2026 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Recap

Smotherman Wins Shortened Butterfield in a Monday Playoff

Southampton, Bermuda – Austin Smotherman (-16) won the 2026 Bermuda Championship in a Monday playoff over Seamus Power. The event was shortened to 54 holes after the final round was canceled due to extreme winds. It was then determined that Smotherman and Power, who were tied at the top of the board, would contest a playoff Monday morning, preventing further delays and letting the rest of the field move on to their next destination.

The win marks the second in quick succession for Smotherman and the second of his PGA Tour career after his win in early October at the Bank of Utah Championship. Power won the 2022 iteration of this event and the Irishman now based in Las Vegas has shown over the years that he is comfortable playing in wind. Taylor Moore, Ben Silverman, and Corey Conners finished T3, two strokes behind Smotherman and Power at -14.

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is a unique event on the PGA Tour schedule and this year’s version was a great example of why. In addition to its frequent and ferocious high winds, the golf course is the shortest on the PGA Tour’s schedule. Over the years, it has tended to attract one of the weakest fields of the year and historically has given all kinds of players a chance, resulting in notable champions like Brian Gay, Adam Schenk, Brendon Todd, and Lucas Herbert.

This year’s tournament attracted a mix of veterans chasing points and status as well as young players looking to jumpstart their careers or gain experience in PGA Tour events. Several of the world’s most highly touted amateurs were in the field, with two of them, Rudy Sautron and recent Walker Cupper Kihei Akina finishing T17 at -10. Akina also showed well at the Bank of Utah Championship. WAGR 7th ranked Miles Russell also made the cut and finished T64.

This week, the PGA Tour heads to Mexico for the VidantaWorld Mexico Open. Brian Campbell won last year’s event in memorable fashion and will defend his crown against a field that includes the likes of Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim, Ben James, and last year’s runner up Aldrich Potgieter.

Austin Smotherman What’s In The Bag

Driver: Titleist GT3 10° (Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black TX 60g)

Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max 19° (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Hybrid)

Irons: Titleist T100 4-9 (KBS Tour 125 S+)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 46°-10F, 50°-08F @ 50.5, 54°-12D @ 54.5°, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks 60°-L @ 59.5° (KBS Tour 125 S+, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

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Dylan Thaemert

Contributor at Plugged In Golf

Dylan Thaemert is a clinical mental health therapist living in the Twin Cities area. He is passionate about travel, the arts, and is always searching for ways to increase his knowledge of the game of golf.

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