2021 Barracuda Championship Predictions & Picks: Harold Varner III A Strong Pick
2021 Barracuda Championship Predictions & Picks: Troy Merritt & Harold Varner III Strong Picks
Is the Barracuda Championship the premier PGA Tour event of the weekend? No. That distinction belongs to the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational. But, there is still plenty of money to be made on the Barracuda championship, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing with my Barracuda Championship predictions.
There may not be a ton of top-tier names in this field, but there are a lot of very solid golfers that will be competing come Sunday. There are even some golfers some ways down the Barracuda Championship odds board that look good for the price they have.
Most of this week’s Barracuda Championship predictions will include Gary Woodland, Branden Grace and/or Emiliano Grillo. And, while I like those guys, I’m going a little farther down the board with my picks to try and find some good value.
Let’s dig into my 2021 Barracuda Championship predictions and picks for this weekend. But first, this is the only PGA Tour event that features Modified Stableford scoring, so we’ll cover that as well.
What is Modified Stableford Scoring?
Instead of counting strokes, Modified Stableford scoring awards points to each golfer based on the number of strokes taken on each hole. A positive outcome adds points to your score, while a negative outcome subtracts points. Unlike traditional stroke play, the point of Modified Stableford scoring is to finish with the highest score.
Double Eagle: 8 points
Eagle: 5 Points
Birdie: 2 points
Par: 0 points
Bogey: -1 point
Double Bogey or More: -3 points
2021 Barracuda Championship Predictions
Troy Merritt @ +2800
I didn’t think I’d ever be backing Troy Merritt to win a golf tournament in 2021, but that’s exactly what I’m doing now. When I first saw the number at +2800 for Troy Merritt, I thought it was a bit short, but there more I looked into it the more I began to convince myself he was the play.
Let’s start with the obvious. Merritt came in second in last year’s Barracuda Championship, the first year it was ever hosted at the Tahoe Mountain Club. Merritt actually held the lead through three rounds, but couldn’t hold on.
Not only is Merritt familiar with the course and played well here, but he’s played solid golf this season. He’s had top-10 finishes at the Valspar Championship, The Byron Nelson, the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he finished T2.
Harold Varner III @ +3700
Do I know for a fact that Harold Varner III will be in contention on Sunday at the Barracuda Championship? No. He’s never played a competitive round at this course and could very well be dead in the water come the weekend. But, he’s a far better golfer than most of the names above him on the odds board, so I’m going to back his talent to prevail.
The scoring style benefits golfers that like to take chances and I think we’ll see Varner take advantage of that this weekend. The question with Varner this week, and really every week, comes with his game on the greens. If he can hit putts he will content, if not it’ll be an uphill battle. But, the thin air in Tahoe is going to let these guys bomb it off the tee.
Varner is a top-50 player in the world when it comes to total strokes gained and he’s even better tee-to-green. +3700 is great value for a golfer of Varner’s skills in this field.
Brendan Steele @ +7000
Brendan Steele all the way down the board at 70/1? Sign me up. For starters, Steele has played this event seven times and racked up four top-10 finishes in those seven appearances. He struggled last year, finishing T53, but it’s clear he likes the Modified Stableford scoring and plays well with it.
Also, Brendan Steele quietly has three top-five finishes this season. He finished T4 at the Zurich and the Sony Open and gave us a T3 at the Honda Classic, including 65s in both the 2nd and 4th rounds.
Like Varner, we need Steele to putt well in order to challenge, but this style of scoring benefits risk-taking. He may not need to putt all that well if he can leave himself short putts with quality shot making.
2021 Barracuda Championship Picks
Troy Merritt @ +2800
Harold Varner III @ +3700
Brendan Steele @ +7000