PGA’s Barbasol is a showcase event for Kentucky golfers. Three of them made the cut.
The Barbasol Championship is the only PGA Tour event held in Kentucky, and thus offers a chance for the best golfers connected to the Commonwealth to play well in familiar surroundings.
While the tournament has a heavier international presence this year with the inclusion of players from the DP World Tour (also known as the European Tour), there were still six golfers with Kentucky ties in the 156-player field to start the Barbasol, which is held at Champions at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville.
From the top of the leaderboard to the bottom, here’s a look at how these Kentucky golfers have fared through two rounds, and which ones will be playing the rest of the weekend.
The Barbasol Championship cut was 5-under par. Eighty-three players made the cut, with 20 of those right on the number.
Matti Schmid
Former University of Louisville golfer Matti Schmid is shaping up to be the story of the weekend at the Barbasol.
Schmid is tied for the lead after two rounds in Nicholasville, having shot 65 (7 under) in his first round and 63 (9 under) in the second.
Those were the same scores recorded by Max McGreevy, who was also at 16-under par for the tournament.
“It’s great for me to always see it. I have a lot of guys coming out, Louisville supporters,” Schmid said about being back in Kentucky. “It’s fantastic to be back.”
Schmid is quickly becoming a known presence on the international golf circuit.
After playing at Louisville from 2017 until 2021, Schmid was the low amateur at the 2021 Open Championship.
Schmid went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors on the DP World Tour (also known as the European Tour) last year.
What did he take from his time with the Cardinals?
“The best thing about it was that we had a great team of 10 guys who all had the same dream of trying to get better everyday,” Schmid said. “I think it’s great to be part of such a good environment.”
Josh Teater
Always a crowd favorite at the Barbasol, Teater has once again put together solid opening rounds at the tournament to make the cut.
The former Henry Clay High School and Morehead State standout posted a pair of 68s (4 under) in both the first and second rounds to finish his first 36 holes at 8 under and tied for 38th.
Teater finished tied for 15th at last year’s event.
Leading up to the Barbasol, Teater also found some time to help promote a local business.
Teater shot a commercial for Setzer Properties, a national real estate investment and development firm based in Lexington that was established in 1989.
In the commercial, which runs nearly three minutes, Teater tries to coexist alongside a talking golf bag.
“I got a phone call that said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have a talking bag and you’re just going to be annoyed,’” Teater explained about the commercial’s concept. “I spent about eight or nine hours with them one day and we shot all the different scenes. They added the talking bag in later and it was pretty funny when it came in.”
Stephen Stallings Jr.
The former St. Xavier High School and University of Kentucky alumnus posted four birdies and two bogeys during his opening round, followed by four birdies in his second round as he finished on the cut line at 5 under.
As such, Stallings will play the weekend at Keene Trace.
Stallings also had a prolific high school career as he won the Kentucky state high school title in 2011.
Jared Wolfe
The 34-year-old Wolfe, who played in high school at Butler and in college at Murray State, caught fire on the front nine at Keene Trace on Thursday during his opening round, recording birdies on the first, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth holes.
Wolfe played the back nine at even par to finish his opening round with a tidy 67, 5-under par, but his second round on Friday lacked the same scoring punch.
On Friday, Wolfe had just two birdies on his card as he shot a 73 (1-over par). He missed the cut by one shot.
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Matt Harris
The storybook tale of Matt Harris lasted just two rounds in his PGA Tour debut, but it remains a significant moment in Harris’ golf journey.
Harris played baseball at Henry Clay and Eastern Kentucky before embarking on a golf career, and earned an exemption into his first PGA Tour event after writing a letter to the Barbasol Championship tournament director.
Harris shot 74 (2 over) in his opening round on Thursday in front of a dedicated crowd of supporters, and shot another 74 in his second round that began late Friday and ended Saturday afternoon.
“It was a great experience. Of course, I’d like to play better. I came in with high hopes just like every other player to make the cut and make a run at it. I didn’t have my best, but I enjoyed every minute of it,” Harris said. “The support was incredible. It’s not expected that many people will be coming out and cheering. I’m just not used to having that many people watch me play, let alone in this kind of environment. But it was a great experience, we’ll chalk it up to that and keep moving forward.”
What did this week mean for Harris’ future in golf?
“I feel like playing with these guys, I did hit a lot of good shots. I have the game, but the score didn’t show it,” Harris explained. “But it’s a confidence boost in the end. I look down the leaderboard and see a lot of guys that I play a lot of rounds with and they’re all doing big things. I know I’m right behind them.”
Andrew Stephens
Former Covington Latin High School and University of Kentucky golfer Andrew Stephens brought up the rear of the field among golfers that finished 36 holes at Keene Trace.
He shot 77 (5 over) in his first round and 75 (3 over) in his second to finish at 8-over par.
“I would’ve liked to have played better, but for somebody like me who teaches the game for a living, I think it’s awesome just to get out here and play with some of the best players in the world,” Stephens said. “I think anytime that you can be up close and personal with some of the best players in the world is a great experience as a player and as a teacher. I think the big thing to learn is that even the best players aren’t perfect, and it’s just about managing your bad shots and being able to recover from that.”
This story was originally published July 9, 2022 at 1:07 PM.
