Bad weather delayed yesterday's final round before eventually suspending play until this morningGETTY IMAGES
The PGA Tour Barbasol Championship this weekend was "destined for some difficulties by being scheduled on the same dates" as the Open Championship, but conclusions about the tournament's staying power "warrant a larger sample," according to Tim Sullivan of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. The tourney moved from Alabama to Keene Trace Golf Club in Kentucky this year. After heavy rainfall and lightning delayed yesterday's final round before eventually suspending play until this morning, fans should "see what happens when the weather cooperates" before passing judgement. They should also wait to "see what happens when prominent Kentucky players" like J.B. Holmes "pick a different week for vacation." Professional golf has been an "infrequent visitor" to Kentucky, as the state has not been the site of a regular PGA Tour stop since the "short-lived Kentucky Derby Open" from '57-59. But there is an audience there with a "strong appetite" for golf. The spectators who waited through more than five hours of delays to see a few shots late yesterday afternoon are "not the sort of people who are easily discouraged." The Barbasol Championship with a stronger field "could be a popular addition to Kentucky's sporting calendar," as Keene Trace has "signed on for a four-year commitment" to host the event. Given how "lean things get between the Kentucky Derby and the start of football season, the opportunity to fill some of that void on an annual basis is a worthy goal" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/23).
NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED: LPGAer Brittany Lincicome at the Barbasol Championship became the sixth woman ever to get a PGA Tour event start, but ESPN's Zubin Mehenti said Lincicome "really hasn't gotten much publicity" because the tournament was "happening in a simultaneous fashion with a Major" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/21).
HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES: In California, Larry Bohannan noted PGA Tour CareerBuilder Challenge organizers "see music as a major part" of next year's event as part of a "revamped model" for the tournament in Palm Springs. Perhaps the "biggest success" of '18 that will carry over to '19 is the "after-round concerts." Estimates "were between 8,000 and 10,000 people" who "filled the PGA West driving range for the Huey Lewis and the News concert, with about 5,000 for the Goo Goo Dolls the following night." CareerBuilder Challenge Exec Dir Jeff Sanders said that ticket sales "tripled" during that week from '17, as the '18 concerts were "part of the $30 daily ticket." Sanders is "keeping a tight lid" on which bands will be at the '19 tournament, other than to say one band has "signed and another is close to signing" (DESERTSUN.com, 7/19).
