Big tickets ready to cash at Barbasol Championship
While much of the PGA TOUR is headed to the U.K. for the next two weeks, the spotlight will straddle the Atlantic. Nicholasville, Kentucky, is the spot this week for the Barbasol Championship, as an eclectic field heads to the Bluegrass State. Some will be searching for their first TOUR win while other veterans will be looking to rekindle past glory, and several DP World Tour members will bring an international flavor to this co-sanctioned event.
Keene Trace Golf Club will offer big greens, plenty of bunkers, a place for low scores and an extremely exciting 18th hole that could have some large implications for FedExCup points, DP World Tour points – and, of course, outcomes of wagers.
Former Presidents Cup participant Taylor Pendrith (+1400) is an outright betting favorite in the eyes of oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook, with an eclectic trio behind him at +2000: Europe’s Vincent Norrman, recent Monday qualifier Peter Kuest and former U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover.
While the Scottie Scheffler top-20 fixture won’t be in play in this tournament, there is value to be had given the players in the field. From seasoned veterans that know what it takes to win to young stars in the making, this year’s Barbasol has plenty of action for those looking to expand their card beyond the Genesis Scottish Open.
Here’s a look at some players to consider in Kentucky, starting with a player looking to extend his recent hot streak to three starts in a row.
Peter Kuest (+2000 to win)
It has been a life-changing two-week stretch for the 25-year-old Kuest, who Monday qualified into the Rocket Mortgage Classic and finished T4 to earn a spot in last week’s John Deere Classic, where his crafty play continued. Kuest claimed his second top-20 in as many weeks, earning him Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR.
The BYU product jumped from No. 789 to No. 327 in the Official World Golf Rankings and now comes into the Barbasol in fantastic form. No longer the Cinderella story of tournaments, he comes to Kentucky with a winning mindset as one of the pre-tournament betting favorites with plenty of game to cap this three-week stretch with a victory.
Last year’s winner, Trey Mullinax, had missed three of four cuts prior to this event. Could Higgs follow a similar blueprint in grabbing an unexpected trophy after a few lean weeks? Higgs is currently sitting 125th in the FedExCup standings and needs to start turning the gears if he wants a spot in the Playoffs. He has had his struggles off the tee and with his approach, but Higgs is 30th in Strokes Gained: Putting on TOUR this season. While he has not put it all together this year, all it takes is one low Thursday round to dial it back in and be in serious weekend contention.
Higgs played his college golf at SMU with Kelly Kraft, who owns the 18-hole course record here back in 2019 and who will also be in the field. Perhaps Higgs can call up an old friend and gain some intel on what it took to shoot a 61 at Keene Trace.
Fourteen years after hoisting the U.S. Open trophy, Glover is still grinding in search of more hardware. He has been trending in the proper direction, with two straight finishes of T6 or better. Like Higgs, he is also fighting to crack the top 70 for a spot in the Playoffs in a few weeks, so he has plenty to play for.
After a putter change turned the tide on the greens and solid iron play moved Glover inside the top 50 on TOUR in SG: Approach, his name has been popping up on leaderboards with more consistency. That shouldn’t change this week.
A champion at the 2017 Barbasol when the tournament was held in Alabama, Murray comes to Kentucky sporting a T6 finish at the John Deere and sitting 12th in Korn Ferry Tour points. After an opening-round 64 last week at the Deere, he has his game in a spot where it hasn’t been in years.
With a surplus of golf gifts, Bhatia has been patiently trying to grab his first PGA TOUR win and meet some lofty expectations. His recent form includes five made cuts in his last seven starts, highlighted by a fourth-place showing at the Mexico Open, and he was a runner-up at the Puerto Rico Open in March against a similar field. With as much talent as he has, do not be shocked to see it Thursday and create a situation where the rest of field is playing catch-up behind Bhatia.
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