The 26th Barracuda Championship is set to take place at the Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Golf Course this week, with players competing for a share of the $4 million purse, including $720,000 going to the winner. The tournament, scheduled for Thursday-Sunday, will feature seven player exemptions, with past champion Scott Piercy among those included. The event is also flipping the nines during tournament week, with two par 5s on the back nine and a drivable hole on No. 17.
In addition to Piercy, other exemptions include Barclay Brown, Mats Ege, Patrick Newcomb, Ryan Palmer, Mitchell Schow, Neal Shipley, and past champions Chez Reavie, Andrew Putnam, and Piercy. Akshay Bhatia, who won the tournament last year, will not be defending his title as he is competing in the 152nd British Open. Players currently in the top 70 in FedEx Cup standings, such as Patrick Rodgers, Peter Malnati, Mark Hubbard, and Luke List, will also be participating in the championship.
The Barracuda Championship is unique in that it is the only event on the PGA Tour featuring the Modified Stableford scoring format, which rewards aggressive play. Golfers can earn different points for various outcomes, such as 8 points for a double eagle, 5 for an eagle, 2 for a birdie, 0 for a par, minus-1 for a bogey, and minus-3 for a double bogey or worse. This year, the tournament is one of 37 full-field stops during the PGA Tour season.
There have been seven withdrawals from the tournament, including former champions Erik van Rooyen and Richy Werenski. Harry Hall, who won an opposite-field event last week at the ISCO Championship, was also among the seven players who withdrew. Fans attending the event can participate in the Bike to Barracuda initiative, which provides a marked route through downtown Truckee and forest areas to a special entrance behind the No. 12 tee. Fans will receive $10 off a general admission ticket and a free beer courtesy of 5050 Brewing Co.
