Barbasol Championship: golf betting tips, PGA Tour preview & TV details

Starts 1.20pm Thursday
TV: Sky Sports red button, 11pm Thursday

While the world’s top players are battling it out to be named Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Portrush, the lesser lights of the US Tour have the chance to bag glory on a smaller scale at the Barbasol Championship.

Troy Merritt won the title at Keene Trace Golf Club last year and the defending champion is 25-1 favourite in a wide-open field after the withdrawal of three-time PGA Tour champion Russell Henley on Tuesday.

Champion’s top tip
Sepp Straka 28-1

There is no standout performer in the field at Keene Trace this week but if anyone has the potential to become a star then it might be Sepp Straka.

The power-packed Austrian has mixed it with some of the biggest names in golf since earning his US Tour card at the start of the season and finished in the top 30 in four of his last seven starts in far tougher company – including when tied for 28th at the US Open in June.

The 26-year-old tees it up alongside less exalted opposition this week and fully deserves to be among the favourites as he bids to land a first PGA Tour title in Kentucky.

A graduate from the Korn Ferry Tour – formerly the Web.com Tour – Straka was a winner last season at the KC Golf Classic in neighbouring Missouri before finishing third in the Tour Championship.

Merritt produced a masterclass from tee to green to take the title last year and Straka ranks 41st on the US Tour in strokes gained on approach – in this mediocre field, he ranks behind only Adam Svensson, Tom Hoge and Roberto Castro.

Next best
Wes Roach 40-1

Wes Roach had been struggling to make the game pay since regaining his card at the start of the 2018-19 season but the Tennessee man has turned it around since finishing tied for tenth at the Knoxville Open in his native state in May.

That was a Korn Ferry event, but he’s since brought that form to the top level in finishing 11th in Canada, third at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and tenth at the John Deere Classic last week.

He will be looking to cash in on his red-hot form at an event where a two-year PGA Tour exemption and 300 FedEx Cup points are on the line – he is ranked 124th in the points list and the top 125 players will compete in the playoffs.

Other selection
Roberto Castro 66-1

Complete the staking plan with Roberto Castro, who has steadily been playing his way into form in recent weeks and ranks highly in strokes gained approaching the green.
The 34-year-old carded four rounds in the 60s at the 3M Open and the John Deere Classic and his Barbasol records reads 11-23, albeit at former venue the RTJ Golf Trail.

Staking plan
S Straka
2pts each-way 28-1 Coral
W Roach
1pt each-way 40-1 Hills
R Castro
1pt each-way 66-1 bet365, Sky Bet

The lowdown

Course The Champion Trace, Keene Trace GC, Nicholasville, Kentucky
Prize Money $3.5m ($630k to the winner)
Length 7,328 yards
Par 72
Field 128
Course records – 18 holes 62 Troy Merritt 72 holes 265 Troy Merritt

When to bet By 1.20pm Thursday

Where to watch Live on Sky Sports red button from 11pm Thursday

Last week – John Deere Classic 1 D Frittelli (90-1), 2 R Henley (125-1), 3 A Landry (140-1), T4 C Morikawa (20-1), C Stroud (200-1)

Course overview The Champion Trace, designed by renowned course architect Arthur Hills, made its PGA Tour debut last season. The Nicholasville track became the first regular US Tour event to be played in Kentucky since 1959. The 7,328 yard par-72 layout features bentgrass greens. Tournament organisers have opted to swap the back and front nines this year so they will be faced with a water-guarded par-four 18th hole (last year’s ninth) which played the toughest on the course in 2018. Earlier in the round, there are four par-fives which are reachable in two, particularly the 516-yard 15th. There is water on five of the holes but overall this presents an easy test for any in-form US Tour pro.

Story of last year Troy Merritt carded a final-round 67 to claim his second US Tour title in the first staging of the Barbasol at Keene Trace. The Iowa man held off the challenge of tournament
ante-post favourite Billy Horschel as well as Richy Werenski and Tom Lovelady to win by a shot.

Weather forecast Hot and humid conditions should greet the players on each of the first three days while Sunday could be disrupted by thunderstorms

Type of player suited to challenge Merritt was in sublime form from tee to green last year – he lost strokes on the field with the putter – and a similarly strong ball-striking performance will pay dividends in Kentucky. Power players can take advantage of the shorter holes but accuracy is also important.

Key attribute Power

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