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Entertainment options layered throughout Barbasol Championship

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LEXINGTON, KY (July 10, 2018) – The Barbasol Championship is shaping up to be more entertainment than just golf. Organizers have landed three country music acts for its “Main Street Stage Live at the Barbasol,” that will play each night after the last putt drops. The PGA TOUR event, Kentucky’s only annual professional golf tournament, will be played at Champions at Keene Trace, July 19-22, just south of Lexington across the Jessamine County line.

J.D. Shelburne, Walker Montgomery and Tasji Bachman will each play a 90-minute set. Bachman, a rising star in Nashville, will kick off Hero Day on Thursday, July 19, when she plays her set, featuring her hit song, My First Kiss . The song is part of the 18-year-old’s debut album, Win Me Over.  

Montgomery, the son of John Michael Montgomery and nephew of Eddie Montgomery, continues to climb the ladder in country music. The Lexington native will be performing hits such as Simple Town and Just Say When when he takes the stage on Friday night, July 20.

Shelburne, a native of Taylorsville, Ky., is one of the fastest rising stars in Nashville. The Kentucky native has played with more than 50 major acts on a variety of tours and his now carving out his own path with such hits as Better Man and Hometown. He will anchor Saturday night’s show, July 21.

Provided there are no weather delays during tournament play, the Thursday and Friday night shows should start shortly after 8 p.m. Shelburne’s show should tee off shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday. There is no show scheduled for Sunday given the trophy presentation scheduled to take place immediately following the conclusion of the tournament.

A ticket to the golf tournament serves as admittance to the show. Daily tickets are priced at $30 on Thursday, $35 on Friday and $40 on Saturday and can be purchased at www.barbasolchampionshipky.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tournament passes are $100 and include all four days of the Barbasol Championship.

Golf Channel Times

Golf Channel, which will televise the tournament daily, has set its times at 5-8 p.m. ET for live golf coverage on Thursday and Friday of tournament week (July 19-20). On the weekend, coverage will run from 4-7 p.m. (July 21-22).

“With the later television times, we’ll be playing prime time golf on a summer night here in Central Kentucky,” said Brooks Downing, the tournament’s Executive Director. “And given that we are playing later than most typical golf tournaments, we expect bigger evening crowds. Fans can watch golf, enjoy the food and beverage offerings, then catch these top young artists before heading home.”  

Bluegrass Mule

Golf Channel’s broadcast coverage lends itself to prime time live golf from Central Kentucky. It also has caused organizers to reschedule much of its hospitality offerings to the evening times from the more typical lunch schedule.

In addition, the Bluegrass Hospitality Group, which operates Malone’s Steakhouses, Drake’s, Harry’s and OBC here in Lexington, developed an official drink of the Barbasol Championship featuring the tournament’s official vodka, Grey Goose. The “Bluegrass Mule” features a variety of juices and fruit syrups that create a refreshing, summertime beverage topped with ginger beer. The Mule will be featured in the Grey Goose 19th hole tent at the tournament, and at other select hospitality and concession venues on property.

“Our friends at Malone’s have been a great corporate sponsor of this event,” Downing said. “Justin Keating, their beverage specialist, put together a few options, and after a comprehensive taste test, we think the Mule will be a big hit with our patrons.”

Downing indicated that collector Mule cups will be available for purchase with the drink and through the official merchandise tent at the tournament.

Kentucky Proud Village

Tournament organizers have created a “Kentucky Proud Village” at the tournament near the No. 16 green. The area will feature local food trucks and food tents as well as a craft beer tent, featuring some of the area’s best local beers, including Cougar Bait and West 6th, among others.

Crank & Boom ice cream, Clawdaddy’s, School Sushi, Kona Ice and Old Kentucky Kettle Corn are a few of the vendors that are scheduled to be in the Village all week.

Next Year’s Dates Set

The Barbasol Championship which has a four-year initial commitment to Champions at Keene Trace will be played July 18-21, 2019, the PGA TOUR announced Tuesday. The TOUR’s schedule undergoes a modification next year that should place even more importance on the Barbasol’s FedExCup points. The PGA Championship, which has traditionally been played in August, will move to May. The TOUR is starting its FedExCup playoffs two weeks sooner in order to crown a champion Labor Day weekend.

“We believe this move will greatly benefit the Barbasol Championship,” Downing said. “With the playoffs starting just three weeks after our tournament, the 300 FedExCup points become even that much more important to those players who may not have secured their spot in the FedExCup points race.”

The FedExCup Playoffs take the Top 125 in the standings. In 2017, J.J. Henry was the last player in with 365 points. The winner of the Kentucky event captures 300 points, then the points are scaled down and awarded to all those who make the cut, pending their finish in the event. Last year’s FedExCup Champion, Kentucky-native Justin Thomas, won the $10 million purse.