Player who was nearly paralyzed, proud father highlight Barbasol Championship qualifiers

The Barbasol Championship qualifier was an all-out birdiefest Monday at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club in Richmond, Kentucky. The qualifiers include a player who was nearly paralyzed and a proud father who will also spend the week watching his son play in the nearby Junior PGA Championship.

Bobby Bai and Scott Gutschewski were medalists after shooting 8-under 63. Bai became the second University of Central Florida alum to medal in a Monday qualifier in the last three weeks, following Connor Arendell in Rocket Mortgage Championship. Gutschewski will be returning to the PGA TOUR for his first start since the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship.

David Gazzolo and Trey Shirley finished in a two-way tie for the last spot after shooting 7-under 65. They narrowly avoided a playoff with an experienced bunch: Chase Koepka, three-time 2021 Monday qualifier Tain Lee, Justin Suh, and Hayden Springer at 6 under. Shirley, who was nearly paralyzed as a teenager, will make his PGA TOUR debut at the Barbasol Championship.

Q&A with SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI

PGATOUR.COM spoke with 44-year-old Scott Gutschewski after he successfully qualified for the Barbasol Championship. The former Nebraska Cornhusker has five years of experience on the PGA TOUR and has earned over $1.5 million in prize money. We discussed the joy of making a return to the PGA TOUR after dealing with injuries over the recent years.

PGATOUR.COM: Does your experience help in qualifiers like yesterday where 6 under wasn’t enough to make it?

Gutschewski: I’m not sure it helps, but it probably doesn’t hurt. You want to make a bunch of birdies, but bogeys almost feel like doubles. So you try to give yourself many birdie looks and hope you get a couple of breaks along the way.

PGATOUR.COM: What was your reaction when you realized you qualified for the Barbasol Championship?

Gutschewski: Obviously thrilled! My oldest son is playing in the Junior PGA this week in Lexington, so I’ll get to see him play a little more than planned. It’s also my wife and I’s 21st anniversary Thursday, and she’s coming down to take my oldest to the U.S. Junior Amateur next week. So we’ll get to spend our anniversary together. It’s kind of crazy. You almost need a spreadsheet or something to follow our family’s golf. We had my three oldest children playing in four different tournaments yesterday, plus me. The texting updates were crazy!

PGATOUR.COM: How much joy do you get having kids that can give you a run for your money on the golf course?

Gutschewski: Dealing with some injuries over the last few years has given me a little more time at home, which I love. It’s been great having my kids involved in the game. They come out and caddy for me once in a while. It’s been nice to be able to help them out a little with something they are interested in. My oldest (Luke, the 2020 Nebraska Junior Amateur of the Year and an incoming freshman at Iowa State) has beaten me a handful of times and it won’t be long until my 14-year-old starts beating me. My daughter, who is 16, just started playing in high school and is improving quickly. Our youngest is 5 and he’s just starting to come out to the course and playing with the rest of us. He and my wife have some pretty tight 2-3 hole matches. All in all, it’s a ton of fun!

Bobby Bai (64)
Age: 23
College: University of Central Florida
Turned pro: 2019
PGA TOUR starts: 1
Cuts made: 1
Best finish: T70, 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions
PGA TOUR earnings: $46,875
Notes: Bai made his PGA TOUR debut in 2019 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions (T70). Is 122nd on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Regular Season Points List this year, with one top-10 10 and two top-25s. Won the Huangshan Championship on PGA TOUR China in July 2019. Attended the Sean Foley Performance Academy in Lake Mary, Florida, after arriving in America from China in 11th grade. Finished 4th in the 2014 Asia Games at the age of 16.

Scott Gutschewski (64)
Age: 44
College: University of Nebraska
Turned pro: 1999
PGA TOUR starts: 112
Cuts made: 53
Best finish: T6, 2006 B.C. Open
PGA TOUR earnings: $1,546,292
Notes: Will make his first PGA TOUR start since 2015. Maintained PGA TOUR status for five years between 2005-11. Has finished in the top 20 a dozen times on the PGA TOUR. Has two top-10s on the PGA TOUR, both in 2006. Won two Korn Ferry Tour titles, the 2003 Monterey Peninsula Classic (finishing four strokes ahead of two-time major champion Zach Johnson) and the 2008 Rex Hospital Open. Led the University of Nebraska to its first NCAA Championship appearance in 1999.

David Gazzolo (65)
Age: 28
College: University of California-Riverside
Turned pro: 2015
PGA TOUR starts: 1
Cuts made: 0
Notes: Will make his second PGA TOUR start at the Barbasol Championship. Has two top-25s in 12 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout while a Boys Scout in 2010. Favorite band is Led Zeppelin.

Trey Shirley (65)
Age: 31
College: Campbellsville University
Turned pro: 2014
PGA TOUR starts: 0
Notes: Shirley will make his PGA TOUR debut at the Barbasol Championship. Has made several starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, and the Forme Tour. Won the 2018 Kentucky Open. Was a three-sport athlete in high school (averaged 25 points per game for varsity basketball). . Shirley recovered and played golf and basketball at Campbellsville University. Lead the Tigers with 21 rounds of par or better during his college career.

NOTES

Notables who missed qualifying: Chase Koepka, Tain Lee, Justin Suh, Hayden Springer, Dylan Meyer, John Augenstein, Eric Axley, Bryson Nimmer, Michael Visacki, Andrew Yun, John Rollins, and Tyler Strafaci.

2020-21 Monday Qualifier statistics

Last event’s qualifier result (John Deere Classic): Luke Gannon (MC), Alex Smalley (T47), Eric Cole (MC), and Rodrigo Lee (MC)
Total money earned by Monday qualifiers on TOUR this season: $1,019,662
Best finish: M.J. Daffue (T12, Sanderson Farms Championship)
Next Monday qualifier: 3M Open at Victory Links Golf Club in Blaine, Minnesota (July 19, 2021)