While much of the attention of PGA players and fans will be at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, there is another very interesting event set for this weekend, July 25-28 in Reno, Nevada. We are talking about the Barracuda Championship, and while you may not know many of the players at this event, it is the set-up that makes it so interesting.
The players at the Barracuda Championship play under the Modified Stableford scoring system, where players are awarded points for their score at each hole as opposed to playing to par. The goal here is to get the highest score rather than the lowest score, so let’s take a look at some of the golf betting favorites to win the 2019 Barracuda Championship.
2019 Barracuda Championship Odds, Preview & Prediction
- Location: Reno, Nevada, U.S.
- Established: 1999
- Course: Montrêux Golf & Country Club
- Par: 72
- Length: 7,472 yards
- Tour: PGA Tour
- Format: Modified Stableford
- Prize fund: $3.5 million
- Live Stream: Golf.tv
Collin Morikawa
- 2019 Barracuda Championship Odds: +1000
Morikawa is a player that most casual golf fans will not have heard of, but that does not mean that he hasn’t had some very nice moments this season. He has a brief appearance on the tour in 2017 before becoming exempt again this year.
His best performance came at the 3M Open, where he finished tied for second, but he also has a 4th place finish at the John Deere Classic under his belt in 2019. Given the level of competition on display here, this represents a real opportunity for Morikawa to get his first win on the PGA Tour.
Martin Laird
- 2019 Barracuda Championship Odds: +1800
The Scotsman does have a little bit of history at this event, finishing in second back in 2009, although that came at a time before the current scoring system was put into place.
As for the current year, it has not been bad at all for Laird, as he has landed in the top 10 on 3 different occasions. One of those came last weekend, with Laird finishing tied for 6th at the Barbasol Championship. It was a nice return to form for him, and it may be enough to put him in the hunt when Sunday afternoon rolls around.
Martin Kaymer
- 2019 Barracuda Championship Odds: +1800
As far as household names go at this event, it may well be the German who is the most recognizable, although that alone does not necessarily mean that he is the best bet here. 2019 has proven to be a tough year for Kaymer, as he has managed just a single top 10 appearance, landing in 3rd at the Nationwide Memorial Tournament.
That came back in June, after which he has a T35 finish at the US Open. There has been a gap since he last played on the Tour, so the possibility of rust makes him perhaps one to avoid.
Daniel Berger
- 2019 Barracuda Championship Odds: +2000
Berger comes into this tournament with 2 career wins under his belt, but it has been a while since he has landed on top of the leaderboard.
There is little to suggest that he might be about to have a breakout event, with his best finish of the season coming at the Puerto Rico Open, where he finished tied for 2nd. That is the only time that he has cracked the top 10 this year. He does routinely make the cut, but seeing him landing on top here feels like a bit of a stretch.
Last 10 Barracuda Championship Winners
- 2018: Andrew Putnam
- 2017: Chris Stroud
- 2016: Greg Chalmers
- 2015: J. J. Henry
- 2014: Geoff Ogilvy
- 2013: Gary Woodland
- 2012: J. J. Henry
- 2011: Scott Piercy
- 2010: Matt Bettencourt
- 2009: John Rollins
