In the second round of the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship, Matt McCarty goes out in 28 on his way to a 6-under 65, getting him to 8-under for the tournament and just two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend as he looks to defend his 2024 title.
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With just three tournaments left in the 2025 schedule after this week at the Bank of Utah Championship, every shot and every FedExCup point counts even more than usual. The field is chock-full of proven winners, up-and-coming stars and more as they take on the unique Black Desert Resort, which was cut through a lava field. Alex Noren is the top-ranked golfer teeing it up in Utah. The Swede won twice this summer on the DP World Tour and finished tied for 27th in Japan after joining Luke Donald’s leadership squad as a vice captain for the winning European Team at the Ryder Cup. Matt McCarty will defend his title in Utah after his breakthrough TOUR title a year ago. McCarty’s best finish of the season was a T4 at the RBC Canadian Open and comes into his title defense off a T14 in Japan, where he shot an incredible final-round 60 – which featured a run of eight birdies in a row. Joining them are other star players such as Australia’s Jason Day, Aldrich Potgieter, and Billy Horschel.
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trying to become just the second player on tour this year to defend a championship. And next on the team from Bonavra Beach, Florida, please welcome Mr. Billy Horell. Hello, Billy. They joked about how she actually beat his score. She was 25 under. He was 23 under. She’s a heck of a ball striker. Maybe get an assist off McNeely’s ball. Stay on that top shelf. There you go. Good shot there for the defending champ. So now look like this should work back to his right just a touch. Very nice. So the defending champion moves to three under now. Matt Mccardi from 50 yards closer. Good hole location or the lefty. Good birdie. How about it? Backto back for Matt McCarti. Second shot for Mccardi. 168. Well, he’s playing this hole the right way. Ball slightly below his feet while the rocks blocking the view of the putting surface, but that’s on a very nice line and it’ll come down that slope that Billy Horchel was trying to use. Getting better and better. That’s course knowledge right there from Matt McCarti. How good was that shot? It’s not even that hard. I have a tapping birdie butt here. What are you guys doing? Three birdies in his first four holes for the defending champ. And just like that, he’s at five under. And currently in a tie for fourth, Mccardi less than driver at 14. Trying to draw something in there. His little left to right draw that he hits. Overdrew it on this one. He will have a lot more green to work with though today with where the whole location is. Back right. He’s a player who’s not afraid to get the leading edge involved. Well, when you’re not afraid, it can give you so much confidence because a lot of players are afraid to get that leading edge involved. That was a beautiful shot there, Pep for McCarti. You can location tucked just six paces off the left. That’s another good shot. Just a little long. Trying to take a little bit of that trouble out of play there. I’ve taken many tests in my life that I have not passed. And I have no doubt that that would be another failure. Birdie got on the way for McCardi. Oh wow. How good is he feeling right now? He is dialed in. He He’s got to really love this golf course. Obviously played well here last year. Feeling good. You got a little smirk at the end. This is not an easy putt by any means. He read it perfectly. Pulls back a little left at the end and just took the lead last year. Was a couple behind after the second round and then took over in the third. Carried it through the final rounds. 168 left. This just a little left of that hole location, but putting back up the hill ever so slightly. In this second round, defending champ Matt McCarti once again standing tall. This for Bernie on 16. left that second shot in a perfect spot to putt from. Can’t get too greedy like we just saw. And that is just the sixth birdie of the day at the 16th. Putting back up the hill. Can you judge the speed? Yes, he can. How good is that putter right now? T here. Two strokes clear of the field at the moment. the ball. That’s just a swing that looks really confident right now. I mean, he’s quickly picking up those TE’s. Gets that big first bounce. Birdied this hole yesterday. He doesn’t love it either. Leaning on it a little bit. I mean, if it stays. No, it won’t. There’s a little bit of a collection area down there, but really not horrible at all. This was a moment ago. Matt McCarti’s third at 18. He’s trying to play well here. Will, how good is that? [Applause] I mean, look, he This is not an easy T- shot. He He’s looks free. He picks up the tea quickly. That’s the game of golf is easy for him right now. And it’s a joy for us to watch. Starting to freshen up a little bit. Will. Yeah, just a little bit. Downhill lie. A little left to right wind. He doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like it. But that’s how good he’s hitting the ball right now. That it did not affect it. Came out just fine. Yeah, good putt. He really he’s made a lot of birdies, but he it’s been so stressfree as well. Even when he has made now three pars on his round today has a he has a knack for making eagles when he needs them. This is just left of the pin. Coming in low needs to hop up. Have all his notes in there, Will. Yep. I love it. Oh, just man, he puts so much chew on it. I mean, it’s still a good shot. Even when the day isn’t going the way you want to would have that frame of mind to do that at 134 yards, this is the seventh most difficult hole on the golf course. And this is a really good shot. About six, eight feet left of it. Dude, he just spins everything like crazy, though. this could pull off the green. Uh they do it phenomenally well down in Australia and you could make the defense of the hole even with short yardage. Um how the green sits and the surrounds like Will just said right today with this hole location’s dead. Yeah. Another one of those guys that has the heel of the putter up in the air. Seems like everyone that does that a great putter. Yep. I don’t know why they don’t teach it more. I love That’s a beauty. He definitely flushed that a little right abilities, but it should carry. Very nice. Just a massive first bounce there, too, Will. He got an extra 30 or 40 yards off of that big first bounce. I know the weather app yesterday didn’t really predict what we saw as we watched this golf shot of McCarti, but you have to think at some point it’s going to blow, right? Absolutely. Well, you’re hoping. I’m telling you, if three 30 three under is probably not safe, like I said, if it doesn’t blow. So, yeah. On this Friday, McCarti at nine. That was massive birdie for Billy that pretty much assured of making the cut. Matt McCarti, he’s read this nice if he hits it and he just didn’t hit it. Yeah, frustrating there. A frustrating little pitch there for party,
