PGA Golf Betting Picks for the Barracuda Championship

by Matt Schmitto (schmitto) Last Updated 2020-07-29 19:49:04

As if we didn’t already have our hands full with MLB and the return of NBA and NHL (not that I’m complaining), the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational isn’t the only golf tournament that you can bet on this week. While the Tour’s best compete for four days in Memphis, an alternate field will head to Lake Tahoe for the Barracuda Championship and its unique Modified Stableford format.

What is Modified Stableford at the Barracuda Championship?

It’s not about how many strokes under par golfers shoot in Stableford formats but how many points they can accumulate. Yes, this is the one golf tournament of the year where the highest score wins. Here are how points are given:

Albatross +8
Eagle +5
Birdie +2
Par 0
Bogey +1
Double Bogey (or worse) -3

As you have likely already pieced together, this scoring system is a recipe for aggressive play. For example, in stroke play, a flawless round of 18 pars would earn you 0 points, whereas a more volatile even-par round of nine birdies and nine bogeys would put nine points on the scoreboard.

All of this means you want to target golfers with high birdie rates, and those who hit the ball far enough to give themselves better eagle opportunities on par 5s.

Barracuda Championship Course: Old Greenwood

Montreux golf course has typically hosted the Barracuda Championship, but this year things are moving across state lines to Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood in California.

With three drivable par 4s (the 357-yard eighth; 345-yard 11th; 396-yard 16th), Old Greenwood is a perfect course for the Stableford scoring format. A 396-yard par 4 may not sound reachable at first, but remember golfers are playing in the mountains at a higher elevation.

While there are plenty of scoring opportunities, the course includes its fair share of trouble, and golfers will need to have some accuracy off the tee to stay away from the property’s pine trees.

Barracuda Championship Golf Betting Picks

Cam Davis +4100 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

We backed Cam Davis last week in a much stronger field, and he was actually in contention from start to finish. He’d finish in 12th in a crowded leaderboard. If Davis plays as well as he did last week, he just might win this time around.

Risking 1 unit to win 41

Will Gordon +5000 (PointsBet)

Will Gordon came close to earning a PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship a month ago. Though he does have some missed cuts, his 2019-20 season has included a top-10 and a top-25. Gordon is near the top in driving distance and in birdies or better gained.

Risking .20 units to win 10

Aaron Wise +6600 (PointsBet)

Aaron Wise hasn’t been playing well, but his style seems like a perfect fit for Stableford so long as he can stay away from dreaded double bogeys. Wise hits it far, gets a lot of birdies, and has won in a much stronger field than this week’s.

Risking .20 units to win 13.2

Chesson Hadley +8000 (FanDuel)

Unlike most of these picks for the Barracuda Championship, Hadley isn’t exactly a bomber. But that doesn’t stop him from going birdie hunting. In fact, Hadley leads the field in birdies gained, and he’s above average in the eagle department as well. Most of that can be attributed to his ball-striking and approach shots, as Hadley has struggled with his putter. He’ll need to do a better job of staying away from “disaster holes,” which have soured otherwise promising rounds in recent weeks.

Risking .20 units to win 16

Brandon Harkins +12500 (BetMGM)

Brandon Harkins loves Nicklaus’s Old Greenwood, having played there more than 20 times, according to an article from PGATour.com. It’s one of the reasons why he keeps returning to the Lake Tahoe area. Harkins was a PGA Tour card carrier in 2018 but has since been relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour. With guys like Ryan Moore, Brendan Steele, and Russell Henley competing, Harkins will face more talent than what he’s struggled to compete against in the Korn Ferry Tour. Historically Harkins has shown the ability to garner birdies in bunches. His playing style plus his experience at Old Greenwood makes him an intriguing longshot pick.

Risking .20 units to win 25

Seamus Power +12500 (PointsBet)

Power is reasonably long off the tee, and he’s been able to excel on par 5s over the last two seasons. Power finished 12th at the 3M Open during Fourth of July weekend, which was his first appearance on Tour since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He wasn’t able to build off that momentum at the 3M Open but the Barracuda Championship is a great opportunity for the Irishman.