The Open Championship is not the only golf event this week as an opposite-field event is taking place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border of California and Nevada. The tournament is played on the Old Greenwood Course at the Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California.
Players in the field are a mix of PGA and DP World Tour professionals who aren’t teeing it up across the pond at Royal Liverpool. The tournament uses a unique scoring method, the Stableford scoring system, that encourages aggressive play.
Chez Reavie won the event last season, besting Alex Noran by one point with a four-day point total of 43. The victory was Reavie’s third PGA Tour win of his career. Erik van Rooyen, the winner in 2021, holds the tournament record with 50 points. Let’s take a look at the field and the course before we get into our Barracuda Championship predictions.
Strong Field for Alternate Event
While many of the best golfers in the world are teeing it up at the Open Championship, this year’s field at the ‘Cuda is filled with a solid core of PGA and DP World Tour professionals. Keith Mitchell ranked 62nd in the world, is the highest-ranked player in the field and one of the favorites with the best Barracuda Championship odds.
Joining Mitchell is last year’s winner Reavie in golf events this week. The three-time Tour winner has posted a pair of top-10 finishes this season as he looks to defend his title. Reavie has played on the weekend in seven-straight tournaments.
Tory Merritt hopes his recent success will lead to a victory after back-to-back runner-ups here in 2019 and 2020. Prior to missing the cut at the Scottish Open, Merritt logged back-to-back T17s at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic.
Recent PGA Tour winners in the field include Cameron Champ and Joel Dahmen along with past champions Richy Werenski and van Rooyen.
The Old Greenwood Course
The Lake Tahoe layout is hosting the event for the fourth year in a row. The course opened its doors in 2004 and plays as a par-71 that reads 7,480 yards on the scorecard.
Old Greenwood is set at approximately 6,000 feet above sea level, setting up well for longer hitters. Knowing this will be a key piece when looking at our Barracuda Championship predictions. While the course is gettable for a professional golfer, the numerous bunkers are strategically placed throughout the property and give players fits if their shots are slightly offline.
Barracuda Championship 2023 Odds
| Player | Odds |
| Stephan Jaeger | +1600 |
| Keith Mitchell | +1800 |
| Taylor Pendrith | +1800 |
| Patrick Rodgers | +2200 |
| J.J. Spaun | +2200 |
| Beau Hossler | +2200 |
| Vincent Norrman | +2500 |
| Mark Hubbard | +2200 |
| MJ Daffue | +5000 |
| Chad Ramey | +7500 |
Predictions to Win
When we bet on golf, the biggest factor decided on our Barracuda Championship picks is course history and players who rank near the top of the scoring average. A player must have a different strategy going into this tournament that rewards aggressive play and low scoring.
Akshay Bhatia (+3000)
Our first and favorite Barracuda Championship predictions is Akshay Bhatia (+3000). Bhatia currently has temporary status on Tour and has been taking full advantage of the opportunity. A T35 at the John Deere was followed up with a T9 at the Barbasol Championship last week. Bhatia ranks 23rd in birdie average on the PGA Tour, making him a solid choice this week.
MJ Daffue (+4000)
Next up on our list this week is MJ Daffue (+4000). Daffue is currently sitting 115th in the FedEx Standings and could be in store for a big week. The South African native has made four-straight cuts and ranks 54th in bridie average.
Chad Ramey (+6500)
Finally, our dark horseplay of the week is Chad Ramey (+6500). Ramey’s had a tough season, but four consecutive cuts made highlighted by a T17 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic show signs of optimism. Ramey is another player who can go low when needed, so this tournament fits his game.
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