Doug Ghim's near-miss at Bank of Utah reveals the PGA Tour's different fall chases

Doug Ghim smiled as Austin Smotherman gazed into the Utah sky after winning his first PGA Tour event in 100 starts. There was no pain in Ghim’s face after his attempt to win his first title in 192 starts came up short. There was just gratitude that he’s still grinding and chasing his dreams on the top golf circuit in the world.

“It’s what we play for; it’s what we practice for,” Ghim said after finishing two shots behind Smotherman on Sunday at the Bank of Utah Championship. “Obviously the money and the points are great, but as a little kid trying to win a PGA Tour event, just a chance to do that is a dream come true.”

Ghim, now 30, has been grinding toward a PGA Tour win since earning full-time privileges for the 2020 season. A maiden victory has eluded him, but he’s made 116 of 192 cuts in seven seasons and earned over $10 million on the course.

“Today was Austin’s day,” Ghim said. “I did everything that I could, and hopefully I’ll learn from some of the mistakes and be a little bit more comfortable next time. But always grateful.”

THE FALL'S DIFFERENT STAKES

As the Bank of Utah Championship concluded on Sunday, one thing was on full display: these months on the PGA Tour are different. The world’s best are mostly either at home or teeing it up in Europe, leaving the rest to chase a different grind with different goals.

Winning is still the biggest prize and can be career-changing if you can get it over the line, as Smotherman did. But for many, the goals are smaller and more nuanced than the all-or-nothing title chase.

For many, it’s about keeping some sort of status on the PGA Tour for 2027. For some, like Ghim, who entered the fall inside the top 100, it’s about setting up a strong start to 2027 while chasing a trophy.

Just behind Ghim on the leaderboard in Utah were two other players hunting something of their own. The source material cuts off there, so their identities and exact goals have not been confirmed.