Michael Brennan has won three PGA Tour-sanctioned events this year, but you almost certainly missed them.
The 24-year-old Brennan won eight times in college as a star at Wake Forest. He finished 12th in the PGA Tour University Rankings in 2024, which earned him a spot on the PGA Tour Americas. This year, Brennan won three times on that tour during a summer heater. Those wins propelled him to the top of the PGA Tour Americas points list and punched his ticket to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2026.
But the long-hitting kid from West Virginia hopes to bypass the KFT and head straight to the PGA Tour.
Brennan is in the field at this week’s Bank of Utah Championship on a sponsor’s invite, and he’s making the most of the opportunity. Brennan opened with rounds of 67 and 65 to take the co-lead into the weekend. The 23-year-old made a double bogey on his second hole on Saturday at Black Desert Resort, but he quickly bounced back, playing his final 16 holes in nine under to get to 17 under and take a two-shot lead into the final round.
A win on Sunday would give Brennan a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour as well as spots in the PGA Championship and Players Championship.
In short, in 18 holes on Sunday, everything could change for Michael Brennan.
“It would mean a lot,” Brennan said after shooting a seven-under 64 on Saturday. “It’s been my goal growing up to play on the PGA TOUR. I know my parents showed me things I wrote in kindergarten what my dream job is. It was always to play professional golf and to do so on the highest level.”
The Wake Forest product admitted he felt “a little nervous” as Saturday’s third round got underway. The double bogey on the second hole was frustrating, but he quickly stabilized things with a birdie on the fourth hole and then stuffed his second shot on the par-5 seventh to three feet to set up an eagle. From there, he was off and running on his way to a two-shot 54-hole lead over defending champion Matt McCarty.
Sunday will be a massive day for Brennan and his career. Yes, he has a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour next season, but chances to jump onto the PGA Tour are hard to come by. There’s no guarantee his ascent will continue in a straight line. As Brennan prepares for a potentially life-changing round on Sunday, he’ll lean on a simple motto that his agent always sends him.
“Treat it like it’s River Creek,” Brennan said of what his agent will text him. “That was a course I grew up playing and have some really, really fond memories playing with my family, brother, and a bunch of friends out there. That’s where I grew up basically was at the club. It’s a very kind of calming and peaceful place to me. So when I try to imagine I’m hitting shots, just a 7-iron I would hit at River Creek, makes me feel a little bit better out on the golf course.”
Brennan has built his two-shot lead with the driver. He leads the tournament in strokes gained: off the tee (5.912), driving distance (359.20 yards) and is fourth in driving accuracy (90.48%). He’s also ninth in putting and second in scrambling.
Brennan knows that anything can happen on a tournament Sunday.
Last year, he had a four-shot lead with nine holes to play during the final event of the PGA Tour Americas season. A win would have guaranteed Brennan a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour. He double bogeyed 13 and made a quad on 14 to finish T3. Brennan has said that he learned from that experience. While he was nervous on Saturday, he noted the nerves were no different from the ones he felt while leading and winning on the Americas Tour this year.
Sunday might be different. It might not. But Brennan plans to view the 18 holes in front of him as if they were on his home track and let the chips fall where they may. Eightteen holes to change everything.
“I have a great opportunity tomorrow, so try to take advantage of it, stay focused, but also play golf at River Creek,” Brennan said.
“We’ll see.”
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