Barracuda Championship Top 10 Power Rankings

Can J.J. Henry notch his third win in five years at the Barracuda Championship?

The Barracuda Championship will play third fiddle this week, competing against the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the European Tour’s French Open. Reduced FedEx Cup points (300 to the winner versus 500 for most events) will be on the line, though it’s been announced that a spot in the Open Championship will now be awarded to the highest non-exempt finisher in the top five due to the cancelation of the Greenbrier Classic.

This event is also of significance in that it’s the PGA Tour‘s lone modified stableford event on the calendar. Instead of traditional stroke play, scoring is as follows: double bogey or worse = -3, bogey = 1, par = 0, birdie = 2, eagle = 5, albatross = 8. Unlike stroke play, the goal here is to have the highest score after four rounds. This type of format typically rewards a player who can stack birdies and is willing to take his fair share of risks.

This format has only been in play since 2012, so there’s not a lot of relevant history to fall back on in picking this week’s fantasy favorites. With that said, I’ve primarily kept my eye on past Barracuda leaderboards, recent performances in 2016, and statistical leaders in birdies made and strokes gained off the tee to help me pick my top 10.

This week’s field lacks top 50 talent, but plenty of familiar faces will make their way to Montreux Golf and Country Club, including all three past champions in the modified stableford era: J.J. Henry (2012, 2014), Gary Woodland (2013) and Geoff Ogilvy (2015).

Let’s take a look at who else is primed to be in the mix come Sunday in Reno.

Next: Gary Woodland