Barbasol Championship predictions: Chance for Pendrith to claim first PGA title
- Lucas Glover at 112th is the highest-ranked player at the Barbasol Championship this week
- The last five Barbasol winners have all posted a four-round total of at least -21
- Six of the seven Barbasol Championship winners were at least 30 when they claimed the prize
- Recommended bets
- Taylor Pendrith to win and each-way
- Vincent Norrman to win and each-way
- Justin Lower to win and each-way
With most of golf’s elite heading to Scotland to prepare for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, the field at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky is somewhat starved of star quality.
However, that gives a great chance for some of those in the lower reaches of the world rankings to claim a PGA Tour title, with the tournament at Keene Trace also part of the DP World Tour calendar.
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith is the 16/1 favourite with LiveScore Bet, while former US Open champion Lucas Glover is 20/1 after scoring his second consecutive top-10 finish at last week’s John Deere Classic.
Pendrith looks the man to beat
Canadian Taylor Pendrith has yet to claim a PGA Tour title despite being involved in last year’s Presidents Cup and this looks a good opportunity to set that record straight.
Pendrith is just the sort of hefty driver who can do well at Keene Trace, which is not the toughest test players will face this season, and he overpowered the track on his way to 13th spot in last year’s debut effort.
His closing 66 on that occasion was bettered by only one player on that Sunday and a 14th spot on his last outing at the Rocket Mortgage Classic suggests he is capable of taking advantage of this week’s mediocre opposition.
Norrman can step up
Another player who looks on the cusp of making big strides on the PGA Tour is Sweden's Vincent Norrman, who has performed well in a few of the lower-profile events this season.
It is two years since he made his professional debut with fifth spot at the BMW International Open and it has been full steam ahead since after a successful Korn Ferry Tour campaign was enough to earn him a card on the main tour.
This year he was 21st in Puerto Rico, 16th at the Corales Puntacana and 18th in Mexico before posting an eighth spot at the Byron Nelson.
That sort of form would stand him in good stead in a field as weak as this one and his 24th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last time out was creditable too.
Lower should set his sights high
Justin Lower could be another player who proves his ability and he has some course form in the book, having recorded an eighth-place finish when he made his Keene Trace debut last year.
He heads to Kentucky in decent form having followed his 25th at the Canadian Open with an eighth spot in a better quality field than this in the Rocket Mortgage Classic two weeks ago, so there is cause for optimism.
