{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/680a0159fcccdba3a5365c3e/6ac320b9ed21e3ea75593346?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Alker’s Grit & Smotherman’s Record - October 5th, 2026","description":"<p>On October 5th, 2026, we break down the Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort, highlighting Steven Alker&#39;s gutsy fourth victory of the year and Austin Smotherman&#39;s historic 54-hole scoring record.</p><p><br></p><h3>STEVEN ALKER&#39;S GRITTY VICTORY</h3><ul><li>Steven Alker captured his fourth victory of 2026 despite battling a debilitating back injury. Shifting his mindset toward patience to relieve internal pressure, he navigated the Black Desert Resort layout with masterful precision.</li><li>Secured his fourth win of the 2026 season.</li><li>After losing his regular caddie, Alker relied on a 19-year-old local named Wyatt to help guide him to the winner&#39;s circle.</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>AUSTIN SMOTHERMAN&#39;S MILESTONE WEEK</h3><ul><li>Making his 100th PGA Tour start, Smotherman set a 54-hole scoring record of 190. Despite a bunker-to-bunker double bogey on the 13th, a clutch 54-degree wedge on 17 kept his FedExCup Fall hopes alive.</li><li>&quot;I was actually kind of emotional after the putt lipped in... I just need to stay in my lane.&quot;</li><li>The broadcast perfectly captured his clutch 17th hole wedge shot, calling it: &quot;Started it on his line and it is pure.&quot;</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>DOUG GHIM &amp; THE VETERANS</h3><ul><li>Doug Ghim put on a ball-striking clinic, hitting 41 of 42 fairways through three rounds and firing a back-nine 29. Meanwhile, 47-year-old Kevin Streelman stayed right in the mix during his 489th career start.</li><li>Ghim showcased a bulletproof mindset, stating, &quot;Whether I am in seventy fifth or first, it will all be the same.&quot;</li><li>Ben James fired a bogey-free third-round 64, entering Sunday with the ultimate freewheeling mentality: &quot;I have nothing to lose tomorrow.&quot;</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>UTAH LOCALS SHOW OUT</h3><ul><li>Local favorites delivered massive fireworks, led by college star Kihei Akina securing a top-10 finish and a spot in Bermuda. Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn also thrilled the home crowds with aggressive course management.</li><li>Fishburn learned from a round-one mistake to lay up on the 5th, while calling the pins on 11 and 13 &quot;nearly impossible.&quot;</li><li>Akina swapped his caddie for a family friend and hit a jaw-dropping 275-yard mini driver off the deck on the 72nd hole, while Blair matched the energy with his own driver off the deck on 18.</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Quick Hits</h3><p>Patrick Fishburn&#39;s near hole-in-one on the 15th • Zac Blair capitalizing on softer conditions for a bogey-free weekend • Ben James&#39;s Sunday scoring history</p>","author_name":"Golf.ai"}