This week in the golf world we have a PGA Tour’s alternate event, the Barbasol Championship. This event is running parallel with the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open and, takes players to Nicholasville, Kentucky, for the Barbasol Championship predictions.
The tournament debuted in 2015 as an alternate event to the Open Championship. But beginning last season, the Barbasol Championship served as a second co-sanctioned event between the PGA and DP World Tour during the same week at the Scottish Open.
Record-Breaking Performance
Trey Mullinax won’t be back to defend his title, as his victory got him into this year’s Open Championship. Mullinax’s win was the first for the 31-year-old on the PGA Tour. He fired a four-day score of 263 to best Kevin Streelman by one shot.
The tournament provides the final opportunity for a player not already exempt into next week’s Open to earn a spot into the field. Along with that chance, the winner will take home $684,000 of the $3.8 million dollar purse.
Let’s take a look at the course and the field before we dive into our Barbasol Championship predictions.
Keene Trace Golf Club
The course opened its doors in 1987 and was designed by Arthur Hills. Keene Trace is hosting the tournament for the fifth time. And is considered one of the top golf courses in the state of Kentucky.
Located just outside of Lexington, the scorecard plays as a par-72 with a length that stretches out to over 7,300 yards. Rolling hills are a feature on the property, along with big greens and numerous bunkers.
The course offers plenty of opportunities for scoring. With the average winning tally over the last four years hovering around 23-under par. best golf players in the field that have statistically excelled at Birdie average should be at the top of your Barbasol Championship predictions.
The Playing Field
The historically light field got a boost in strength last year, with players from the DP World Tour teeing up. The best golfer players from across the pond include Julien Guerrier, Aaron Cockerill, and Marcus Helligkilde.
Recent PGA Tour winners teeing it up in Kentucky are Erik van Rooyen, Chad Ramey, and Cameron Champ. All three are looking for the final spot in next week’s Open Championship.
Kevin Streelman returns looking for a victory after his runner-up finish last season. Peter Kuest, who Monday qualified for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, received a sponsor exemption. Kuest turned his Monday qualifying into a T4 in Detroit and T17 at the John Deere Classic to earn temporary PGA Tour status.
Betting Favorites
Taylor Pendrith (+1600)
Barbasol Championship picks are high as Canadian Taylor Pendrith (+1600) enters the week as the betting favorite and one of our top Barbasol Championship predictions. Pendrith tees it up for the first time since a T14 two weeks ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Lucas Glover (+2000)
Lucas Glover has Barbasol Championship odds of +2000. And comes in with confidence thanks to a new putting form that has allowed him to excel in recent golf events. Glover has posted back-to-back finishes of T6 or better in the last two weeks.
Vincent Norrman (+2000)
Vincent Norrman (+2000) is right there, with Glover near the top of the list. Norrman has been on the cusp of securing his first PGA Tour win. With a pair of top-10 finishes this season along with six top-25s.
Streelman, Kuest, and Akshay Bhatia (+2500)
Rounding out the pre-tournament favorites are Streelman, Kuest, and Akshay Bhatia at +2500. We’ve talked about Kuest’s recent results, while Bhatia’s season has been highlighted by a solo fourth at the Mexico Open and a solo second at the Puerto Rico Open.
Barbasol Championship Prediction
While this tournament has yielded a pair of first-time winners in recent years, we like the chances of a former major winner this week.
- Glover has the hot hand coming into the Barbasol Championship. And also owns four PGA Tour wins, including his last in 2021 at the John Deere Classic.
With his recent golf odds success thanks to a change in putting style, we like Glover to get back into the winner’s circle this week.
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