Beware of scam tickets for PGA TOUR in Utah, resort says
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Black Desert Resort is asking the public to be wary of third-party sites claiming to sell tickets for October’s PGA Black Desert Championship.
On Monday, the resort announced that VIP experiences and packages were available for purchase at blackdesertevents.com. That same day, prospective attendees began buying regular tickets for the event — but official tickets don’t actually go on sale until June.
LEARN MORE: PGA TOUR to return to Utah after 60 years, coming to Black Desert Resort
“I urge all of our fans to purchase tickets through the only site that will guarantee delivery of them, which is blackdesertevents.com,” one of the resort’s managing partners said.
The resort has said it wants fans to be informed and protected.
When regular tickets do eventually go on sale, visitors should purchase them only through the official ticketing website, which a spokesperson for the resort said is the only “safe and secure website to purchase tickets.”
Lisa Prunty fell victim to a third-party website claiming to sell general tickets for the PGA TOUR. Prunty said she has been waiting to buy tickets for a while and saw ABC4.com’s interview with Patrick Manning, managing partner of Black Desert Resort, on the news.
“We went over the the computer, Googled how to buy tickets and we clicked basically on the first site,” Prunty said.
Prunty said the website limited her purchase to four tickets. She went through the process and was asked if she wanted ticket insurance.
“We thought, ‘Oh yeah, you know, we better take it just in case,'” Prunty said. “It was over $1,100 for four tickets.”
Prunty said everything looked “legit” until she got her confirmation number — when the dates didn’t match the dates of the actual event. She then said she realized she needed to double-check the tickets and figure out what to do.
Prunty said she canceled the card she used and cautioned others against using unofficial websites.
“Basically, don’t go through a third-party website,” Prunty said.
Prunty said it took about four to five hours to remedy the issue after she realized what had happened.
Prunty urged others to have “a little more patience” when making a large ticket purchase, and also said she learned to book directly with the official website.
“Book direct, but do your research,” Jake Swoyer, Prunty’s son, said. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
Prunty and Swoyer said, despite this experience, they are still excited to go to the PGA TOUR in October.
“We don’t want this to happen to anybody else, and hopefully it hasn’t already happened to other people,” Prunty said.
As for the VIP packages, attendees can purchase the official experiences — which range from $1,750 to $30,000 — online at the event’s official page.
Event details and schedule
“We are delighted to bring top-tier professional golf back to this region and look forward to making history with an unforgettable tournament experience,” Patrick Manning, managing partner of Black Desert said.
Manning said volunteer spots for the event filled up within two hours.
“The tournament is an opportunity for our team and community to come together and represent our hometown,” Manning said.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
Official Pro-Am, open to the public
Thursday, Oct. 10
Opening day, full field competition
Friday, Oct. 11
Second round of competition, full field competition
Saturday, Oct. 12
Third round of competition, player field after the cut
Sunday, Oct. 13
Final championship round
Trophy presentation
“The Black Desert Championship is a landmark event for both the PGA TOUR and the state of Utah,” Manning said.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
