The Kentucky Derby. Muhammad Ali. The Cardinals. Bats. The Bourbon Trail. If you asked someone who’s never been to Louisville, Kentucky, to name the first thing that comes to mind about the city and its region, it’s likely that the response will be in the form of one of those five local references.

Ask a golf fan to keep it in the family and major champions Justin Thomas and Bobby Nichols probably will dominate the poll result. So, too, would Valhalla Golf Club, most notably the site of four PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.

But it might take a fan of a certain age to recall that Gary Player recorded his first PGA TOUR victory in Louisville at Seneca Golf Course in 1958. It was the second of what would be only three consecutive editions of the Kentucky Derby Open. That’s also when the PGA TOUR last set up shop to host an official tournament in Louisville, but the hiatus ends this week.

Hurstbourne County Club debuts as host of the ISCO Championship. It’s the 10th edition of the Additional Event and the seventh straight in the Bluegrass State. A review of the test, what it should take to prevail, perks and more are detailed below those projected to contend and others to consider.

Others to consider

• Adam Hadwin ... He’s the only golfer who has qualified for the entire series of 2025 Signature Events in this field, so perhaps no one else appreciates this opportunity more than the 37-year-old from Canada who’s just 129th in the FedExCup. But that speaks only to the potential impact on retaining his card. He was an All-American at the University of Louisville and has since been honored as a Kentucky Colonel, so the unique connection is not only personal, it’s timely.
• Josh Teater ... The Kentucky native and resident has pegged it in every edition of the tournament since it relocated to his home state in 2018. Back this year on a sponsor exemption, he struts in slotted eighth on the Korn Ferry Tour points list with a victory among three top 10s and another three top 25s, including in the last event in late June. Possesses a combination of ball-striking, putting and moxie.
• Kazuma Kobori ... One of the latest entries, thanks to a solo third at the BMW International Open on Sunday. The value of it contributing to his career-best Official World Golf Ranking of 200th was greater than his win as an amateur at the NZ PGA Championship in 2019. Born in Japan but a Kiwi since he was 5, he also picked off a victory at the 2023 Western Amateur in which the likes of Nick Dunlap (T5), Michael Thorbjornsen (T9), Karl Vilips (T17) and Jackson Koivun (T21) all challenged. The second-most accurate off the tee on the DP World Tour, the 23-year-old Kobori ranks 18th in scoring in his rookie season.
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat ... Now 35 years of age, the Thai hasn’t competed as a member of the PGA TOUR since 2022, but this isn’t to say that four straight seasons of membership status can’t contribute to the cause back in the U.S. this week, especially this year. He has sacrificed some distance off the tee relative to the fields in favor of accuracy on approach, and it’s paid off. His scoring average is down almost a full shot. Recently strung together a trio of top 15s on the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing.

While 75 golfers each representing the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour make up the majority of the field at the Genesis Scottish Open, which also is contested this week, an identically sized field of 156 is poised to do battle at the ISCO Championship. The exception is that only 50 members of the DP World Tour contribute to the field in Louisville.

As it concerns PGA TOUR members at Hurstbourne, customary rewards for winners of Additional Events await. They include 300 FedExCup points, an extension of membership in the winners category through 2027 and spots in the 2026 editions of The Sentry, THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship. Should a DP World Tour member or PGA TOUR non-member prevail, he would be extended the option to accept PGA TOUR membership through 2026. However, equivalents of FedExCup points earned by all non-members would not contribute to a membership total for the winner and any who achieves Special Temporary Membership this season. (The same provision applies at next week’s Barracuda Championship.)

If any PGA TOUR non-winner has aspirations of joining Player as a breakthrough champion in Louisville, he has the best of trends alongside. With four consecutive first-time winners, the ISCO Championship boasts the longest active streak among all PGA TOUR stops.

Located just six miles from Valhalla, Hurstbourne is a stock par 70 that tips at 7,056 yards. Among familiar venues, that comps it closest to Waialae Country Club, the 7,056-yard, par-70 host of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Chick Adams designed Hurstbourne in the mid-1960s. Keith Foster prepped it for the PGA TOUR in the last couple of years. Foster’s handiwork is all over the map, but it was most recently experienced at The Philadelphia Cricket Club, which stepped in to host the Truist Championship two months ago.

Because the 18th hole for members of Hurstbourne is a par 3, the nines are reversed for the ISCO Championship so that the final round concludes on a par 4 (that measures 481 yards). Greens are just 4,750 square feet on average, and because the unfamiliar bentgrass surfaces are ready to roll up to 13 feet using the Stimpmeter, early leaderboards should be hogged by ball-strikers. The relative short overall yardage multiplies the likelihood of that consideration as drivers are unlikely to get much action. Primary rough upwards of 4 inches adds pause to the cause on the tee boxes.

Now, if there’s a reason to send it more often, it’ll be because the fairways could play wider due to the persistent threat of precipitation throughout the tournament. That also would soften the greens and allow for low scores, despite the mystery. Wind could kick up with encroaching energy, but nothing outrageous is forecast. Daily temperatures should touch 90 degrees.

In addition to the aforementioned limitations for DP World Tour members and other non-members, the pathway into the Barracuda via a top 10 at the ISCO Championship applies only to PGA TOUR members. However, if a DP World Tour member finishes inside the top five at Hurstbourne, it will guarantee a spot among the 50 commits from his circuit at the Barracuda.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

• MONDAY: Power Rankings (Genesis Scottish Open)
• TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (ISCO Championship); Fantasy Insider
• SUNDAY: Points and Payouts (Genesis Scottish Open); Points and Payouts (ISCO Championship); Qualifiers

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, which also publishes on Tuesday.