Bank of Utah Championship Leaderboard: PGA Tour sponsor invite Michael Brennan leads

Michael Brennan isn’t a name most golf fans had on their radar heading into this week's Bank of Utah Championship on the PGA Tour— but the 23-year-old American is changing that fast.

Playing on a sponsor exemption, Brennan surged to the top of the leaderboard on Friday with a superb 6-under-par 65 at Black Desert, giving him a one-shot lead when play was halted for darkness in the second round.

The former Wake Forest standout produced a moment to remember with a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 9th, capping off a day that has put him in pole position at 10-under par. 

"It’s very exciting to be in a Tour event," said Brennan.

"I wasn’t sure I was going to play any this fall, so to have the opportunity is awesome. 

"I’m just very grateful to be here — it’s been a really fun week so far. Hopefully, it stays that way."

Brennan earned his Korn Ferry Tour card just weeks ago after a sensational run on the PGA Tour Americas, where he won three times in a four-event stretch and topped the season-long points list. 

His late-summer burst cemented his status as one of the most exciting young players rising through the ranks.

Brennan is ranked 111st in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). 

"Playing on the Americas Tour this year gave me so much great experience," Brennan added.

"I feel like I’ll definitely be more prepared for this weekend after having those experiences. I know it’s not the same level, but I’m going to try to treat it the same and see what happens."

If he can hold his nerve through the weekend, Brennan could turn a sponsor’s invite into one of the breakout stories of the PGA Tour season.

The last sponsor exemption to win on the PGA Tour was Nick Dunlap at the 2024 American Express. 

There is a total prize of $6m at the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship. 

Just one shot back sits a trio of players at 9-under par — Pierceson Coody (64), Jackson Suber (67) and Justin Lower (67) — all of whom are fighting to secure vital FedEx Cup points in the race to stay inside the top 100 by season’s end.

Suber currently sits 127th in the FedEx Cup standings, Lower 129th, and Coody 133rd — each of them desperate for a strong finish with only three events remaining before the cutoff for full PGA Tour status in 2026.

Defending champion Matt McCarty made a blistering start to his second round, racing to a 7-under 28 on his opening nine (the back nine of the course), before cooling off to finish with a 65. 

McCarty sits at 8-under par and started the week 84th in the FedEx Cup standings.

David Ford is also on that score with six holes to play after the second consecutive day of darkness suspension.

First-round leader Thorbjørn Olesen slipped slightly with a 70 to sit at 7-under par alongside a resurgent Sahith Theegala (67), while Max Homa — who was seen limping throughout his round — battled through a painful bone spur in his right foot to card a 66 and reach 6-under par. 

Play will resume early Saturday before the third round begins at Black Desert. 

With several players hovering within striking distance and FedEx Cup survival on the line, all eyes will be on whether Brennan can hold off the chasing pack and turn a sponsor’s exemption into a career-defining victory.

South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter, who won the Rocket Classic in June, withdrew ahead of the second round.

Potgieter's WD sent golf social media into a frenzy, with many fans suggesting he could be in line for a move to LIV Golf in 2026.