The First Look: Barracuda Championship

The PGA TOUR’s only Modified Stableford event will once again be contested as an alternate to the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Richy Werenski, who won his maiden TOUR title at the Barracuda in 2020, will return to try to defend. FIELD NOTES: Three Olympians – Mito Pereira, Rafa Campos, and Thomas Pieters – will make the trek from Tokyo to Tahoe… After the Barracuda Championship there is just one more week left in the PGA TOUR’s Regular Season as the FedExCup playoffs begin at THE NORTHERN TRUST on Aug. 19. Golfers ranked 124th (Nate Lashley) and 126th (Patrick Rodgers) are both in the field in Tahoe, while many near the 125-spot will look to gain valuable points this week… John Daly will play his third non-major PGA TOUR event this season this week in Tahoe. He missed the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Barbasol Championship (and the PGA Championship)… The Sponsor Exemption list is chalk full of college superstars including John Pak (winner of the Nicklaus Award, the Haskins Award, and the Ben Hogan Award), and Davis Thompson (former No.1-ranked amateur). FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 300 FedExCup points STORYLINES: Can Troy Merritt finally do it? Merritt held the 54-hole lead in 2019 but was clipped in the final round by Collin Morikawa and finished second. In 2020 Merritt was again in the mix but fell to Werenski and finished runner-up again… The last five winners in Tahoe have been first-time TOUR winners… The Modified Stableford scoring format used features eight points for a double eagle, five points for an eagle, and two points for a birdie… Fans will be welcomed back for the 23rd annual Barracuda Championship. COURSE: Tahoe Mt. Club (Old Greenwood), par 71, 7,425 yards. The Blue Course at Montreux G&CC, a Jack Nicklaus design, was replaced by another Nicklaus design (Old Greenwood) for 2020 and the TOUR returns to the Tahoe Mt. Club for 2021. Set on 600 acres, golfers are required to navigate rolling hills, large greens, and numerous bunkers at Old Greenwood, which opened in 2004. There are three driveable par 4s with the course being set at over 6,000 feet above sea level. 72-HOLE RECORD: +49, Geoff Ogilvy (2014). 18-HOLE RECORD: +22, Kyle Reifers (4th round, 2015), Chad Campbell (3rd round, 2018). LAST TIME: Richy Werenski ended last year’s Barracuda Championship in dramatic fashion, holing a pitch from the fairway on the 16th hole Sunday for a five-point eagle and added a birdie on the 72nd hole for a one-point victory over Troy Merritt. Merritt failed to convert a 54-hole lead in Tahoe for the second year in a row. He had 10-straight birdie attempts on Sunday to close out his round but couldn’t get one of them to fall. Fabian Gomez and Matthias Schwab (playing on a Sponsor Exemption) finished tied for third while Robert Streb and Scott Stallings rounded out the top five. Aaron Wise had the round of the tournament in the final round, a 19-point effort, en route to finishing 8th. HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET) TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (Golf Channel).

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