IVINS, Utah (October 13, 2025) — The Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort, Utah’s annual PGA TOUR event, has announced that the tournament has extended sponsor exemptions to four Utah natives and rising young golf stars to compete in the event October 23–26.
Each year, the championship reserves sponsor exemptions to provide opportunities for promising players who have not yet qualified for the field. This year’s selections — BYU freshman Kihei Akina, Korn Ferry Tour professional Connor Howe, Utah Tech University freshman David Liechty and 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Preston Summerhays — represent Utah’s next generation of elite golfers. They will compete against the world’s best professionals as part of the 132-player field.
“From day one, it mattered to us that this championship create real opportunities for Utah golfers,” said Patrick Manning, Managing Partner, Black Desert Resort. “These exemptions are about showcasing local talent on a national stage and inspiring the next generation here at home.”
Kihei Akina is a resident of Alpine, Utah, and a Lone Peak High School graduate. A freshman on the men’s golf team at BYU, Akina, 19, was Golfweek’s top-ranked golfer in the Class of 2025 and the 2023 USA Today National Boys High School Golfer of the Year. He won medalist honors at the 6A state tournament as a freshman and sophomore at Lone Peak, became the youngest winner in the 99-year history of the Utah Open last August, received a sponsor exemption to the Black Desert Championship in 2024 and missed the cut by one stroke. He has also played the last two years in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship, making the cut in 2024.
Connor Howe is a native of Ogden, Utah, and a Weber High School graduate. A two-time All-ACC honoree at Georgia Tech, he made his professional debut in 2024 and has made 18 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour the last two seasons. Howe played in the KFT’s Utah Championship each of the last two seasons, finishing T36 and T37. In six events on the PGA TOUR Americas circuit this season, he has four top-25 results, including a runner-up at the BioSteel Championship. He was named all-state each of his four years at Weber, led the team to three district titles and won the 6A individual state championship in 2016 and 2017. He shot a state-record 62 (-10) in the 2015 state high school championship.
David Liechty is a freshman on the men’s golf team at Utah Tech and a 2023 graduate of Layton High School who paused his golf career to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Liechty finished runner-up at the 2023 Utah State Amateur and advanced to the semifinals this year. This summer, he became the first Utah Tech player to qualify for match play at the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the Round of 32. He won the 2022 Southern Utah Open, the 2023 Utah Copper Rock Amateur and the 2023 Utah Glenmoor Amateur.
Preston Summerhays is a native of Farmington, Utah, and a 2025 graduate of Arizona State who has made 10 PGA TOUR starts. The 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, Summerhays also won the Utah Amateur in 2018 and 2019 and played in the U.S. Open in 2020 and 2021. He made his first PGA TOUR cut at the 2023 Fortinet Championship. Summerhays played in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship in 2019, 2020 and 2024 and, since turning professional earlier this year, has secured two top-10 finishes in 10 Korn Ferry Tour events. Summerhays, 23, was a two-time All-American at Arizona State and was ranked as high as fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The Summerhays family is well known in the golf world — his father, Boyd, made 24 PGA TOUR starts from 2004–06 and is a Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher in America and a Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor; his uncle, Daniel, played on the PGA TOUR from 2011–18; and his sister, Grace, was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection at Arizona State who became the youngest winner of the Utah Women’s State Amateur in 2020.
Following its historic debut in 2024 — the first PGA TOUR event held in Utah in more than 60 years — the Bank of Utah Championship will return to Black Desert Resort in Southern Utah’s Greater Zion region October 23–26. Tickets and VIP opportunities for the Bank of Utah Championship are officially on sale at bankofutahchampionship.com.
About Bank of Utah
Founded in Ogden in 1952, Bank of Utah has been part of the state’s story for more than 70 years. We’ve supported small businesses and helped individuals and families build their futures in communities across Utah, from quiet mountain towns to thriving city centers. With 18 full-service branches, dedicated trust teams, and mortgage specialists throughout the state, the bank provides personal service and forward-thinking financial tools. The bank’s comprehensive offerings include business and personal banking, mortgage and commercial lending, personal and corporate trust services, and wealth management and investment services.
Recognized as one of the Top 15 U.S. Community Banks of 2024 by S&P Global Market Intelligence and named Utah’s Best Bank by GOBankingRates in 2025, Bank of Utah blends local insight with award-winning strength. Learn more here or call 801-409-5000.
About Black Desert Resort
Set amidst the vermilion sandstone cliffs and black lava beds of Greater Zion, Black Desert Resort is a premier destination for luxury hospitality, golf, and Southern Utah adventure. Developed by Reef Capital Partners, it’s anchored by a Tom Weiskopf-designed championship golf course and set to open in Summer 2025 with nearly 800 rooms, seven dining venues, and extensive spa, pool, and event amenities. Visit blackdesertresort.com.
Reef Capital Partners is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operations firm dedicated to enhancing communities through transformative projects across North America. Learn more at reefcp.com.
