It isn’t just the WGC Bridgestone that has been shifted to accommodate the Olympic Tournament into the golfing schedule the event that usually runs alongside it has been moved too which means that the Barracuda Championship, formerly the Reno-Tahoe Open also begins on Thursday.
Usually this tournament is just there to give those not in the main event some golfing practice and the benefits that come with going well but there is an added incentive to the tournament this week with a place in The Open up for grabs for the winner.
This tournament has its own identity in that it uses the Stableford scoring system which most club golfers would use on their daily rounds. JJ Henry would the tournament for the second time last year and he’s back to defend here.
Recent Winners
2015 – JJ Henry
2014 – Geoff Ogilvy
2013 – Gary Woodland
2012 – JJ Henry
2011 – Scott Piercy
2010 – Matt Bettencourt
2009 – John Rollins
2008 – Parker McLachlin
2007 – Steve Flesch
2006 – Will MacKenzie
Scoring
The Stableford scoring used for the tournament since the 2012 edition is as follows:
- Albatross 8pts
- Eagle 5pts
- Birdie 2pts
- Par 0pts
- Bogey -1pt
- Double Bogey or worse -3pts
The Course
Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada is once again the venue for this tournament. The course is a Jack Nicklaus design so we know by now what we’re going to get in that there is little punishment off the tee but the fun starts from the second shot onwards.
The course is a par 72 which on the yardage book will measure 7,472 yards but with the altitude it doesn’t play anywhere near as long as that so the course is open for everyone to score well on it whether you blast it miles or just a short hitter.
This is a tournament which rewards aggressive golf. You have to shoot low scores to win around here. Since the move was made to the new scoring system 43pts has been the lowest winning score so we’re after players who make a lot of birdies who in an ideal world don’t drop too many shots along the way.
Birdie average, greens in regulation or proximity to the pin and scrambling are big things this week just as they are around any Nicklaus track.
The Field
This isn’t the worst field I’ve ever seen in this tournament I have to admit. The likes of Gary Woodland and Brendan Steele have contended full PGA Tour events in recent times while we saw just what Jon Rahm has to offer at the Quicken Loans last week.
There is a nice mix of young and old in the field this week and also a mixture of long and short hitters so if you can find a nice stream then it should be a good watch especially as on Vegas time the business end of Saturday and Sunday will take place once the WGC Bridgestone has finished.
Market Leaders
On the best prices the former champion Gary Woodland is the 14/1 favourite this week which is actually fair enough I think. He has a profile that suits the tournament the only thing not to like about him is the price and on those grounds I’ll swerve him.
Brendan Steele often plays in the Open de France so it is interesting that he plays here. He must fancy the job this week and at 16/1 he’ll be popular with a decent record here but he has Sunday struggles at the minute and in a tournament where shooting over par at any time will kill you that makes him not for me.
Jon Rahm is all the rage after a solid US Open and being bang in contention last week and there’s no reason to think he won’t go well this week too but at 18/1 I’m happy to pass him on pretty quickly particularly with this field not as weak as it has been in the past.
Colt Knost is next in the betting at 20/1. He’s been one of my popular picks this season but he’s a little short here although first time winners do tend to come in this tournament. Robert Garrigus goes well here and he’s 28/1 which is again a little short. It is 30/1 bar those named.
Betting
I’m taking three bets here but there is no point in splitting them into main bets and outsiders. It isn’t really an event for that. My first bet is a man who probably should have won here last year in Jonas Blixt.
The Swede had 40pts after three rounds last year but could only shoot +3 for his final round to end out of the picture when even just a normal round would have got the job done for him. Since then he has been up and down as you would expect a player as aggressive as him to be but if we think back a month to The Players Championship he was bang there after 36 holes before those greens became crazy fast so his ability is still there.
Blixt has a machine like short game which will assist with his scoring here and with the lack of pressure off the tee he can really express himself. If he chooses better pins to go at on Sunday this year I don’t think he’ll be far away.
Alex Cejka won what I call a second string PGA Tour event even though it carries full playing rights last year in Puerto Rico and I see no reason why he won’t contend around here either. Just like Blixt, Cejka was right there after 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass but unlike Blixt he never fell away until the last couple of holes and if he repeats that performance then he is entitled to be too good for this field.
Cejka leads the field in birdie average on the PGA Tour this year and I don’t think the course is demanding enough for him to slide away by dropping shots especially when he ranks so good in scrambling that even when he does get into trouble he can still get out of it. At 66/1 he looks a massive price.
There is little doubt in my mind that Aaron Baddeley is the best putter in this field and I’m going to pay to see if that counts for anything. Baddeley is ninth in strokes gained putting on the Tour this year and not much worse than that in strokes gained around the green so if he can find enough greens in the right number then he should be capable of scoring well.
Baddeley has four top 10s this season and he was only just out of the top 10 at Congressional last week. A repeat of those efforts should have him bang in the mix when this one is played out on Sunday.
Tips
Back J.Blixt to win Barracuda Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Ladbrokes (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back A.Cejka to win Barracuda Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 67.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back A.Baddeley to win Barracuda Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 91.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
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