With nearly all of the top players on the PGA Tour competing in The Open Championship, those who didn’t qualify for the fourth major will have a chance to pick up some scraps at the alternate Barbasol Championship, taking place this week at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky. There are no top-50 players competing, but there is a good mix of talented young players and experienced veterans looking to pick up valuable FedEx Cup points. Troy Merritt is back to defend his title, however, there is no clear-cut favorite in the watered down field. Russell Henley opened at the top of the odds list at online sportsbooks, because someone had to.
Odds to Win 2019 Barbasol Championship at BookMaker.eu
Russell Henley +2200
J.T. Poston +2500
Jason Dufner +2500
Jhonattan Vegas +2500
Martin Laird +2500
Troy Merritt +2500
Beau Hossler +2800
Sepp Straka +2800
Adam Schenk +3300
Bill Haas +3300
Brian Stuard +3300
Danny Lee +3300
Denny McCarthy +3300
Nick Taylor +3300
Peter Malnati +3300
Austin Cook +4000
Brice Garnett +4000
Shawn Stefani +4000
Adam Svensson +5000
Hank Lebioda +5000
Joey Garber +5000
Johnson Wagner +5000
Kyong Hoon-Lee +5000
Patrick Rodgers +5000
Sam Saunders +5000
Seamus Power +5000
Sebastian Munoz +5000
Stephan Jaeger +5000
Wes Roach +5000
Zack Sucher +5000
Andres Romero +6600
Harris English +6600
Josh Teater +6600
Matt Jones +6600
Richy Werenski +6600
Robert Streb +6600
Roberto Castro +6600
Roberto Diaz +6600
Ryan Armour +6600
Tyler Duncan +6600
Brian Gay +8000
Jonathan Byrd +8000
Kramer Hickok +8000
Ollie Schniederjans +8000
Peter Uihlein +8000
Ted Potter Jr +8000
Trey Mullinax +8000
Alex Prugh +10000
Brandon Harkins +10000
Brendon Todd +10000
Chase Wright +10000
Chip McDaniel +10000
David Hearn +10000
Fabian Gomez +10000
Jim Knous +10000
Sang Moon Bae +10000
Tom Hoge +10000
Odds Analysis
Russell Henley +2200
How often is the favorite at a PGA Tour event offered at such lengthy odds? And how often is a player the favorite after missing the cut in four of his last five starts? That shows us just how tightly packed the field is. Henley ended a string of four MCs by carding a final round 10-under 61 to earn a runner-up finish at last week’s John Deere Classic. That makes him the hottest player in the field. Henley is worth a play with such long odds.
Beau Hossler +2800
It’s been an underwhelming season for Hossler as he searches for his first PGA Tour victory. The good news is that he’s played the weekend seven times in his last nine starts. The bad news is that he hasn’t finished higher than T26 in any of those events. Wait, there’s more good news. That best finish took place last week, bettering his previous best of T34 during that run the week prior. This is a field Hossler should feel comfortable competing against.
Jhonattan Vegas +2500
Vegas showed a lot of promise earlier in the year when he collected six top-30s in a seven start stretch that included a T3 at THE PLAYERS Championship and a T10 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Since a T8 at the Wells Fargo, Vegas has three MCs in five starts with both finishes outside the top-30. Can he find the form from a few months ago? It looked promising last week until a 76 meltdown on Saturday moved him from the lead to T37. He finished the week with a 69 for a nice rebound and should carry over some momentum from that.
Patrick Rodgers +5000
A bit of an unknown since he hasn’t played since March, Rodgers is an intriguing pick with a hefty payday. He showed promise earlier in the year with a solo second at the RSM Classic thanks to final rounds of 61 and 62. He also had a pair of top-15 showings before going on the shelf with an unspecified injury. The lengthy layoff has to be a concern, but this is a layout that shouldn’t offer him much resistance.
Brian Gay +8000
Solid yet unspectacular has defined Gay since he turned pro in 1994. He’s played a lot of golf this season going 19 of 25 with six top-25s, including a podium finish at the Zurich Classic. Three of his five MCs have come in the last two months, which may serve him well with some additional weekend rest. And it’s always worth a shot to look down the odds board in a field of this caliber. Despite his recent form, Gay is one of the better players in the field.
Course: Keene Trace Gold Club – 7,328 yards, Par 72
With the exception of the closing hole on each of the nines, the course is fairly straightforward with few obstacles. Merritt set a tournament record last year by navigating the layout to a 23-under with three golfers finishing one swing back. That shows you how scoreable the track is. The par-3 18th hole requires some carry over water to wide green. It’s a tough tee shot and it’s one of just two par-3 finishes on Tour. Water also surrounds the ninth hole, but the two didn’t pose much of a threat last year. Keene Trace is in its second year as a Tour stop, and it’s consistently been among the top-five in the state’s course rankings.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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