TRUCKEE, California – Ryan Moore curled up in a 20-foot bird-putt on par-4 18 for part of the lead with Adam Schenk on Thursday in the Barracuda Championship of the PGA TOUR at Tahoe Mountain Club.
Moore and Schenk had 14-point rounds with the modified Stableford scoring system. Each of them had seven birds in rounds without bogey at high altitude on the old Greenwood course, the place for the first time in 21 years across the Nevada border at Montreux Golf and Country Club.
“It was difficult,” said Moore. “The wind was a bit high and low. So distance control was everything, and we did a great job of figuring out what kind of stock clubs are going here earlier in the week, and we did a great job all the today to go right up high and check our distances really well, which is very important on a golf course like this. “
Players receive 8 points for the albatross, 5 for the eagle, 2 for the birdie, zero for the par, minus 1 for the bogey and minus 3 for the double bogey or worse.
reported: Complete ranking | How it works: Stableford format
Robert Streb, Seamus Power and Patrick Rodgers were tied for third with 11 points. JJ Spaun was another step back with Cameron Percy, Branden Grace, Peter Uihlein, Maverick McNealy, Kevin Tway and Emiliano Grillo.
Moore scored five career wins on the PGA TOUR. After losing cuts in his first three events following the coronavirus breakdown, the 37-year-old former UNLV player was tied for forty-six weeks two weeks at the Ohio Memorial and tied for the twelfth week in Minnesota.
“I thought I was more ready to get out of quarantine than I possibly was,” said Moore. “I went out and felt a little uncomfortable and didn’t feel like myself for the first few weeks, so I refined what I felt I had to do, and I kept grinding it for the last time a few weeks. “
Schenk is winless on the PGA TOUR. The 28-year-old ex-Purdue player killed five of the last seven holes during his nine openings, eliminated the next seven and closed with birds on numbers 8 and 9.
“He has had quite a few bailouts, which makes it easier and easier to add up these points,” said Schenk. “You won’t go back at all. Hitting a pair of nearby wedges and practically keeping you out of trouble. There is room to drive the golf ball, but if you do it considerably off the fairway you may find some trouble.”
He likes the new location.
“I liked the last golf course, and I like this a little better, in my personal opinion,” said Schenk.
The winner will earn a place in the PGA championship next week if he is not already eligible. The first two of the top 10, not already eligible, will get seats in the US Open in September at the Winged Foot.
