Wire-to-Wire: Monumental Matt McCarty wins in Utah

Southern Utah hosted the inaugural Black Desert Championship, the PGA's FedEx Cup event. Photo: Christoph Keil

IVINS, Utah — PGA Golf reports that Matt McCarty wasn’t always a quick learner in professional golf, but that’s changing fast. The 26-year-old earned his first PGA Tour card this summer after three wins in six Korn Ferry Tour starts, securing a Three-Victory Promotion in late August. After three seasons of effort, McCarty is now a PGA Tour winner in just his third start, capturing the inaugural Black Desert Championship.

Carrying a two-stroke lead into the final round at Black Desert Resort, McCarty shot a steady 4-under 68 to win by three strokes over Stephan Jaeger, finishing at 23-under 261.

Already qualified for next year’s Players Championship and U.S. Open as the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-long champion, McCarty’s victory in Utah adds a Masters invitation and entry to The Sentry, along with fully exempt Tour status through 2026.

McCarty joins Jason Gore (2005) as just the second player to win on the Tour in the same year he earned a Three-Victory Promotion.

“To do it like this, I don’t know how you could expect this, to be honest,” McCarty said afterward. “It’s just been a crazy last few months for me. It’s been a lot of fun,” he told NBC’s Golf Channel.

A Phoenix-area native and former Santa Clara University standout, McCarty shared the winning moment with his longtime caddie and college teammate, Devrath Das. The two walked up the 72nd hole together, framed by stunning mountain views, capping the win with a tap-in birdie and a celebratory hug.