Barbasol Championship predictions: Gotterup goes for Kentucky glory

PGA Tour newcomer Chris Gotterup is among the hopefuls keen to impress at the co-sanctioned Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace Golf Club in Kentucky, which starts today. 

This is a great opportunity for one of the lesser-known names of the circuit to enjoy a moment in the limelight. Adam Svensson, for example, will feel like a big fish in a small pond this week.

Svensson, a three-time champion on the Korn Ferry Tour, has PGA Tour form figures of 21-25-24 from his last three events. That is quality golf when compared to most of the rest in attendance for the Barbasol. 

Big future for Gotterup

It is Gotterup who may be worth following closely this week. The 22-year-old appears to have a big future, having showcased his game at the John Deere Classic last week. 

Despite not putting particularly well, Gotterup finished fourth at TPC Deere Run, proving himself a class above most of the rest of the field. 

If he carries that form to the Barbasol Championship, and gets a few more putts to drop, then Gotterup could be the man to beat at Keene Trace. 

The course has been softened by pre-tournament rain and the power of Gotterup will come in handy. It is not difficult to imagine this muscle-bound American destroying the four par-fives. 

Prior to the John Deere effort, Gotterup was seventh at the Puerto Rico Open, 43rd at the US Open and 35th at the Travelers Championship, so he has quickly settled into life on the PGA Tour and knows he belongs. 

Gotterup is fresh from a superb college career — where he starred for the University of Oklahoma — and is riding the crest of a wave. 

Schmid to shine

There are 50 DP World Tour players invited to this event — and one of the most effective of those may turn out to be Matti Schmid. 

The German knows Kentucky well, having spent four years at the University of Louisville, and his knowledge of Keene Trace means he could hit the ground running.

While the rest of his DP World Tour peers are adjusting to new surroundings, Schmid should quickly settle and the track suits his ultra-aggressive style. 

He won the 2019 and 2020 European Amateur Championship, then in last year's Open Championship he equalled the record for the lowest round by an amateur in the tournament's history, firing a second-round 65 at Royal St George's. 

As a pro on the DP World Tour, Schmid finished runner-up in the Dutch Open last year and third in the Steyn City Championship in March. 

Much like Gotterup, this seems a great chance for a rising star like Schmid to showcase his talent.