Patrick Fishburn enters the Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort needing strong results to secure full PGA Tour status for 2027 after a difficult start to his season. The Utah native missed six cuts in his first eight starts but has since reached the weekend in nine of his last 11 events.
Fishburn will compete alongside several other Utah players including Rhett Rasmussen and Carson Lundell, who qualified through Monday's open qualifier, plus BYU's Kihei Akina who received a sponsor exemption. The 32-year-old said the strong Utah contingent reflects the high level of golf development in his home state.
The tournament takes place at Tom Weiskopf's final design, which ranks first among Utah public courses and 30th nationally among resort courses. Fishburn described the layout as intimidating off the tee with landing areas obscured by rock formations, requiring players to pick targets on hillsides and trust their swings.
Playing close to home brings additional emotions for Fishburn, who has competed in St. George since age 8 when he played his first Utah Junior Golf Association event at Dixie Red Hills. He emphasized the importance of staying level-headed while competing in front of family and friends during this crucial stage of his season.