LEXINGTON, Ky. — It’s a tense scene at Kentucky Proud Park. Seven-year-old Kase Chaney approaches the third hole of the colorful mini-golf course; his brow furrowed in concentration. Nearby, his mom Hannah and pro golfer Todd Clements watch as Kase carefully lines up his shot. But no one is watching Kase more closely than his opponent — Scratch, the mascot of UK’s Junior Wildcat Club.
After several putts, most of which would come under scrutiny if this was an official PGA event, Kase sinks the ball. The concourse of Kentucky Proud Park, filled with UK cheerleaders, student-athletes and onlookers, erupts in cheers.
This is the scene at the annual Mini Pro-Am tournament for UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) patients. The tournament has become a favorite tradition for former and current pediatric patients, first held in 2018 in association with the PGA Barbasol Championship played at the Keene Trace Golf Course in nearby Nicholasville.
It’s not just the kids who find the tournament a good opportunity to putt their cares away. It’s a welcome break for the professional golfers who have come to Kentucky from all over the world to compete in the Barbasol Championship. England’s Todd Clements, who spent the morning practicing on the Keene Trace Course, is more than happy to coach the young players on the fundamentals of the game.
“Watching the kids enjoy themselves takes me back to remembering when I played as a kid,” said Clements. “I’m going to take this mindset to the tournament this week.”
Pint-sized putters, assisted by volunteer “caddies,” tested their skills on a nine-hole course on the concourse of Kentucky Proud Park, home of UK’s baseball team. Cheering them along were their families, PGA golfers, caddies and UK coaches and student-athletes.
“Not only does KCH have the honor of being one of benefiting charities of the Barbasol PGA Championship, but our patients have the opportunity to learn from the best of the best,” said Scottie B. Day, M.D., physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. “To have these golfers come out and spend the afternoon with our patients demonstrates how deeply Barbasol and Caddy 127 care about our community.”
Kentucky Children’s Hospital is one of the benefiting charities of the Barbasol PGA Championship held July 13-16 at Champions at Keene Trace in Nicholasville. The tournament will broadcast live daily on Golf Channel and is one of only 44 regular-season tournaments before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. PGA Tour events generated more than $2.65 billion for charity. More than $325,000 has been donated to Kentucky Children’s Hospital by the Barbasol Tournament and its charitable arm, Caddie127.
