Best Finish: David Ford
Ford closed with a 7-under 64 to finish T3 at 23 under, three shots behind the champion.
T3Grade A+
2026 Bank of Utah Championship Original Picks Report Card
Austin Smotherman won the championship at 26 under, two shots ahead of Doug Ghim. Smotherman was not one of the original CaddyBytes Top 15 selections.
The original board still produced five top-10 finishers. David Ford led the selections with a T3, Ben James finished T5, and Rico Hoey, Neal Shipley and Johnny Keefer tied for tenth.
The grades below cover only the selections published before the tournament. No player has been added to the board after the final result.
Original Picks — Final Results Snapshot
Top-Five Finish: Ben James
James posted four rounds in the 60s and finished T5 at 22 under.
T5Grade A+
Three More Top 10s
Rico Hoey, Neal Shipley and Johnny Keefer each finished T10 at 19 under.
HoeyShipleyKeefer
Cut Record
Thirteen of the 15 original selections reached the weekend. Coody and Silverman were the two missed cuts.
13 of 15Five top 10s
Final Grades for the Original CaddyBytes Top 15
The original ranking is preserved beside each player's final result.
| Original Rank | Player | Final Result | Grade | Final Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Brennan | T13 / −18 | B+ | A closing 65 recovered ground after a third-round 71 and produced a solid top-15 finish. |
| 2 | Jackson Koivun | T65 / −8 | D | Koivun reached the weekend but finished near the bottom of the final field after closing 70-70. |
| 3 | Matt McCarty | T53 / −11 | D+ | The No. 3 pick made the cut but never entered the championship conversation. |
| 4 | Ben James | T5 / −22 | A+ | Four rounds in the 60s delivered one of the strongest results on the original board. |
| 5 | Rico Hoey | T10 / −19 | A | Hoey closed with a 67 and supplied a top-10 finish. |
| 6 | Stephan Jaeger | T26 / −16 | B- | Jaeger stayed in position through three rounds before a final-round 72 pushed him outside the top 25. |
| 7 | Neal Shipley | T10 / −19 | A | Shipley posted four rounds in the 60s and earned a top-10 finish. |
| 8 | Pierceson Coody | MC / −4 | F | Rounds of 67 and 71 left Coody two shots below the 6-under cut. |
| 9 | David Ford | T3 / −23 | A+ | A final-round 64 lifted Ford into a tie for third and made him the best original pick. |
| 10 | Jackson Suber | T40 / −14 | C | Suber opened 66-65, then slipped back with weekend rounds of 69 and 70. |
| 11 | Max Homa | T26 / −16 | B- | Homa made the weekend and finished inside the top 30 after four steady rounds. |
| 12 | Chris Kirk | T21 / −17 | B | Kirk entered the weekend at 11 under and completed a top-25 result. |
| 13 | Johnny Keefer | T10 / −19 | A | A third-round 62 powered Keefer to the fifth top-10 result on the original board. |
| 14 | Seamus Power | T21 / −17 | B | Power followed an even-par opening round with 66-64-67 to finish inside the top 25. |
| 15 | Ben Silverman | MC / −5 | F | Silverman played rounds of 70 and 67 and missed the weekend by one shot. |
Top 15 final grade: B+. Five top-10 finishes and 13 made cuts carried the board, although the No. 2 and No. 3 picks finished T65 and T53 and the champion was not selected.
Final Grades for the Original Value Plays
Only the four value plays published before the tournament are graded here.
| Original Value Play | Final Result | Grade | Final Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Glover | MC / −5 | F | A second-round 65 followed an opening 72, leaving Glover one shot outside the weekend. |
| Justin Lower | T21 / −17 | B | Lower made the cut comfortably and closed 66-66 for a top-25 finish. |
| Marco Penge | T68 / −5 | D | Penge reached the weekend but finished tied for 68th after closing 71-73. |
| Pierceson Coody | MC / −4 | F | Coody missed the cut by two shots and also receives an F in the original Top 15. |
Value plays final grade: D+. Lower produced a useful T21, but Glover and Coody missed the cut and Penge finished T68.
CB Caddie Hunch Final Grade: D+
Matt McCarty — T53 at 11 under. McCarty made the cut but finished well outside contention after rounds of 70, 66, 71 and 66.
Final call: The hunch did not deliver the expected result.
Final Pick Accountability
Original Board Preserved
The Top 15 remains in its original order. No player was moved or added after tournament play began.
Original picks only
Winner Not Selected
Austin Smotherman won at 26 under but was not part of the original Top 15.
Not retroactively added
All 15 Picks Started
There were no late-withdrawal or no-grade cases among the original Top 15. Silverman and Coody played and missed the cut.
15 starters
Final Board Result
Five top-10 finishes, eight top-25 finishes and 13 made cuts produced the overall B+ grade.
Overall B+
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