Ben Martin Leads Barracuda Championship After Round One

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Ben Martin scored 16 points Thursday to take a two-point lead over David Lipsky and Nick Watney after the first round of the Barracuda Championship. This event, held at the Tahoe Mountain Club, is known for its unique modified Stableford scoring system.

In this format, players earn points for good performances—eight points for a double eagle, five for an eagle, and two for a birdie—while losing points for bogeys and double bogeys. Martin rebounded from bogeys on the 6th and 7th holes with birdies on the 8th and 9th to close his morning round with confidence.

“To be honest, warming up on the range this morning, it’s cold. I’m getting old. It’s hard to keep my body moving well,” the 37-year-old Martin said. His only PGA TOUR win came in Las Vegas in 2014. “I had very few expectations, but went out, was hitting the ball in front of me, made some early putts, and felt confident with the putter.”

Martin’s score placed him ahead of Lipsky, who scored 15 points. Lipsky began strong with 15 points on his first nine holes, but lost three on the 2nd hole after hitting a greenside sprinkler. “It was tough to make even bogey from there,” Lipsky said, “but it was overall a good day.”

Meanwhile, Nick Watney, with 14 points, is tied at second with Lipsky. Cameron Champ follows closely behind with 13 points, along with Rico Hoey, Joel Dahmen, Danny Walker, Dale Whitnell, and Todd Clements.

Last year’s champion, Andrew Putnam, landed at 12 points alongside Jackson Suber, Yuto Katsuragawa, and Vince Whaley. Notable players like Max Homa and defending champion Nick Dunlap struggled, with Homa losing a point and Dunlap losing six.

Germany’s Yannik and Jeremy Paul also had challenging starts, with Yannik finishing with zero points and Jeremy losing two.