Aldrich Potgieter, one of the Tour’s most promising young players, withdrew from the Bank of Utah Championship on Friday before his second-round tee time, giving the event an unexpected turn.
The 21-year-old made headlines earlier this season by winning the Rocket Classic and becoming the third-youngest playoff winner on Tour in the last 50 years. The only younger players before him are Jordan Spieth (19) and Tiger Woods (20).
On Friday, Potgieter was scheduled to tee off at 3:39 p.m. ET alongside Michael Thorbjornsen and Ryan Gerard. The pair played as a two-ball after his withdrawal.
Later, the South African pro updated the reason for his exit on Instagram. “Hey everyone, just wanted to clear things up since I’ve been getting a lot of messages. I had to withdraw after round one because I came down with some pretty bad food poisoning (or a stomach bug). Nothing serious, just need some rest to recover. Appreciate all the messages and support.”
Round 1 for Potgieter ended with an even-par 71, six strokes behind the leaders (Thorbjørn Olesen, Austin Cook, David Lipsky, Jesper Svensson) at the Black Desert Resort Golf Course. He currently ranks 52nd in the FedExCup Fall standings, making his sudden withdrawal come at a crucial moment.
At the end of the season, players who rank between Nos. 51 and 60 will be awarded coveted spots in the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational, two prestigious events. Given Potgieter’s recent form surge and the high stakes of the fall series, the timing sparked some curiosity.
However, Potgieter wasn’t the only athlete to leave the game early.
Before the second round, 42-year-old Tour veteran Vince Covello, who is still seeking his first PGA victory, also pulled out.
In contrast to Potgieter, Covello left the tournament after a poor start, finishing the first round with a 10-over-par 81, 16 shots behind the co-leaders on Thursday.
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