV Golf leaderboard, the LPGA tournaments page and the PGA Tour Champions leaderboard. Once the final numbers are confirmed, I’ll come back with winners and context.
Tom Kim Wins at the Asian Games
The biggest non-tour story of the week is Tom Kim’s win at the Asian Games. Golf.com’s writers called it life-altering in the latest Tour Confidential. I won’t speculate on what it changes for him, since I don’t have details beyond that framing. Golf rarely gets this kind of national-pride stage, so a win here carries real weight. The same discussion also wrapped up the 2026 Presidents Cup, so it’s worth a read if you want the leftover storylines from that event.
TGL Signs Jackson Koivun to Motor City Golf Club
TGL made an offseason move you may have missed. It signed Jackson Koivun, who won the 3M Open in his third pro start, to Motor City Golf Club, and Golf.com explains why the signing matters. The league has put its energy into landing young talent with name recognition, and Koivun fits that. Whether you love the indoor format or not, the roster decisions will tell you if it has staying power. I’ll be watching how the teams use him.
Equipment and Industry News
Club Champion at Kiawah Island. Club Champion is expanding to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, with a new mobile fitting studio. If you’re headed to Kiawah for a golf trip, a fitting is a smart way to use some downtime. It’s the best money you can spend in golf, and it beats guessing off a rack.
USGA GHIN app upgrade. The USGA has unveiled an upgraded GHIN mobile app with an easier interface. It’s pitched as a companion for before, during and after every round. If you post scores you’ll be using it anyway, so take a look at what’s changed.
Skechers World Champions Cup. Captains Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen and Justin Leonard have revealed their teams for the Skechers World Champions Cup, which supports Shriners Children’s. Major champions and World Golf Hall of Fame members headline the three squads, and Leonard is among the new Skechers brand ambassadors.
Club culture and apparel. One piece for club managers and members looks at how racquet sports can grow club culture and memberships, using North Carolina’s Hope Valley Country Club as the model. On the apparel side, Johnnie-O has debuted its 2026 Lodge Collection, with new fall colorways aimed at easy layering.
What r/golf Is Talking About
This week’s Monday weekend recap thread is the place to see how everyday golfers spent their weekends. Two other threads stood out. One poster described a bad experience at a 27-hole public course, even though the staff there is usually pleasant. Another golfer is planning a first vacation in several years to Maui and wants at least three rounds if the weather cooperates. My answer to that one is simple: book the rounds early and don’t overthink it!
The Takeaway
If you’re deciding what to do with your own bag, Smotherman’s week gives you two answers. A new putter is worth a fitting if you’ve been struggling on the greens, and an old hybrid is worth keeping if it works. I’ll be back next week with confirmed results from the tours I couldn’t cover here.
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