Smotherman Joins the Winners' Club, Withdrawing from Baycurrent Classic Days After First PGA Tour Title

Austin Smotherman's celebration of the biggest win of his career will last a little longer than planned. The PGA Tour confirmed Monday that Smotherman has withdrawn from this week's Baycurrent Classic, just a day after he captured his first PGA Tour title in his 100th start at the Bank of Utah Championship in southern Utah.

Smotherman's exit continues a clear 2026 trend: winners skipping the following week's event. Jacob Bridgeman did it after the Genesis Invitational, Aaron Rai after his surprise PGA Championship victory, J.T. Poston after the Memorial, Ryan Fox after his Open Championship breakthrough at Royal Birkdale, and Michael Thorbjornsen after winning the Rocket Classic. In Smotherman's case, geography may have played a part — the roughly 5,600-mile trip from Black Desert Resort to Yokohama Country Club is one of the longest possible turnarounds on the fall schedule.

His was not the only Monday withdrawal. Yuta Sugiura also pulled out, with Tomohiro Ishizaka taking his spot, while Smotherman's place first went to AJ Ewart, who then withdrew himself, opening the door for Lee Hodges. Tom Kim was the Baycurrent's first withdrawal on Saturday, opting out after winning gold at the Asian Games — a victory that also secured his exemption from military service in South Korea.

The Baycurrent Classic, the PGA Tour's lone stop in Japan, runs October 8–11 at Yokohama Country Club, with defending champion Xander Schauffele headlining the 72-player field.