Born in Sweden, he became a college star in America. Now, he’s a PGA Tour winner in Kentucky.

Most of the time, you don’t get two chances to take advantage of a potentially life-changing moment.

But on Sunday night at the Champions at Keene Trace golf course, Vincent Norrman got that opportunity.

Norrman — a 25-year-old who was born in Sweden but played college golf in the United States — stood on the tee box of his 72nd hole of the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship (the par-4 18th) with a one-shot lead.

He promptly made a mess of the hole, rattled in a 7-foot, 7-inch bogey putt and found himself in a two-man playoff (at 22-under par for the tournament) with Englishman Nathan Kimsey.

The first playoff hole? No. 18.

At the second time of asking, Norrman held his nerve.

Norrman made par, while Kimsey made bogey and the Swedish former standout golfer at Georgia Southwestern State and Florida State registered his first-ever professional win.

Norrman also had a surprise awaiting him following his round.

His girlfriend, Swedish LPGA Tour player Frida Kinhult, traveled from this week’s LPGA Tour event in Sylvania, Ohio, (where she finished in a tie for 36th) to come watch Norrman win his first professional event.

With the win, Norrman earns a spot into several high profile 2024 season events: The Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, which next May will be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.

There’s also a significant monetary windfall coming his way.

Norrman will receive the winning payout of $684,000 from a $3.8 million purse, as well as 300 FedEx Cup points and a two-year PGA Tour exemption.

Kimsey, who finished second after falling short in the playoff, plays on the DP World Tour and was making his PGA Tour debut this week. He will collect $414,200 in winnings.

Another DP World Tour player, Adrien Saddier of France, finished in a tie for third alongside former Virginia Tech golfer and PGA Tour rookie Trevor Cone at 21-under par.

Former U.S. Open winner continues to find his way back

Lucas Glover had been in the golfing wilderness for quite some time.

Now, it appears he’s finding his way back.

The four-time PGA Tour winner — who is best known for winning the 2009 U.S. Open — made a drastic change to his golf game a few weeks ago, switching from a normal-length putter to a broomstick putter (also known as a chest putter).

Good results have quickly followed.

Glover’s last three weeks have all featured top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour: A tie for fourth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a tie for sixth at the John Deere Classic and now a solo fifth at 20-under par at the Barbasol Championship.

During a Friday interview with the Herald-Leader, Glover described what led him, at age 43, to make the dramatic switch in his putting style.

“I know I had to try something. Something, I’m going to say out there. Something obscure,” Glover said. “And no matter what it was, it had to be something to rewire up here (brain), because it was so fried.”

Glover referenced players like Bernhard Langer, Scott McCarron and Adam Scott who found success late in their golfing careers by using a long putter.

“It kind of revitalized their careers, and so that was encouraging,” Glover said. “Seeing guys that had had success, fell back a little bit and then this was something that propelled them to greater heights.”

Glover’s 20-under par total score at Keene Trace this week came after rounds of 63, 68, 69 and 68.

He has now recorded 12 consecutive rounds in the 60s on the PGA Tour.

One Kentucky-connected player makes cut

The Barbasol Championship continued to live up to its billing as a showcase professional event for golfers with Kentucky connections. At least for the first two days.

A total of eight golfers in the 150-plus player field this week in Nicholasville held strong connections to the commonwealth, whether through place of birth, where they played college golf or otherwise.

But, only one of those eight golfers — Matti Schmid — made the 36-hole cut at Keene Trace.

Schmid, who was born in Germany but played college golf at Louisville from 2017 through 2021, recorded rounds of 68, 71, 68 and 72 to finish 72 holes at Keene Trace at 9-under par.

Schmid, who tied for eighth at the 2022 Barbasol, finished in a tie for 44th in the 2023 tournament.

Worst-ever 36-hole score, weather delay

Before the weekend came, history was already made at Keene Trace.

Daniel Chopra, a Swedish-born golfer who grew up in India, shot rounds of 79 (7-over par) and 88 (16-over) to finish two rounds of the Barbasol Championship at 23-over par.

That established a new mark for the worst 36-hole score at the Barbasol Championship since the tournament moved to Central Kentucky in 2018.

The previous mark for futility was set by Smylie Kaufman, who shot rounds of 87 (15-over) and 78 (6-over) in 2021 to miss the cut at 21-over par.

Jazz Janewattananond also missed the cut with a score of 21-over par this past week after shooting rounds of 85 (13-over) and 80 (8-over).

On the other end of the spectrum, David Ford — an amateur who recently completed his sophomore year at North Carolina — made the Barbasol Championship cut as one of only two amateurs in the field.

Ford, who received a sponsor’s exemption, shot rounds of 71 (1-under), 67 (5-under), 71 (1-under) and 72 (even) to finish in a tie for 58th.

One of the positives that all Barbasol Championship competitors can take from this week, though?

There was only one weather delay during the 2023 tournament.

Play was halted for about 45 minutes on Saturday morning during the third round, which began earlier than normal due to the threat of inclement weather.

Tournament’s future remains unclear

This week marked the fifth, and potentially final, edition of the Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace in Nicholasville.

The tournament’s five-year sponsorship deal with Barbasol, an American shaving brand, was set to end after the 2023 event.

Tournament Director Darren Nelson told the Herald-Leader in May that “there’s no news as of yet,” about the future of the event in Central Kentucky.

Facts and figures from a week at the Barbasol

Not only is the Barbasol Championship a weeklong grind for the caddies, players and volunteers that put on the event at Keene Trace, but it’s also a lengthy week for media members who cover the event.

The Herald-Leader’s Cameron Drummond was on the ground in Nicholasville from Wednesday onward, and kept track of some of the statistics that come with covering Kentucky’s lone PGA Tour event:

▪ Hours spent at the 2023 Barbasol Championship: 37 hours.

▪ Steps walked while on course: 64,362 steps.

▪ Number of bottles of Aquafina water drank: 29 (plus one lemonade).

▪ Words written about tournament: 10,697 words.

Barbasol Championship top finishers

x-Vincent Norrman -22

Nathan Kimsey -22

Adrien Saddier -21

Trevor Cone -21

Lucas Glover -20

Taylor Pendrith -19

Daniel Brown -18

Grayson Murray -18

Akshay Bhatia -17

Masahiro Kawamura -17

Doc Redman -17

David Ravetto -17

Alexander Levy -17

x-Norrman defeated Kimsey in a one-hole playoff.