Who won the first PGA Tour Black Desert Championship? -Deseret News

There may not be a hotter golfer on the planet right now than Matt McCarty.

McCarty, a 26-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, won his fourth golf tournament in the last three months, overtaking several PGA Tour veterans to win the inaugural Black Desert Championship on Sunday afternoon in southern Utah.

The left-hander, who played collegiately at Santa Clara, shot a 4-under 67 at 261 and secured a three-shot victory at Black Desert Golf Course in Ivins. The tournament was the first regular PGA Tour event in Utah since the Utah Open Invitational in 1963.

“It was a lot of fun,” McCarty told the Golf Channel. “I knew if I played well I would have a chance, but I don't know how you can expect that. The last few months have been crazy for me.”

Stephan Jaeger, who won a PGA event in Houston earlier this year, finished second at 20-under 264. Former US Open champion Lucas Glover stormed from 28th place to start the day at 265 with a 9-under-par 62 to tie for third place with Kevin Streelman, another former tour winner.

Germany's Matti Schmid matched Glover's 62 on Sunday and took fifth place with 266.

McCarty, who earned $1.35 million with the win, started the day with a two-shot lead over four golfers and maintained the lead throughout the day. His first bogey came on a three-putt on No. 12, shrinking his lead to one shot.

But on the 310-yard par-4 14th, he hit his drive within four feet, rolled in the putt for eagle and followed it up with a birdie on No. 15 to extend his lead to four feet.

Three of McCarty's victories this year have come on the Korn Ferry Tour, including his win at the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Missouri in late July.

By winning three Korn Ferry events this year, McCarty secured automatic promotion to the PGA Tour and made his season debut last week in Mississippi, where he finished in a tie for 63rd, just his third PGA event ever.

As part of his rise to No. 1 on the Korn Ferry Tour this year, McCarty finished in a tie for second place at the Utah Championship at Oakridge CC in early August.

Zac Blair, the only one of nine Utah golfers still in the field after the 36-hole cutoff, had his worst round of the week, a 4-over 75, to finish in 66th place with a 282. He earned $15,975 to improve his season earnings to $995,247.