Christmas 11—NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — While an alternate-field event like the Barbasol Championship has less money and fewer FedExCup points at stake than a regular PGA Tour event, they also provide an opportunity for the lower-ranked players on Tour to have a strong week while the game’s elite compete elsewhere .
Fairmont native William McGirt hopes to take advantage of such an opportunity as he plays in the event this week at Keene Trace Golf Club near Lexington, Kentucky.
McGirt tees off on the 10th hole at 12:54 pm in the first round Thursday, paired with Robert Garrigus and Angel Hidalgo Portillo. The trio will start Friday’s second round at 7:29 am on hole No. 1.
This is the third time McGirt has played in the Barbasol Championship; he finished tied for 12th in 2018 and tied for 50th last year, with a career scoring average of 68.63 at the par-72 layout.
McGirt is playing for the second consecutive week after missing the cut at the John Deere Classic last week. He has missed the cut in six of his last seven PGA Tour starts, dating back to late March.
McGirt will make his 14th PGA Tour start of the 2022-23 season. He is currently ranked 205th in the FedExCup standings, with just four weeks left in the regular season; his best finish of the season is a tie for 24th at the Sanderson Farms Championship last October.
Most of the PGA Tour’s top players are playing the Genesis Scottish Open this week. Taylor Pendrith and Lucas Glover are the betting favorites at the Barbasol Championship, with Ahshay Bhatia, Kevin Streelman and Harry Higgs as the other biggest names in the field; defending champion Trey Mullinax is not in the field.