Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
IVINS — The careers of Utah golfers Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn have followed remarkably similar paths.
The two Utah-born golfers both graduated from Fremont High, played college golf for Bruce Brockbank at BYU, won a state amateur and Utah Open title, and began their pro careers at roughly the same time — Blair, 34, in 2014 and Fishburn, 32, just four years later.
So when the two had the chance to be among the local headliners of the Black Desert Championship and usher in the PGA Tour's first professional event in more than 60 years, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
"I moved to Ogden when I was in sixth or seventh grade. Patrick's brother was the basketball coach," Blair recalled while sitting next to Fishburn at a media event for the tournament Wednesday. "We probably met before then golfing. ... He's a little younger than me."
"Just two," Fishburn quipped.
"Two, two years younger than me," Blair corrected himself. "Yeah, my math was off. That was altitude. Didn't do the right adjustment there.
"We played junior golf together, too. Maybe saw him down here playing Dixie Red Hills, too."
Fast forward nearly three decades, and the former Cougars-turned-pros will tee off together on the No. 1 tee at 12:52 p.m. MDT Thursday at the newly created golf course built by Southern Utah developer Patrick Manning — one that will host events on both the PGA and LPGA tours this year.
Could the two native Utahns have an advantage?
"Yeah, you never know," Fishburn said, with a laugh. "Of course. Playing at altitude is definitely different, for sure. I grew up in Ogden playing Ogden Country Club, which is probably 4,000 feet elevation, and we're probably 3,000 here. The ball just does different things.
"With the heat this week, there is just a lot of different factors. If you're maybe not used to that, it'll cause a few more calculations going on in the brain, which for me personally, less calculation the better."
They won't be alone with the home-stage advantage. Former 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir, another BYU alum, will tee off 10 minutes ahead of Fishburn and Blair, and American golfer Mark Hubbard.
That will follow former BYU golfer Peter Kuest, a Fresno, California, native who now makes his home in American Fork, at 9:30 a.m. MDT.
Then there's Kihei Akina, the Lone Peak senior and top-rated boys' golfer in the country who has committed at BYU; Corner Canyon senior Bowen Mauss, who received one of two sponsor exemption from the DP World Tour (Europe)/Korn Ferry Tour/Q-School category); BYU golfer Zac Jones, another unrestricted sponsor exemption; and Jay Don Blake, the former Utah State star and NCAA national medalist who will make his 500th career start on the PGA Tour when he tees off Thursday at 2:13 p.m. MDT on the back tees.
That's in addition to PGA Tour names like Kurt Kitayama, who earned a three-year exemption to the event after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year; former Utah Championship winner Patton Kizzire; PGA Tour regular Camilo Villegas; and C.T. Pan, one of four players competing on a major medical exemption.
65-year-old Jay Don Blake will make his 500th career TOUR start in his home state this week, playing on a sponsor exemption @BDChampionship.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 8, 2024
The Utah native was overcome with emotion when he was surprised with news while surrounded by family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ygSC3oiyWw
But few have the same motivation as Fishburn, who ranks 85th in the FedEx Cup fall standings after four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour that included a T4 finished paired with Blair at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April, as well as a third-place finish at last month's Procore Championship.
"It's been a lot better than where I started. Started of really rough," said Fishburn, who missed the cut in seven of his first eight starts to the season. "I was not playing good.
"It's better now," he added. "I've been playing a lot better. Made some equipment changes with the driver, putter; just kind of progressively got a little more comfortable. Rookie year, you're trying to get your footing. You're trying to figure things out, courses are a bit different, a little more challenging. ... Lately, I've been playing pretty consistent and I like playing in the state of Utah — got a lot of experience playing at altitude, obviously. The dry desert air, a lot of factors I just feel comfortable with. Hopefully it turns out."
Ditto for Blair, who ranks 110th in the FedEx Cup fall standings with a pair of top-10 finishes in 2024.
Neither Utah native would be offended by a strong finish on home soil, though, in a state where sports is expanding faster than a long drive off the back tees.
"It's exciting. Utah is kind of the state of sport, so another big event coming to Utah is awesome," Fishburn said. "Utah fans, people get behind the Jazz and we got a new hockey team, you know, and BYU and Utah and all the colleges.
"This is just another big event that I think we'll get a lot of people coming out to. It's exciting to have something in your home state. ... (It's) going to be a cool opportunity."
