Tim Widing leads after first round at Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank

Things to Know

• Korn Ferry Tour rookie Tim Widing birdies the par-4 18th to close a 9-under 62, recording a new career-low round in his 19th start on Tour

• Jake Knapp cards bogey-free 8-under 63 and looks to sit inside the top 10 after 18 holes for the fourth time this season

• Shad Tuten cards his lowest round of the season with a bogey-free 8-under 63 to sit one stroke behind Widing

• Three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, Pierceson Coody, who won the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper two weeks ago, is looking to secure his third win of the season and an automatic promotion to the PGA TOUR

• Open qualifier and Utah native, Carson Lundell, cards a 7-under 64 in his third Korn Ferry Tour start and looks to sit inside the top five after 18 holes

• Golf Channel will provide live telecast coverage (as well as live streaming coverage available via the NBC Sports app and GolfChannel.com) for all four rounds from 6-9 p.m. ET

• Play was suspended at 8:40 a.m. local time and resumed at 9:40 a.m.; suspended at 2:24 p.m. and resumed at 4:00 p.m.; suspended at 8:49 due to darkness

• The first round will resume Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. local time

First-Round Lead Notes

10 - First-round leaders/co-leaders to win Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank

• Andrew Kozan (2022), Joshua Creel (2021), Cameron Champ (2018), Andres Gonzales (2016), Doug LaBelle II (2012), J.J. Killeen (2011), Franklin Langham (2007), David Sutherland (2001), Jeff Woodland (1992) and John Daly (1990)

2 - First-round leaders/co-leaders to win on Tour in 2023

• Nicholas Lindheim – The Ascendant presented by Blue; Pierceson Coody - Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper

Tim Widing (First/-9)

• Cards nine birdies en route to bogey-free 9-under 62; birdied two par 5s (Nos. 2, 15), four par 4s (Nos. 3, 12, 17, 18) and two par 5s (Nos. 6, 11)

• In 19th career round on Tour, eclipses previous career-low round and career-low score relative to par (7-under 63/2023 UNC Health Championship/Round 2)

• In line to stand inside the top 10 through 18 holes for the third time this season (T8/Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club/finished T8; T7 at The Ascendant presented by Blue/finished T4)

• Looks to hold his third lead/co-lead after any round on Tour (2023 Compliance Solutions Championship: T1 after 36 holes and solo first after 54 holes/finished T4)

• A 25-year-old native of Jonkoping, Sweden native who now resides in San Luis Obispo, California in his first season as a Korn Ferry Tour member

• Has 10 made cuts in his 18 starts, including four top-10s (T3/Astara Chile Classic; T4/Compliance Solutions Championship; T4/The Ascendant presented by Blue; T8/Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club)

• Earned membership and eight guaranteed starts to begin this season by placing T29 at last year’s Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament

• Turned professional in 2021 after playing collegiately at the University of San Francisco

• Decorated amateur career included winning three individual titles at San Francisco, in addition to becoming only the second male student-athlete in school history to earn first-team all-conference honors four times

• Played primarily on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica out of college, making 9 cuts in 12 starts; highlighted by a top-10 at the 90 Abierto del Centro memorial Eduardo Gato Romero ptdo por Telecom

Quotables

Tim Widing on his opening round 9-under 62… “It was great. Tee to green, just really solid. Hit a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of good looks for birdie. And I've been playing really good last couple weeks, just haven't been scoring as well as I'd like, but today, you know, had a hot putter, made a lot of putts. Almost as hot as that bee who stung me on 17 fairway. Somehow it got into my pants and it stung on my left hamstring, so I had to take my pants off.”

Tim Widing on entering the week No. 34 on the Points List… “If you would have told me that a year ago I definitely would have taken it. Coming out of Q‑School just making it by two shots and to have a shot at the PGA TOUR is special, something I've dreamt about my whole life. So I'm really happy where I am and just try to have a good week here and get it done

Tim Widing on how he would asses his 2023 season… “I played good in Denver, finished fourth. Then I missed the cut the week before. Well, I withdrew, but I would have missed the cut. I was still playing really good, a few mental errors. And then last week, you know, you had to shoot 6-, 7-under to have guys run past you, but I feel like I was 4-, 5-under through 10 and then I messed it up a little bit on the back nine. Still hitting good shots, just didn't quite get the ball to fall in the hole.

“Just golf, that happens. You can play poorly and shoot well and play good and don't have the scores. It's just the nature of golf. Today, felt like everything just clicked.”

Jake Knopp on what was going right for him today… “I like it here, I like the course. It's not a ton of drivers necessarily, but it's a little bit of position golf. You've got to make sure you give yourself a lot of opportunities, scores are going to be low. Got the putter rolling, which is nice. I'm comfortable on these greens. They're poa annua, which is the same as home. Just feels comfortable and was able to get the putter going.”

Notes

• Jake Knapp (T2/-8) looks to tie his best 18-hole position on Tour (T2 after 18 holes at the 2020 Club Car Championship and The Landings Golf & Athletic Club/finished T23)

• Knapp carded two sets of three birdies in a row (Nos. 1-3 and 6-8) before carding back-to-back birdies at Nos. 13 and 14

• Shad Tuten (T2/-8) records bogey-free 8-under 63, making birdies at five par 4s (Nos. 1, 5, 12, 13, 16) and three par 5s (Nos. 2, 7, 15)

• Roberto Diaz (T3/-7) carded a 7-under 64 with eight birdies against one bogey, and he sits inside the top 10 after 18 holes for the third time with season

• Diaz’s 7-under 64 marks his lowest round of the season

• Tuten is in position to sit inside the top 10 after 18 holes for the fourth time this season (T8 at Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club/finished T2; T2 at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club/finished T3; T10 at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay/finished T4)

• Pierceson Coody (T5/-6) posted a 6-under 65 via seven birdies and one bogey and looks to sit inside the top 5 for the fifth consecutive round (1st, 4th, T1, !st in his last four rounds at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper two weeks ago)

• Projected to sit inside the top 10 after 18 holes for the third time this season

• Three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour who currently sits No. 4 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List this season; two victories this season at The Panama Championship and the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper

• Monday qualifier and BYU golfer, Tyson Shelly (T5/-6) cards a bogey-free 6-under 66 in his first Korn Ferry Tour start and looks to sit inside the top 10 after 18 holes