Austin Cook set the tone early at the Bank of Utah Championship. He trailed the lead share, retaking it with a 14-under performance on Thursday with plenty of other strong scores in his wake. It was literally the golfer’s last-minute entry into the tournament. He took advantage of his opportunity and made six birdies throughout his round. Nightfall made it impossible for officials to complete the stage at Black Desert, with the overall winner still unknown.
Cook’s journey to this point was anything but par for the course. Just weeks before coming to Utah, he turned in a stellar performance at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi. He subsequently played in the Spanish Open. After those events, he returned to his home in Dubai to recuperate. He did his homework and then set out to introduce himself to the people of Utah.
Cook’s entry was made possible when Erik van Rooyen suddenly withdrew from the tournament. This moment couldn’t come at a better time for Cook, who sits 116th in the FedEx Cup standings. This year, he is just playing his eighth start on the PGA Tour. He’s really done a tremendous job just getting himself in physical shape.
I’d almost say they were nonexistent this morning, Cook mentioned. Did some recovery stuff the last few days and just focused on trying to get my body ready for today.
Cook really started flexing his muscle down the stretch with a beautiful 20-foot birdie conversion on the reachable par-4 14th hole. As soon as he landed the shot, darkness cut the round short. Now, he’s tied for the lead with the other Republican competitors. Each player is battling mightily to climb as high as they can in the final standings of the FedEx Cup.
And with a few players brutally in the hunt to improve their positions on the tournament leaderboard. At the same time, Cook’s impressive performances keep him well positioned to continue collecting valuable ranking points. After all, he is a former PGA Tour winner, so he certainly knows how to do it. This adds to the buzz about his prospects for success at this marquee event.
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