Smotherman wins in Utah for 1st PGA Tour title. Meronk takes Dunhill Links at St. Andrews

IVINS, Utah (AP) — Austin Smotherman recovered from his lone blunder with two great shots and was able to cruise home to a 3-under 68 on Sunday to win the Bank of Utah Championship, his first PGA Tour victory in his 100th career start.

Smotherman came into the week at No. 79 in the FedEx Cup — the top 100 keep full PGA Tour cards for 2027 — and picked up some immediate rewards. He now has a two-year exemption, which includes the lucrative “Championship Series” when the new competitive model starts in 2028.

He finished at 26-under 258 at Black Desert Resort, easily breaking the 72-hole record at the tournament only in its third year, and won by two shots.

Along with the two-year exemption, Smotherman moves to No. 51 in the FedEx Fall and is likely to stay among the top 60 to get into a pair of $20 million signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera next year.

Doug Ghim, also seeking his first PGA Tour victory, three-putted from 30 feet on the 13th and missed a 6-foot par putt on the 15th, which hurt his chances. He birdied the final hole for a 69 that allowed him to finish alone in second, moving him from 89th to 58th in the FedEx Cup.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Adrian Meronk caught up quickly and pulled ahead on the mistakes of Casey Jarvis to win the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

His fifth European tour title was perhaps the most important for Meronk. It gives him a full European tour card at a time when his LIV Golf League is in doubt as it tries to restructure.

Meronk opened with three birdies in five holes to make up a two-shot deficit on Jarvis, the South African going for his third European tour title this year. Jarvis still had a one-shot lead when he three-putted from 15 feet for bogey on the ninth and had a chip run back off the green on the par-3 11th for another bogey.

Jarvis closed with a 72 and tied for second with Niklas Norgaard (68).

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Steven Alker birdied two of his last three holes for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot victory over Tag Ridings in the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, his fourth title this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

Alker now has won four times in his last five starts, one of them on the Legends Tour in Europe, trailing only Zach Johnson (6) and Stewart Cink (5) for most victories this year.

Michael Block, the 54-hole leader, didn't make a birdie until the 11th hole. He made bogey on his final hole for a 69 to finish alone in third. Alker finished at 14-under 196. Ridings shot a 64.

Block has done well enough in non-member earnings to have a Champions card for 2027 and be eligible for the Charles Schwab Cup postseason.

OWASSO, Okla. (AP) — Sandy Scott closed with a 6-under 64 and defeated William Sides on the fourth playoff hole to win the Compliance Solutions Championship, his second straight Korn Ferry Tour that moved him atop the points list.

Sides was 7 under on the seven holes of the back nine at The Patriot Golf Club and had a one-shot lead until he missed a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole and shot 64. Along with that par putt, Sides had birdie putts of 15 feet and 10 feet on the 18th hole in a playoff. Scott missed a 10-foot birdie putt for the win on the 17th, and then ended it with a 15-foot birdie on the 18th.

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is next week. Scott, already assured a PGA Tour card next year, would get exemptions to The Players Championship and U.S. Open if he stays at No. 1 in points.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Reagan Zibilski birdied four of her last six holes for a 9-under 62 that gave her a one-shot victory in the Epson Tour Championship, moving her to No. 10 on the points list that gives her an LPGA Tour card for 2027.

Zibilski had come into the season finale at Indian Wells Resort at No. 37.

Mirabel Ting birdied the last hole for a 66 to finish second, securing her No. 1 standing in points.

The top 15 players earn status on the LPGA Tour next year, though the top 10 will have a higher status for getting in tournaments.

Hiroshi Iwata closed with a 2-over 72 and held on for a one-shot victory over Yuto Katsumata in the Drugstore Cosmos Cup on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Liam Nolan won the Abu Dhabi Challenge with a 5-under 65 for a four-shot victory on the Challenge Tour. ... Kyle Barker closed with a 4-under 68 and defeated Cole Stevens in a playoff to win the Limpopo Championship on the Sunshine Tour. ... Jean Hugo of South Africa shot a 1-under 71 for a three-shot victory in the Reignwood Legends Championship, his first Legends Tour title. ... Jiyai Shin of South Korea closed with a 4-under 66 and defeated Women’s British Open champion Shiho Kuwaki in a playoff in the Japan Women’s Open Championship. ... Haeran Ryu closed with a 3-under 69 and won the Hite Jinro Championship by four shots on the Korea LPGA.

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Adrian Meronk of Poland competes on day four of the Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, Sunday Oct. 4, 2026. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

Adrian Meronk of Poland holds the trophy after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2026 at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, Sunday Oct. 4, 2026. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday his party is on track to win back control of the House, confident Democrats can overcome a fundraising disadvantage and reach deep into conservative areas to flip congressional districts won by President Donald Trump just two years ago.

In a conference call with reporters, Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats seize the majority, compared this midterm election to 2018, when Democrats swept to power during Trump's first term in the White House.

“House Democrats are poised to take back the majority,” he said.

Jeffries, who is from New York, said that when Democrats took control of the House in 2018, most of the seats they flipped were in districts where Trump won in 2016.

“In 2026, we're poised to do the same thing,” he said.

His comments were the latest display of confidence from Democrats with a month to go until the midterm elections on Nov. 3. The party is working to expand the map by going on offense in Republican-held districts, while Trump hits the trail in a red-state sprint to boost voter enthusiasm and shore up support from his base.

Republicans have a sizable cash advantage as House Speaker Mike Johnson steers the party closer to Trump to try to keep the majority. Trump is promising voters $5,000 cash dividends if the Republicans win, though it's not at all certain that Congress would unleash the estimated $1 trillion-plus for such an outlay. Over the weekend, Trump announced $90 payments to seniors to help pay Medicare premiums.

Jeffries said Republicans are “failing and flailing."

“The American people are not buying what MAGA Republicans are trying to sell,” he said.

With the House narrowly split, just a few seats could determine which party holds the gavel. Early voting is underway. Republicans are under pressure because of high gas prices stemming from the war with Iran.

Jeffries said a Trump-led redistricting effort to draw more favorable Republican districts in Texas, Florida and other states backfired in some places. At the same time, the House Democrats’ campaign arm announced late last week it was adding eight districts to its map of districts in play, including those in Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Washington state.

“The Republican gerrymandering scheme has failed,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries cautioned, however, that “anything and everything” is possible, and urged Democrats to remain focused. “We can’t afford to take anything for granted,” he said.

Johnson, the Republican speaker, has been crisscrossing the country and insisted Republicans will be able to protect their majority. He stumped for Republicans in California last week and he is scheduled to be in more than 40 districts across some 20 states in the final weeks before November.

Jeffries, who was also in Western states over the weekend, said he too will be traveling in the weeks ahead.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)