Zach Bauchou closed his bogey-free round with birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 to post a 9-under-par 62 and take the outright lead at the Bank of Utah Championship on Thursday in Ivins, Utah.
The PGA Tour rookie was part of a seven-way tie for the lead at 8 under when he two-putted for birdie at the par-5 finishing hole at Black Desert Resort.
Bauchou, 30, is not only hunting for his first PGA Tour title but also is aiming to maintain his tour card in the FedEx Cup Fall series. He entered the week No. 86 in the points standings and would rocket to No. 51 with a win.
The top 100 players at the end of the fall earn full status for 2027, and finishing in Nos. 51-60 gets players into the first two signature events of next season.
Nine players wound up tied one back at 63: David Lipsky, Steven Fisk, Kevin Roy, Kevin Streelman, Nick Dunlap, Austin Smotherman, Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and Englishman Jordan Smith, who holed out for albatross at No. 18 to finish 5 under over his last three holes.
South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Canadian Nick Taylor, fresh off competing in the Presidents Cup last week, opened the tournament with rounds of 7-under 64 and are tied with defending champion Michael Brennan, John VanDerLaan, Garrick Higgo of South Africa and Rico Hoey of the Philippines.
Joel Dahmen and Max Homa were part of a tie for 17th at 6-under 65.
