Barbasol Championship Primer: History, TV, Field

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The Barbasol Championship tees off this week at Grand National in Opelika, Alabama – about a 15 minute drive from the campus of Auburn University.

 
This will be the third edition of the Barbasol, which was first played in 2015, and marked the first Tour event played in Alabama since the controversial 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek.

Playing opposite the British Open, it is one of four alternate tournaments on the PGA Tour’s schedule, with the others being: Sanderson Farms (WGC HSBC), Puerto Rico (WGC Dell), and Barracuda (WGC Bridgestone).

As an alternate tournament, the fields are weaker, the purses are smaller, and the winnings are not quite as impressive (less money, and no Masters invite). With that said, it is a PGA Tour event and the winner still receives a two-year Tour exemption and a trip to Quail Hollow for next month’s PGA Championship.


The Field

The Alabama field is generally comprised of veterans on the career-downside, a bunch of up-and-comers, and a sprinkling of players who will actually be part of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

 
In fact, the first two champions, Scott Piercy (2015) and Aaron Baddeley (2016), finished 22nd and 69th, respectively, in the final FedExCup standings.

Players headlining this year’s tournament include vets such as Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, KJ Choi, Y.E. Yang, Angel Cabrera, Retief Goosen, and Stuart Appleby. While some of the still-in-their-prime marquee names include Hunter Mahan, Daniel Summerhays, Smylie Kaufman, Grayson Murray, and Ben Crane. (Full Field below.)


2016 Champion

Baddeley was 11 shots off the lead at the halfway point last year, but shaved it (pun intended) to just three after 54 holes.

Then with a final-round 5-under 66, Baddeley forced sudden death with young Si Woo Kim, who he went on to beat on the fourth playoff hole with a 28-foot putt for birdie.

The win was Baddeley’s fourth career PGA Tour title, and his first since the 2011 Genesis Open.

 
Baddeley will not be in Alabama this week to defend his title. The 35-year-old Aussie qualified for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale by virtue of a T4 at last fall’s Australian Open (won by Jordan Spieth).


Other Recent Winners

2015: Scott Piercy


TV Coverage

Round 1: Thursday 5-8 PM (Golf Channel)
Round 2: Friday 5-8 PM (Golf Channel)
Round 3: Saturday 4-7 PM (Golf Channel)
Round 4: Sunday 4-7 PM (Golf Channel)


The Course

Grand National is a Robert Trent Jones design, and the flagship golf course on the historic Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

 
Hugging the edge of the 600-acre Lake Saugahatchee in Opelika’s northwest, the Grand National is said to have been the “single greatest site” for a golf complex Robert Trent Jones, Sr. had ever seen.

The Lake course’s group of par threes are considered as good as any you’ll see on Tour.


The Skinny

 
Tournament: Barbasol Championship
Managed By: PGA Tour
Title Sponsor: Barbasol
Dates: July 20-23
Course: Grand National (Lakes)
Where: Opelika/Auburn, Alabama
Vitals: 7,302 yards, par-71
Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Sr (1991)
Format: 72 hole competition, 36 hole cut
Purse: $3,500,000
Winning Share: $630,000
Website: BarbasolChampionship.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/BarbasolChampionshipPGA
Twitter: @BarbasolPGATOUR
Instagram: @BarbasolChampionship


Video Preview


Full Field

Sorted by World Rank

RANKNAME
86Jim Furyk
93Daniel Summerhays
151Smylie Kaufman
156Grayson Murray
162Chad Campbell
167Dominic Bozzelli
173Ryo Ishikawa
174Brian Stuard
177Andres Romero
197David Hearn
201Ben Martin
205JT Poston
210Seungyul Noh
217Patton Kizzire
224Alex Cejka
239Kyle Reifers
240Trey Mullinax
247Blayne Barber
250Matt Jones
251Brian Gay
255Derek Fathauer
258Scott Stallings
258Cameron Tringale
265Robert Garrigus
269Retief Goosen
271Chesson Hadley
275Ricky Barnes
280Rick Lamb
284Brandon Hagy
287K.J. Choi
298Ryan Brehm
301Boo Weekley
304Richy Werenski
305Martin Flores
308Jonathan Randolph
310Spencer Levin
313Troy Merritt
314Tyrone van Aswegen
315Zac Blair
318Ryan Blaum
329Sam Saunders(July1987)
331Seamus Power
334Andres Gonzales
341Cameron Percy
372Andrew Loupe
392Chad Collins
404Chris Stroud
409Brian Campbell
413Ben Crane
422Mark Anderson
423Joel Dahmen
450Julian Etulain
457Will Wilcox
463Ken Duke
476Nicholas Lindheim
477Steve Wheatcroft
478Jonathan Byrd
479Shawn Stefani
487Rory Sabbatini
489Robby Shelton IV
501Hiroshi Iwata
502Y.E. Yang
525Bill Lunde
529Jason Bohn
531Stuart Appleby
531Brad Fritsch
535Ryan Armour
543Tom Hoge
585Peter Malnati
620Miguel Angel Carballo
637Mark Hubbard
647Tag Ridings
656Gonzalo Fdez-Castano
682Angel Cabrera
686Brett Drewitt
690Max Homa
701Davis Love III
709Bobby Wyatt
725Steven Alker
732Hunter Mahan
733Tim Herron
782Mark Wilson
822Tyler Aldridge
852Brendon de Jonge
861Robert Allenby
861George McNeill
930Matt Every
1025Arjun Atwal
1051Steven Bowditch
1053Carl Pettersson
1110John Merrick
1237Derek Rende
1245Dicky Pride
1266Craig Barlow
1392Charlie Wi
1394Marc Turnesa
1430Shane Bertsch
1509Brendon Todd
1514Mark Hensby
1613D.J. Trahan
1691Ted Purdy
1770Michael Bradley
1770Frank Lickliter-II
1788Tommy Gainey
1848Cameron Beckman
1880Chris Smith
1956Duffy Waldorf
1957Lee Janzen
1957Brett Wetterich
1957Robert Gamez
1957Len Mattiace
1957Shaun Micheel
1957Omar Uresti
1957Kent Jones
1957John Rollins
1957Heath Slocum
1957Matt Bettencourt
1957Troy Matteson
1957Chip Deason
1957Hugo Leon
1957Grant Leaver
1957Wes Homan
1957Sam Burns
1957Rich Berberian, Jr.
1957Mookie DeMoss
1957Davis Love IV
1957Matt Gilchrest
1957William Cannon
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