Cooper Musselman launches a tee shot of the No. 8 tee during the final round of the Barbasol Championships Sunday at Champions at Keene Trace. (Kentucky Today/Keith Taylor)
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Heavy rains suspended play of the Barbasol Championship for more than four hours Sunday, forcing the finale to be extended at least for one more day.
Overall, just 21 players completed the fourth round Sunday, including former University of Kentucky golfers Cooper Musselman and Chip McDaniel. Tournament leaders Robert Streb, Hunter Mahan, Tom Lovelady and Troy Merritt didn’t play their round Sunday and are tied for the lead at 18-under-par. The four leaders, along with four other golfers will tee off starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday, weather permitting.
Musselman fired a 2-over-par 73 after finishing under par, including a 69 in the middle two rounds of the tournament. Musselman was glad his finished his first PGA TOUR event in four days.
“I’m really glad we got it done. On the 18th green, they blew the horn, let the other group get up, so we could finish the hole (and they) could finish the hole as well.”
Like Musselman, McDaniel was relieved after playing the final hole of his first professional event.
“I felt like I played well. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty terrible,” he said. “I got off to a pretty good start despite the conditions. I thought we were going to get lucky with the weather and I started getting going a little bit, and then the weather hit on some of the scoring holes on the back nine. I just grinded it out. Got through the delay and birdied the last two, so it feels good.”
McDaniel said his birdie on No. 18 to finish the final round was “icing on the cake.
“A few hundred more dollars,” he said. “It was a lot of fun this week.”
Musselman admitted the stop and go action because of the weather elements “was pretty frustrating.”
“Once we stopped for the first time was about, I don’t know, it was two and a half hours — we got to go out for 12 minutes, then we had to sit for another hour, which was kind of tough to take,” he said. “But I was already tired as the day started, and that just made it even more. Got a little unfocused on the last nine holes, but that’s just something I’m going to have to learn to deal with.”
McDaniel said his shot on No. 17 during the opening round, a shot out of the bunker that sank in the hole for eagle on a Par-5, set the tone for the remainder of the tournament.
“I was kind playing terrible and that kind of saved me,” he said. “I shot 6-under the next day to make the cut on the number. You don’t realize how much that helps. That was a cool moment, too. And making birdie at the Natty Shack was also pretty cool. It was one the loudest roars I’ve ever heard in golf.”
Musselman plans to “look at some stats, reevaluate some stuff” in moving forward. He plans to compete in the Kentucky Open and prepare for qualifying school.
“Where I can get better is probably the first thing I’m going to take away (from) it,” he said. “Second thing is how blessed I am to have this opportunity. Really fortunate to play in this event. I love being in my home state. Got a lot of support from friends and family and that was really special.
“That’s the thing I’m going to remember the most about it, was probably the first tee shot, hear my name announced, and then hearing all my friends and family just giving me some support. It was really awesome. … “(I) just hope I’m peaking at the right time.”
McDaniel also plans to compete in the Kentucky Open and get ready for qualifying school.
“That’s what’s on the agenda,” he said.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.
