Ghim, Ford, Crowe Climb FedEx Cup Fall Standings at Bank of Utah
By Staff Writer
3 min read
LoopGolf
Key takeaways
- Doug Ghim's runner-up finish at the Bank of Utah Championship moved him from 89th to inside the top 60 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
- Ghim has made 116 of 192 career cuts and earned more than $10 million on the PGA Tour without a win.
- David Ford shot a weekend 65-64 to finish T3, climbing from 158th to 124th in the standings with six fall events left.
- Trace Crowe, two events back from a broken wrist, led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and moved to 117th.
- The top 100 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings keep their 2027 PGA Tour cards without needing a medical extension.
Austin Smotherman claimed his first PGA Tour title at the Bank of Utah Championship on Sunday, but the finish also reshuffled the FedEx Cup Fall standings for several players chasing different versions of 2027 security.
How did Doug Ghim's runner-up finish change his status?
Ghim shot to within two strokes of Smotherman, his best chance yet at a maiden PGA Tour win in his 192nd start. He entered the week 89th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings; the runner-up finish lifted him into the top 60, putting him in position for spots in the first two Signature Events of 2027 if he finishes the fall strong. Now 30, Ghim has made 116 of 192 cuts since earning full status for the 2020 season and has earned more than $10 million on the course without a victory.
What pushed David Ford into the top 124?
Ford earned his PGA Tour card by finishing No. 1 in last season's PGA Tour University standings, then battled tendonitis and an ankle impingement that cost him three months this year. He missed the cut in his fall return at Asheville before going 65-64 on the weekend at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, to finish T3. That result moved him from 158th to 124th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings with six events remaining. Ford can use a medical extension next year if he finishes outside the top 100, but a strong close to the fall would let him avoid it.
Why does Trace Crowe's finish matter after a broken wrist?
Crowe, 29, missed the season's first 11 events with a broken wrist and made just 8 of 13 cuts once he returned, finishing the regular season 153rd in the standings. His form has turned in the fall: a T38 at the Wyndham Championship, a T24 in Asheville, and now a T3 in Utah, where he led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. Crowe has moved to 117th and is eyeing a finish that lets him avoid using a major medical extension in 2027. He will skip this week's limited-field Baycurrent Classic in Japan and plans to return at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in three weeks.
I'm playing everything until they say we can't play anymore.
That line, from Crowe after his round, captures the stakes of a fall stretch where a trophy is possible but a card is often the real prize.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the 2026 Bank of Utah Championship played?
The tournament was played at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah.
How did Doug Ghim's runner-up finish affect his FedEx Cup Fall standing?
He jumped from 89th into the top 60, putting him in position for spots in the first two Signature Events of 2027 if he finishes the fall strong.
Why does David Ford have a medical extension available?
He missed three months this season with tendonitis and an ankle impingement, which qualifies him for a medical extension if he finishes outside the top 100 in the standings.
What's next for Trace Crowe?
He skips this week's limited-field Baycurrent Classic in Japan and returns at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in three weeks.
- Doug Ghim
- David Ford
- Trace Crowe
- FedEx Cup Fall
- Bank of Utah Championship
- Black Desert Resort
- PGA Tour standings
