2015 Barracuda Championship

The event for all the guys who couldn't get into WGC-Bridgestone. Tim Clark is the highest ranked player in the field at #80 while Geoff Ogilvy will try to defend his title. The Barracuda Championship is played near the California/Nevada border and is the only event to use the modified stableford format on tour. If I have to hear Craig Perks explain the modified stablefood format or say "in the good" one more time I'm going to die. Scoring: +8-Double Eagle +5-Eagle +2-Birdie 0-Par +1-Bogey +3-Double Bogey+ Round One Leaderboard: 1. Zach Sucher: +18 2. Patrick Rodgers: +15 3. Ricky Barnes: +14 T4. David Toms: +13 T4. J.J Henry: +13 T6. Robert Garrigus: +12 T6. Billy Hurley III: +12 T6. Andrés Romero: +12 T6. Jonas Blixt: +12 T6. Tom Hoge: +12 Notables: T20. Ken Duke: +10 T23. Shaun Micheel: +9 T28. Ryo Ishikawa: +8 T41. Jhonattan Vegas: +7 T48. Retief Goosen: +6 T48. Tim Clark: +6 T67. John Daly: +4 T87. Ollie Schniederjans: +2 T104. K.J Choi: 0 T110. Geoff Ogilvy: -1 T125. David Duval: -4

I wish that they wouldn't sideline Nobilo with tournaments like this. He's the best golf announcer in the business and yet he gets stuck on shit like the Barracuda.

Love Nobilo too...but for a true junkie, reno is the BIG tournament of the week........right?  i love the format and watching guys that are grinding over every shot for their golf lives..........firestone?  lotta non-grind play outta guys who are a few days away from the last major of the year.......sure everyone wants to win at firestone, but not all emptying the tank for it

I don't mind the Barracuda, but he deserves to be at top tier tournaments, is more what I'm saying. I was probably a little harsh on this tournament, but it was out of  a desire to see Nobilo call bigger venues.

Interesting format.  Long hitting players have the advantage?

Andrés Romero might just have made history as the only pro golfer ever to finish his round bogey-bogey-double bogey-double bogey-double bogey-double bogey.

Apparently he injured his hand punching a sign after 15 and putted off the tee and took DB on every hole after.

Would be cool to see Toms win this one.

Good for J.J Henry.

Thrilling finish.  All tournaments should end with playoff ...

After watching the end of the tournament yesterday, and hearing them talk about the different strategies for the different style of scoring, it got me wondering exactly how different it really was.  I had a little bit of free time, so I did a little math.  Here is the top 10 of the tournament as it finished, using the modified stableford system they used:

With, as we know, JJ Henry beating Kyle Riefers in a playoff.

Now, here is what it would look like (not the actual top 10 necessarily - just those same guys re-ordered.  I don't have that much free time. ;)) if they used normal gross medal play scoring:

JJ Henry still wins but without having to go to a playoff.  The most notable differences are Kyle Riefers dropping from "T1" to T5 and Andres Gonzales going from 4th to 2nd.

Now I feel batter about JJ winning.

I don't like the stableford format.  It seems to give deciding edge to longer hitters.

Math-wise, it's pretty obvious it gives an edge to your more "unstable" type players.  Maybe not necessarily long hitters, but certainly the gamblers.  Consider 3 different rounds:

18 pars

9 birdies and 9 bogies

7 birdies, 7 bogies, 2 eagles and 2 doubles

All three of those rounds are the same in medal play - even par.

But in stableford, the first yields ZERO points, the second yields NINE points and the third (albeit unlikely) yields ELEVEN points.  The bottom line in stableford, I guess, is that pars are no bueno.

Now, it's entirely likely and possible that you're gambling type players are also your longer hitters.  I would certainly expect Bubba and DJ to excel in this format, Mickelson as well.

I always loved going to the International at Castle Pines when they used the Modified Stableford.  Wish it were still being held there.

It was fun watching the pros really go for eagles and birdies without as much fear for the big mistake hole.

I have never played Pebble Beach, never played at Augusta. The list goes on and on but, for me personally. Castle Pines was the most  Awesome course I have ever played.

I never played it but visited it a lot.  Gorgeous views and a great mix of holes.  A very tough course to walk.

I was a Standard Bearer for John Cooks group and walked the course with them.  Keeping track of three guys scores, modified stableford to boot, and walking that hilly course made for a long day. At the end of the round Cook through me his ball as a thank you.  Always remember him for that move.

Yes, it is so beautifully gorgeous that I had a hard time concentrating on my golf game. Every time it came time to hit my shot. I found myself just gazing and taking the scenery all in.