What you need to know as PGA Tour makes Central Kentucky stop with Barbasol Championship
An annual Central Kentucky sports tradition is back again, and perhaps for the final time.
The Barbasol Championship — the PGA Tour’s annual stop in the commonwealth — will be contested from Thursday through Sunday at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville.
This will be the fifth edition of the event at Keene Trace, but it’s unclear if the Barbasol Championship will continue beyond 2023 at the venue.
While its future may be up in the air, more than 150 professional golfers — including a strong international presence — will descend on Central Kentucky this week, with significant prize money and incentives on offer for whomever is able to win the event.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 PGA Barbasol Championship.
What is the Barbasol Championship?
The Barbasol Championship is one of 47 tournaments, and 44 regular-season tournaments, that comprise the 2022-23 PGA Tour schedule.
Held from July 13-16, the Barbasol Championship offers access to both PGA Tour members and DP World Tour members.
The event began in 2015 and was held in Alabama for its first three editions before moving to Kentucky for the 2018 edition.
When it arrived in 2018, the Barbasol became the first regular-season PGA Tour event to be played in Kentucky since the Kentucky Derby Open was held in Louisville from 1957-59.
Where is the Barbasol Championship?
Each Kentucky edition of the Barbasol Championship has been held at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville, which is about 25 minutes outside of Lexington.
This will be the fifth Barbasol Championship to be played in Kentucky.
When is the Barbasol Championship?
The Barbasol Championship will be held from Thursday through Sunday.
But prior to the competition’s tournament rounds, there will be several events taking place on the Keene Trace grounds.
On Monday, the course was closed to the public, but was to host both a practice round and a pro-am event.
On Tuesday, the course is again closed to the public, and it will again host a practice round. Additionally, another pro-am event will be held and the First Tee of Greater Lexington will host a junior golf clinic.
On Wednesday, access to the grounds will open at 7 a.m., and no ticket is required for members of the public to come and watch another pro-am event.
What will the tournament field look like?
According to Tournament Director Darren Nelson, the 2023 Barbasol Championship field will feature 156 golfers, with about 100 from the PGA Tour and about 50 from the DP World Tour.
The low 65 players, plus ties, will make the cut following Friday’s second round.
The Barbasol Championship field was announced Sunday night.
Among the players expected to be in the 156-golfer field are three former major championship winners (Jason Dufner, Lucas Glover and Geoff Ogilvy) and three previous winners of the Barbasol (Jim Herman, Grayson Murray and Scott Piercy).
Also expected to be in the field is Kevin Streelman, who was the runner-up in the 2022 event.
According to the field list, the highest-ranked player expected to participate in the 2023 Barbasol Championship is Lucas Glover. The former U.S. Open winner held an Official World Golf Ranking of No. 112 as of Monday.
The Barbasol Championship is held at the same time as the Genesis Scottish Open, which is a co-sanctioned event on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Most elite players will be across the Atlantic Ocean at the Scottish Open this week, as it’s a key prep event for The Open Championship — the final major of the year — which will be held next week in England.
What does the winner receive?
In short, a lot.
Monetarily, there’s the winning payout of $684,000 from a $3.8 million purse. The winner of the 2023 Barbasol Championship will also earn a berth into The Open Championship field.
Last year’s Barbasol winner, Trey Mullinax, finished in a tie for 21st at that event.
The winner of the Barbasol Championship also earns 300 FedEx Cup points and a two-year PGA Tour exemption, as well as a trip to another major championship, the 2024 PGA Championship.
Next year’s PGA Championship will be contested at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
How can I purchase tickets?
Tickets to the Barbasol Championship are available at BarbasolChampionship.com/Tickets.
General admission tickets — which are good any single day Thursday through Sunday — cost $40.
Weekly general admission tickets — which are valid each day Thursday through Sunday — cost $120.
Children 15 years old and younger are admitted for free at the Barbasol Championship when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
Visit BarbasolChampionship.com/Tickets for additional ticket information and information about other related services, like parking.
How can I watch the tournament?
The Golf Channel and Peacock — the streaming platform owned by NBC — will broadcast all four rounds of the 2023 Barbasol Championship.
The Golf Channel will showcase the Barbasol from 4-7 p.m. each day.
What is the future of the Barbasol Championship?
In a word: Unclear.
The tournament’s five-year sponsorship deal with Barbasol, an American shaving brand, is set to end after the 2023 event.
Nelson, the tournament director, told the Herald-Leader in May that “there’s no news as of yet,” about the future of the event in Central Kentucky.
“We obviously want the event to stay. We’ve got the ownership of the golf course, the PGA Tour, everybody is having conversations right now,” Nelson said.
