BANK OF UTAH CHAMPIONSHIP

October 2, 2026

Austin Smotherman

Black Desert Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. You match your career low score today with a 9-under 62. Can we get some comments on the day overall.

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Yeah, felt like I was rolling it good yesterday. Today just continued more of that. It felt like these 8- to 15-footers are going in, which is something I've been working on a good bit. And then I've had some long lag putts, including the one on 18 just now that I feel like I'm just hitting a little bit more closer and comfortable from that six foot and in range. I made the par saves. Yesterday I had to hack out yesterday after hitting in the lava rock and got up-and-down with a 9-iron from 175. So that kind of was kept yesterday's round in it. Today it was just very steady, a lot of greens, a lot of fairways, a couple tight wedges, it's what you got to do to shoot 9-under.

Q. You birdie the last three holes today, talk us there that stretch.

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Good drive on 16, little down slope lie, 155. Just trying to hit a nice choked down pitching wedge that covers that front edge by four or five steps. Had a 9-footer breaking right-to-left.

15-, 20-footer on 17 breaking right to left.

Had the little downhill left-to-right putt on 18. Good drive on 18 with a little bit of wind into. Had a hybrid which I was trying to get a little bit deeper into the green not have to have like 115 feet or something there, but that was a good feeling to get that last one down.

Q. Is there anything in particular you've been working on that you think has helped lead you to perform so well these first couple days?

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Having a week off last week was kind of nice. I started practicing some shots at elevation. We played Asheville at some elevation to start the year, and then last week stayed on that same mindset with Trackman and GCQuad and putting it down and getting ready for ball going a little bit farther, which it heats up so fast here you got to know your yardages pretty quick. I felt like I've done a good job with that. Hitting a bunch of greens pin high and giving myself more looks.

As far as putting goes, just grinding from 18 feet and in kind of just getting 'em to the hole a bit more often. And then I made my occasional long ones this week. So just doing all the things you do every single week and they're just going in this week.

Q. Were you aware of the leaderboard at all toward the end of yesterday's round?

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Yesterday's round? I did see a bunch of guys at 8-under. We birdied a couple coming in yesterday as well. So, I mean, I was just -- I turned in 9-under I think and then shot a 5-under on my second nine. But I don't mind looking at it on a Thursday, Friday. Tomorrow might be, I mean, I'll probably know where I stand without having to look at it as much. It's different when they're definitely kind of trying to get your attention to the leaderboard, but they're out there, I mean I just, I soak it in.

Q. Following that up today the way you did, were you finding yourself, was it any easier to focus on your shots?

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Yeah, seeing how low you can go kind of thing. That's kind of a shift in mindset and kind of the pressure, not just executing. You're going to be in a good spot just making pars, but still able to make a few birdies coming in was kind of the mindset we had, my caddie and I, to stay on the gas kind of thing. Which this course provides. Even if you have a tricky shot, a good two shots on 18 gets you an eagle look. We knew we were going to get one of the last three was kind of our mindset. Then we ended up making the putts when we got 'em.

Q. Final group tomorrow, does that add any extra pressure?

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: I'm looking forward to it. These last couple days, it's tough for some spectators to get into the bulk of the golf course just with how the paths work and whatnot, so hopefully we get some good crowds out here in St. George and Ivins. And then, Kevin Roy, if I get paired with him, we're good buddies. His caddie lives in Dallas. We were on the same flight sitting one row apart, so it will be some good banter.

Q. You're mostly a self-taught player. Most of the guys we talk to coming into either Asheville or here were talking about taking a couple months or weeks or whatever working on their game. Is it any different for you, is there anybody you talk to about your game while you have those breaks?

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Yeah, so I worked with Cameron McCormick for 13 years. So I have a swing coach, but he's still the only coach I've ever had. As far as self taught, I grew up with no official coach until I was a sophomore in college. I got put in touch with Cam and from there on we've never really strayed. This year I started working with Josh Gregory on putting and so this off-season I spent my third week off with having not touched a club I flew to Eugene, Oregon to go get fit up at the L.A.B studio there, saw their headquarters where they produce every custom putter in the country, like 1,200 putters a day or something like that. It's wild. But I went through a whole putter fitting and ended up in the putter I'm playing now. I played it a week before Asheville and then this is my second week in tournament play with it. So it's working out pretty nice. So I would say that's kind of the thing, as far as who I talk to, some of my manufacturers, little things, little tweaks. But I put the clubs up for a full three weeks which felt like an eternity.

Q. Seems like you like the elevation, maybe the desert suits you.

AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN: Yeah, it's a fun walk. I feel like you got to focus so much on where you're stepping you lose track of all the golf shots you're trying to hit or think too far ahead, you're just really trying to be where your feet are, trying not to slip on some of these lava rock paths. But that's okay, we'll survive.