Prepare to be amazed by the beautiful backdrop of the inaugural Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion, as the breathtaking surroundings will no doubt be a topic of conversation at one of the LPGA Tour’s new tournaments in 2025. This week, the Tour heads to Black Desert Resort in Southern Utah, which is surrounded by soaring red mountains and black lava rocks. That’s where 144 of the top players in women’s golf will compete for a purse of $3 million in the Tour’s return to Utah for the first time since the Riverside Ladies Open in 1964. Here’s a closer look at the five things you need to know about one of the Tour’s newest events.

ICYMI

It took the largest playoff in the Tour’s major history to determine the winner of The Chevron Championship on Sunday. Five players, the most ever to take part in a major playoff, went toe-to-toe on the par-5,18th hole after finishing regulation tied at 7-under. Ariya Jutanugarn, who led for much of the day, suffered a closing bogey and ultimately fell into a tie along with Ruoning Yin, Lindy Duncan, Hyo Joo Kim and Mao Saigo. It took just one hole to determine the winner, as Saigo was the only player who was able to convert her birdie effort for the win. Saigo became the fourth Rolex First-Time Winner of the year with her victory on Sunday. Saigo has two additional top 10s already in 2025 and is in the field again this week in Utah, along with the other four members of Sunday’s playoff.

The Field

In addition to the LPGA Tour’s newest major champion, Mao Saigo, there are over two dozen other major winners in the field this week in Southern Utah.

In Gee Chun, who was chasing the Career Grand Slam at The Chevron Championship, held the lead on Saturday afternoon but faded over the remainder of the championship to come away in a tie for 18th. The three-time major champion, who could still complete the Slam this summer with a win at the AIG Women’s Open, will tee it up again this week in Utah. Some of the other major champions in the field include athletes like Brooke Henderson, Anna Nordqvist, Yuka Saso, Celine Boutier, Yani Tseng, Georgia Hall, Stacy Lewis and Lilia Vu.

Also in the field is Cristie Kerr, who will make just her second start of the LPGA Tour season. The 20-time LPGA Tour winner’s only other start came at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass, where she missed the cut.

Two sponsor exemptions were awarded, with one going to the Epson Tour’s Christine Wang and the other being given to Ali Mulhall, a local resident of St. George, Utah. Wang is in her second season on the Epson Tour and has garnered attention through her social media presence. Wang outlasted an 18-hole match with two other Epson Tour members to secure her exemption this week. Mulhall is a local product and rising star in the junior ranks who has amassed more than 300 titles in addition to competing in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2021.

The Course

The Black Desert Resort is so new that it hasn’t yet officially opened to the public, and before it does so, the course will test the top-ranked players in women’s golf this week on a par-72 layout of 6,629 yards. Tom Weiskopf didn’t live to see his design completed, but it is certainly one of his most unique, as it winds through lava fields in Ivins, Utah. Once completed, the Black Desert Resort will have hotel offerings in addition to the golf course, dining and a water park.

PGA Tour at Black Desert Resort

In October 2024, the PGA Tour became the first circuit to host a professional golf tournament at the Black Desert Resort with the inaugural edition of the Black Desert Championship. Matt McCarty won by three strokes at 23-under to earn his first victory in only his second start since becoming a PGA Tour member. Throughout the week, players were challenged on the narrow layout to keep the ball within the fairway channels that are flanked by black lava rocks. Throughout the tournament, there were more than 200 penalties associated with balls ending up in the lava.

How to Watch

On Thursday, the 72-hole Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion gets underway, with all four rounds broadcast live on Golf Channel and NBC Digital. First- and second-round coverage airs on Thursday, May 1, and Friday, May 2, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on NBC Digital and then from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Golf Channel. Third-round coverage on Saturday, May 3, will run from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., and final-round coverage will take place on Sunday, May 4 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. All times are Eastern.

Five Things to Know About the 2025 Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion

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