“We are facing unprecedented challenges this year,” said Jay Monahan. Oh, only if he knew that it wouldn’t be the worst thing for his new event. The PGA Tour is returning to Utah after over sixty years for the debut of the Black Desert Championship. However, before it could even commence, the $7.5 million tournament is already undergoing a lot of struggles. To begin with, Kevin Yu started the spree of withdrawal on Monday which was then followed by the withdrawals of Emiliano Grillo and Parker Coody.

While all of these could mostly be because of injuries or unavoidable circumstances, it looks like there is yet another major setback that has deeply affected players at the 2024 Black Desert Championship. Golfers like Chad Ramey and Garrick Higgo have cited wrist injuries, and Norman Xiong, Harris English, Michael Kim, and Erik Barnes have cited back injuries. A few hours after the Tuesday practice round, sixteen players were reported injured.

The event is just a few hours away, and with the practice rounds in motion, it is possible that players have already started suffering under the sweltering conditions. They could be struggling to make themselves accustomed to the weather, and the physical toll could be getting to them, making them falter on the greens. Only sixty out of the 132 competitors will make it through the tremendous weather conditions on Friday.

“The extreme heat is a significant concern, and coupled with these unexpected player withdrawals, we are scrambling to ensure the safety and competitiveness of the tournament,” added Jay Monahan about the urgency of the situation. Even at the event last weekend, the Sanderson Farms Championship, there were a handful of withdrawals after the tournament began.

Well, it is not just the injuries and withdrawals that are concerning. Many top players are missing from the field this weekend, with one of them being a Utah-based resident.

Why is Tony Finau not competing at the Black Desert Championship?

The Utah resident Tony Finau is among the top players who will not participate this week. He is skipping the home event because he is busy training his 12-year-old son Jraice, who is a part of Team Utah at the under-13 PGA Junior League Championship. The event is scheduled to be held in Frisco, Texas. Finau will be the assistant coach of the team.

“I was under quite a bit of pressure. My son is playing in a national event, or else I would have considered taking the week to play,” said Finau. Along with him, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Viktor Hovland are some of the players who are not in the field.

The Black Desert Resort Golf Club will open its doors for rounds on October 10th. As per the weather forecast on AccuWeather, the conditions do not imply having an outdoor tournament. With clear warnings, it says, “Partly sunny and hot; caution advised if doing strenuous activities outside” from October 8 to October 11. The weather can rise as high as 36 degrees, and the drop will only be around 33 degrees.

So, how do you think a combination of injuries, WDs, and possibly bad weather will turn out to be in Utah? Let us know in the comments below.