Ben James continued his strong start as a PGA Tour rookie with a tie for fifth at the Bank of Utah Championship on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah.

James, 23, shot a 4-under 67 in the final round to finish at 22 under, four strokes behind winner Austin Smotherman. The finish was James' fourth top-five result in his past six PGA Tour starts and his third in a row. PGA Tour

James earned direct PGA Tour membership as the No. 1 finisher in the 2026 PGA Tour University Ranking. The program is based at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach.

James entered Sunday five shots back

James entered the final round tied for third and five strokes behind Smotherman after shooting a bogey-free 64 Saturday.

He opened the tournament with rounds of 65 and 66 before his third-round 64 put him at 18 under.

James made his first birdie of Sunday's round on the par-5 seventh and added another on No. 8. He added birdies on Nos. 10 and 14 but could not close the gap on Smotherman despite several opportunities on the back nine. PGA Tour

"It was a good day. Hit it nice. Can't really be mad at 4-under," James told the PGA Tour after the round. "I wish I made some more putts."

James finished with rounds of 65-66-64-67 for a 22-under 262, tying PGA Tour veteran Kevin Streelman for fifth. Each earned $231,750. CBS Sports

Rookie extends run of top-five finishes

A University of Virginia graduate, James became the first player in 25 years to earn first-team All-America honors in all four college seasons. He won seven times at Virginia.

Since turning professional, James has emerged as one of the PGA Tour's most consistent young players. His recent results include a third-place finish at the Wyndham Championship and a runner-up finish at the Biltmore Championship Asheville.

James has missed just one cut in 10 PGA Tour starts since turning professional and has recorded six top-25 finishes, according to the PGA Tour. PGA Tour

Smotherman wins in 100th PGA Tour start

Smotherman entered Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Doug Ghim and closed with a 3-under 68 to finish at 26-under 258.

The victory was the first of Smotherman's PGA Tour career and came in his 100th start. His 72-hole total also set a tournament scoring record at Black Desert Resort. PGA Tour

Ghim shot 69 to finish second at 24 under. David Ford and Trace Crowe tied for third at 23 under, one stroke ahead of James and Streelman. PGA Tour

Smotherman earned $1.08 million and 500 FedExCup Fall points from the $6 million purse, along with a two-year PGA Tour exemption. PGA Tour

James plans to take a week off while the PGA Tour heads to Japan for the Baycurrent Classic before returning for the remain