IVINS, Utah – In a matter of 490 days, Michael Brennan made one of professional golf’s most astonishing progressions in recent memory.
Making his professional debut on the PGA Tour Americas last June, Brennan claimed his first professional win at the BioSteel Championship in August to move to the top of the Fortinet Cup standings.
Less than three weeks later, Brennan outlasted Minnesotan Derek Hitchner in a playoff at Cragun’s Legacy Courses in Brainerd, Minn., for his second win before earning an automatic promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour with his third victory of the season at the ATB Classic in September.
With his status for the 2026 season firmly in place, Brennan earned a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s Bank of Utah Championship last week where blistered the field in just his third start on the big Tour, firing a 22-under 262 to claim a four-stroke victory and secure his PGA Tour card for the next two seasons.
“Played some good golf. I don't know, it's a little tough. It's something I work for and I felt like I had been playing good for a while,” the 23-year-old native of Virginia said following his win Sunday. “I feel like maybe I have an idea what clicked, but I'm really not 100% sure. I'll take it and hope to continue playing solid golf.
“Been my dream for a very long time to play on the PGA TOUR and win on the PGA TOUR, so it feels amazing to do it. Just very thankful to even be in the field this week.”
With his victory Sunday, Brennan becomes just the seventh player since 1970 to win a Tour event in three starts or less.
“That's really cool, I had no idea,” Brennan said. “It had been over two years since I played in the last Tour start in 2023.”
Brennan’s first appearance at a Tour event came in 2022 at the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase at Riviera Country Club during his sophomore season at Wake Forest University where he’d miss the cut after rounds of 71 and 73, respectively.
He then earned a spot in the field at the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, missing the cut once again after posting an opening-round 74 and following it with a 75 during the second round.
Entering the 2025 season ranked No. 681 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Brennan moved inside the top-50 and currently sits at No. 43 after his victory Sunday.
Brennan will make his first start as a member of the PGA Tour Thursday when he tees off at the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in Los Cabos, Mexico. He will also earn a spot in the field at The Players’ Championship, the PGA Championship and the RBC Heritage.
Frankie Capan, who won the 2020 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur at Edina Country Club, opened the championship with a 5-under 66 to finish the first round in a share of fourth place, but he’d struggle to find consistency over the final three rounds, finishing in a share of 66th at 1-over 285.
During his rookie campaign on the PGA Tour, the North Oaks, Minn., product started 29 events, making 11 cuts to earn more than $920,000.
His best finish came at Zurich Classic of New Orleans, when he partnered with Jake Knapp, the inaugural CRMC presented by Northern Pacific Center winner in 2022, to place third.
Earlier this month, Capan fired a second-round 64 at the Sanderson Farms Championship, boosting him to the second top-10 finish of his career.