2024 Black Desert Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Black Desert Resort

Lava once surged through the grounds of Ivins, Utah: in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption some 30,000 years ago.

The lava eventually hardened, making for a unique terrain and agronomy. Basalt rock remnants dot the Southern Utah ground today.

The great Tom Weiskopf was determined to carve a golf course out of this fascinating lava rock, his final project before he died in 2022.

The result? A breathtaking 18-hole course forged by lava and contrasted with stunning views of the Rockies in the backdrop. An extraterrestrial masterpiece. But don't take my word for it -- take a look.

The Black Desert Championship is the third event out of eight on the fall swing. There has been tons of movement through the first two events, as players battle for Tour cards and positioning. Look no further than Patton Kizzire and Kevin Yu. Kizzire moved up from 132nd to 70th with his win at the Procore, while Yu catapulted up 36 spots into 60th place.

The PGA Tour returns to Utah for the first time in over 60 years.

Along with Weiskopf, architect Phil Smith was instrumental in the development process. The foreignness of the terrain demanded two of golf's most creative minds.

But the process was abnormal in another way -- the course did not open until late May 2023. It is largely unprecedented for a course to open and host a PGA Tour event all within roughly a year and a half.

At 7,371 yards and as a par 71, the course is average in length (after accounting for elevation). As far as difficulty goes, the course should not be overly challenging. There will, however, be tons of doglegs and blind shots that will test players in ways that typical Tour courses do not. Scoring is expected to be low once again, as we have seen in the previous two fall events.

The fairways are wide and the rough is forgiving. The course defends itself with unpredictable runoff areas: players could find themselves on tricky desert patches or rocky areas that come with the lava-infused terrain. The greens are also large and undulating.

The two most important criteria this week are driving accuracy and putting on bentgrass greens. These low-scoring tournaments tend to turn into a putting contest at times, so players will need to make a ton of birdies and eagles to stay in contention.

As we saw with Castle Pines at the BMW Championship, golf belongs out west. The courses, terrain, and atmosphere offer something distinct, perhaps more enticing than the usual Tour venues. This week marks the return of the PGA Tour to Utah, and for the golf world at large, it's an encouraging sign for the future.

Side Note: Black Desert Resort is public -- put it on your golf destination list.

Let's dive into this week's power rankings.