Steve Palmer's Barbasol Championship predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 9pm on Thursday

Best bets

Chris Gotterup
3.5pts each-way 20-1 general

Matti Schmid
1.5pts each-way 90-1 bet365

Josh Teater
1pt each-way 80-1 Betfred

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There are two co-sanctioned events taking place this week, mixing PGA Tour and DP World Tour representatives, and the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky is inevitably the poor relation of the pair. There is a two-year PGA Tour exemption up for grabs though - which is a huge carrot for the vast majority of this field.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Chris Gotterup 20-1

The golfing world may have a new superstar coming through the ranks in the shape of power-packed Oklahoma graduate Chris Gotterup - and a maiden PGA Tour title could be coming on Sunday evening.

Some swashbuckling youngsters have emerged from Oklahoma universities through the years - Anthony Kim cut his teeth at the University of Oklahoma, while Viktor Hovland was at Oklahoma State - and Gotterup could be the latest attacking powerhouse to make a comfortable transition to the PGA Tour.

This is a classic modern pro - a beefcake blessed with immense swing speed - and he has quickly shown he is good enough to compete on the main circuit. Seventh place in the Puerto Rico Open in March has been followed by 43rd in the US Open, 35th in the Travelers Championship and fourth in the John Deere Classic last Sunday.

Gotterup said he felt "validated" by contending in the JDC - he knows he belongs on this Tour - and a card could be sealed with victory on Sunday. Keene Trace has been softened by storms, the four par-fives are at his mercy, and if he brings his JDC form to the Barbasol, Gotterup could be the man to beat.

Next best bet

Matti Schmid 90-1

Like Gotterup, Matti Schmid enjoyed much success as an amateur, and he starred at the University of Louisville for four years. He knows Kentucky well and will have knowledge of Keene Trace. The German was European Amateur champion in 2019 and 2020 and much was expected of him when he turned pro.

A runner-up effort in the Dutch Open last year, plus a third-place finish in the Steyn City Championship this year, have shown Schmid can contend for DP World Tour titles. His weakness is around the greens, but Keene Trace is so easy that there will probably not be much scrambling for Schmid to do this week.

Expect the big-hitting 24-year-old to pound greens in regulation and thrive in the state where he made his name.

Other selection

Josh Teater 80-1

Complete a three-pronged attack with another man who has local ties. Josh Teater was born in Kentucky, went to college there and still lives in the Bluegrass State. The 43-year-old journeyman has won once on the Korn Ferry Tour and has been playing some decent golf on that circuit this season.

If Teater is going to win on the PGA Tour, it will probably be at Keene Trace, where he has put his local knowledge to good use in two previous starts. He was sixth in the 2019 Barbasol, 15th last year, and can feature on the leaderboard again this week.

Keene Trace course guide

Course Keene Trace Golf Club, Nicholasville, Kentucky
Prize money $3.7m ($630,000 to the winner)
Length 7,328 yards
Par 72 - four par-fives; ten par-fours; four par-threes
Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Kevin Streelman (129), Marcus Helligkilde (146), Patton Kizzire (147), Adam Svensson (158), Santiago Tarrio (168)
Course records - 72 holes 262 Jim Herman (2019) 18 holes 61 Kelly Kraft (2019)

Course winner taking part Jim Herman

When to bet By noon on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 9pm on Thursday

Time difference Kentucky is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - John Deere Classic 1 JT Poston (45-1), T2 C Bezuidenhout (35-1), E Grillo (70-1), T4 C Gotterup (110-1), S Stallings (33-1), T6 C Tarren (200-1), D McCarthy (28-1), T8 M McNealy (30-1), C Davis (40-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview The first three Barbasols were staged in Alabama at the Grand National Course, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, but Keene Trace took over in 2018, hosting for the fourth time this week, the 2020 edition having been cancelled due to Covid. The layout has wide fairways, large greens and is easy for professionals, with winning scores of 23, 26 and 21 under par in the Barbasol. The eighth, ninth, 17th and 18th holes are played around a large lake, so there is scope for drama at the end of each nine

Story of last year Seamus Power secured his maiden PGA Tour title, defeating JT Poston in a playoff

Weather forecast Hot and humid, with light breezes, and a thunderstorm threat for the first two days

Type of player suited to the challenge A hot flat-stick seems essential at such a low-scoring course, especially as the greens are large and demand strong lag putting

Key attribute Touch

Spotlight insight Five of the six Barbasol champions were 32 or older