Seamus Energy obtained a well timed reminder that it takes only one good week to alter your profession trajectory when rookie Michael Brennan received the Financial institution of Utah Championship in his first PGA Tour begin.
The West Waterford man closed with a rollercoaster 72 and completed 59th at Black Desert Resort, rising only one spot to 134th within the rankings with the highest 100 set to maintain their playing cards.
Brennan (23) shot 66 to win a two-year exemption till the top of 2027 and exemptions into The Gamers Championship, the RBC Heritage and the US PGA Championship subsequent season.
“It feels superb,” Brennan mentioned after turning into the primary participant to win on a sponsor exemption since Nick Dunlap at The American Specific final 12 months.
“I get that perception from my household and pals, my staff. I imply, Jeff Kirkpatrick, my caddie, believes in me, I believe, greater than anybody, possibly aside from my mother and father.
“He informed me ever since we performed an awesome 12 months, ‘We’re not going to the Korn Ferry Tour.’ Whether or not it was, I do not know, by means of one thing like this or Q-College. I can not consider he is proper.”
Brennan received 3 times in 4 begins on the PGA Tour Americas to earn his Korn Ferry Tour card earlier than getting a sponsor exemption for Utah.
The previous Wake Forest star shot a seven-under 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over defending champion Matt McCarty into the ultimate spherical, then made 5 birdies on the entrance 9 to guide by 5.
He went on to win by 4 pictures from Rico Hoey on 22 beneath, transferring to ninety fifth within the FedExCup Fall standings and to forty third on the planet – a soar of 638 locations this 12 months.
Energy is 134th within the FedEx Cup Fall after a rollercoaster week, however nonetheless has three occasions to crack the highest 100 who can be absolutely exempt this 12 months.
The Tooraneena man (38) turned in two beneath par final evening however made only one par on the again 9 as he combined three birdies with 4 bogeys and a double bogey to complete 59th on 4 beneath.
He completed the week ranked forty second for proximity to the outlet and 63rd for Strokes Gained Placing, taking 30 putts on the primary day and 32 in every of the final three rounds.
He is 134th within the FedExCup fall standings and 177 factors outdoors the highest 100 with three occasions to go – the World Broad Know-how Championship in Mexico subsequent week (Nov 6-9), the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and the ultimate counting RSM Traditional in Sea Island.
The highest 125 will get conditional playing cards.
Energy is now 182nd on the planet rankings with Rory McIlroy second, Shane Lowry twenty fifth and Tom McKibbin 109th.
In the meantime, Darren Clarke tied for fifth as Padraig Harrington completed tied for thirty fourth behind wire-to-wire winner Steven Alker within the Simmons Financial institution Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Arkansas.
New Zealander Alker shot a three-under 69 to win his tenth seniors title by seven strokes from Tag Ridings and Richard Inexperienced on 22 beneath at Nice Valley Nation Membership in Little Rock.
Clarke shot 67 to complete joint fifth on 10-under, with two-time defending champion Harrington thirty fourth on two beneath after a 70.
The highest 36 in standings remained unchanged and now progress to this week’s Charl Schwab Cup Championship finale.
Alker moved forward of Miguel Angel Jimenez on the high of the season-long standings with Harrington ranked sixth and Clarke thirteenth.
In the meantime, European Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Ludvig Åberg are among the many newest stars confirmed for the DP World Tour Championship, going down from November 13-16 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The trio can be joined by Dubai residents Laurie Canter and Richard Mansell on the occasion, alongside the already introduced reigning Masters Champion and profession grand slam winner Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Højgaard, Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose – all a part of Europe’s triumphant 2025 Ryder Cup staff that claimed a primary away victory since 2012 – together with 2023 champion Nicolai Højgaard.
