THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We'd like to welcome defending champion Michael Brennan to the Media Center at the 2026 Bank of Utah Championship.
Michael, can you just open up with what you're looking forward to this week in your first title defense on Tour?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: It's been a great week already. It's nice that we've got the rain behind us, and it looks like we're going to have some beautiful weather. My first time coming to Utah was last year for this event, and it's such a beautiful place, one of the prettier spots I've been in the country. So it's always fun to come back here and just take in the vistas.
I'm excited for the first title defense. I really didn't feel too much different than a normal event, which I think is good, but it's cool. It's really cool to know that you've won a tournament here before.
Q. You won the Wyndham Championship back in August. You're No. 33 in the world right now, highest ranked player in the field. Just summarize the last couple months for you.
MICHAEL BRENNAN: I'm very, very glad I finished the year strong. I'm excited to be in all the Signature Events next year. That's going to be really cool, great opportunity for me. My team's really excited about that. Looking forward to going to some new places, playing in some new tournaments next year.
It's a little surreal that I'm the highest ranked player in the field. When I was here last year, I just finished my year on the Americas Tour. I had zero starts on the PGA Tour under my belt as a pro. So it's just crazy a year later -- I mean, it's nuts to be the highest ranked player in a Tour event. It's crazy.
Q. When you look back at your win here last year, any particular shots that really stand out to you? I mean, certainly maybe on Sunday, but over the course of the week, probably in the moment hard to remember them, but if you look back a year later, there's certain holes that you played really well or certain shots that stood out to you?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: The one that I feel like gets replayed the most is my drive on 12 on Sunday, a play that most guys won't do. I'm honestly not even sure I'm going to hit driver again this year. That was a pivotal point in the round.
Rico was playing really good golf and had made a couple birdies, including the 12th hole. He made a 20-something footer for birdie on that hole. But for me to just have a little chip and a putt to make birdie and continue positive momentum was really big.
I remember on Saturday in that round, I don't know why this shot sticks out, but it was just like a 60-yard pitch shot that I had to a back left flag that I played really nicely that finished a foot from the hole. So that hole's been good to me.
I hit a 6-iron into the last hole -- or into 9 on Sunday. It was a back right flag. I kind of pushed it a little bit, and it finished just right of the hole, which there wasn't a ton of room, but it stayed on the green and I probably had 15, 18 feet for eagle. That was like also a pivotal moment. Just didn't hit the best shot in the world, but I had a great look and ended up making birdie there.
Those are kind of some important shots from the weekend that I remember.
Q. Talk about your comfort level with this course. Obviously notched your first PGA win here. It's probably not River Creek or Raspberry Falls, but it's probably a course you're more comfortable with being as how you got a big win here.
MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, I played well out here last year. It's a beautiful course, and it's in great shape last year, it's in great shape again right now, which makes it more fun. The greens are really good. They roll really true. I feel like if you put some good strokes on them, you can make a bunch of putts out here, which is really nice. It's fun.
Q. Along the same lines, what's your favorite thing about Black Desert?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: I'm staying in the resort this year. I didn't last year, and it's pretty sweet, so that's great. I found a little Mediterranean place in town that we've picked up for delivery probably three times last year, and I had it again last night.
Q. What's it called?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: I don't even know. Maybe it comes to me later, but I can't remember.
Then the views are just beautiful. I would say those are the top three highlights so far.
Q. Your rise from the Americas Tour to where you sit today 33rd in the world is remarkable, and especially the pace at which it's taken place. What have you learned through that experience about your game and about yourself?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: I mean, this week was really important just to know that my game, I was able to compete on the PGA Tour because I was playing really nice on the Americas Tour and having some success, but until you get out there, I think you look at the guys on TV and it's like there's an awe about playing on Tour. It's like, oh, they're so much better. They've got -- everything is -- they're so professional and stuff.
It gave me a lot of confidence knowing I was able to come in here and compete in the first event that I'd played in since turning pro. That just gave me a lot of confidence to where I knew going forward that, hey, I can do it.
Even this year I thought it helped a lot, I was kind of struggling earlier in the year, wasn't playing great, missed a couple cuts early. I was just getting frustrated. Felt like I was playing some pretty good golf, but the scores weren't showing. I could just think back like, look, I've won a tournament already. I know I can do this.
I was talking to Cameron Young, former Wake player, in the off-season, and he was like, look, you're a leg ahead of a lot of guys because, when you first start on Tour, they don't know that they can win a tournament. You've already proved that you can. So kind of keep that in the back of your mind when things maybe aren't going great and just know that it's there and you'll find it again. So that was great advice and really kind of helped me keep pushing this year.
Q. You said that last year was your first time in Utah. Did you have a chance to do any hikes or see any touristy attractions?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: No, I haven't. This is only the second time I've been back. Haven't done anything. My parents have been out here the last two years, and they did a Snow Canyon hike last year they thought was beautiful, so no.
Q. You're making your first start since the BMW Championship. What have you been up to the past couple weeks?
MICHAEL BRENNAN: Doing some sponsor events, playing some tennis, hanging out with buddies. That's just about it. I started a week and a half ago practicing, getting ready for this week.
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