“ He has the will and drive to be a champion,” Deacons coach Jerry Haas said.
Just six days prior to the win, Korn Ferry Tour president Alex Baldwin was in Richmond to talk about that Tour’ s championship coming to The Federal Club. Unprompted, she dropped Brennan’ s name as someone who could be in the field.
“ That kid is going to be a star,” she said.
EARNING HIS MASTERS About that same time, Brennan’ s caddie, Jeff Kirkpatrick, told Brennan they wouldn’ t be playing on KFT next season. Why not just go win in Utah, he reasoned. Unfortunately for Baldwin, Kirkpatrick was right.
He may indeed be a star, but it won’ t be on the Korn Ferry Tour. The win in
Utah allows him to skip that step entirely. Brennan, 23, has full PGA Tour status through 2027 and earned invites to The Players Championship, RBC Heritage, and PGA Championship.
Due to changes in Masters invitation criteria, fall winners on the PGA Tour no longer receive automatic entry to Augusta. But anyone inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the year does. The win moved Brennan from 111th to 43rd, and with status for the remaining fall series events, he’ ll likely earn his spot at the Masters that way.
Oh, and the money. There’ s that. Each of Brennan’ s three victories in Canada earned him just north of $ 40,000. His haul from Utah: $ 1.06 million.
Brennan simply bludgeoned his way to a 22-under showing at Black Desert Resort— his 7.62 strokes gained off the tee was the best figure recorded on the PGA Tour all season.
With the flat stick working as well, it added up to an emotional scene on the 18th green. As he bear-hugged Kirkpatrick, his parents cheered from inside the ropes. Terry Reilly, Brennan’ s agent and the father of 2024 VSGA Amateur winner Logan Reilly, also flew in for the final round to celebrate.
HOMECOMING Back home at River Creek, the grill was packed with members and supporters who chanted“ Mikey! Mikey! Mikey!” after the final putt dropped.
Mike and Shannon— a VSGA rules official who refereed this year’ s Junior Match Play final— walked every step of the way with their son in Utah, much like they did at Spotswood Country Club in 2017 when Brennan won his JMP Championship. It felt like a full-circle moment.
They’ ll continue to walk beside Brennan as he chases bigger dreams. More victories, major championships, Ryder Cup berths. It all seems in play for a Virginia kid ready to announce himself to the world.
“ I KNOW THERE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS I WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GET BETTER AT MOVING FORWARD.”
vsga. org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 29