Brooks Downing has been pleased with the commitments the Barbasol Championships has received ahead of the PGA TOUR event set for July 19-22 at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville. (Kentucky Today/Keith Taylor)
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
The list of participants for the Barbasol Championships is growing going into the final three weeks of preparation for the PGA Tour event.
The initial field for the tournament set for July 19-22 at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville.
Joining Davis Love III and Brittany Lincicome are 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, 2007 U.S. Open champion and 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera and 2009 PGA champion have committed to play in the event. The current field of 132 players represents more than 150 total PGA victories.
“We could not be more pleased with the initial list of player commitments, including these major champions,” said tournament Executive Director Brooks Downing. “With these accomplished stars in the field along with all the young up-and-coming talent on the PGA TOUR, the four days of competition will be very intriguing and entertaining to watch.”
Bluegrass Sports Commission President and CEO Brian Miller has been pleased with the early commitments.
“Central Kentucky has attracted attention from all over the world for our horse-racing industry, and now we will be attracting worldwide attention for golf,” said Bluegrass Sports Commission President & CEO Brian Miller. “We look forward to showcasing the Bluegrass to local and regional golf fans, and a national and international TV audience.”
Goosen is nicknamed “Iceman” because of his calm demeanor on the course and has won 26 victories, including seven on the PGA TOUR. Once a caddie, Cabrera — “The Duck” — has captured 46 wins as a professional golfer.
Downing said more players will be announced soon. The full field won’t be unveiled until July 13.
“This is just a quick view of some of the stars that have signed up on the preliminary list,” Downing added. “We will announce more next week as the list continues to take shape.”
Tickets: Daily and week-long grounds passes can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. A Thursday grounds pass is $30 with Friday priced at $35 and the Saturday/Sunday rate at $40 per day. A four-day grounds pass can be purchased for $100, with upgraded ticket options also available.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.
