Truckee, California- Ben Martin stormed to a two-point advantage on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the Barracuda Championship, held at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood course in Truckee, California. Capitalizing on the tournament’s unique modified Stableford scoring system, Martin racked up nine birdies to take the lead on a day that saw numerous golfers post strong scores.
Stableford System Sees Martin Soar
Unlike traditional stroke play where the lowest score wins, the Barracuda Championship employs a modified Stableford format, rewarding aggressive play with points:
- Eagle: 5 points
- Birdie: 2 points
- Par: 0 points
- Bogie: -1 point
- Double Bogey or worse: -3 points
Martin’s exceptional round saw him accrue 18 points from his nine birdies. Despite two bogeys on holes Nos. 6 and 7, which subtracted two points, he finished the day at an impressive plus-16. Starting on the back nine, Martin found his rhythm early with birdies on Nos. 11, 13, 15, and 16. He then caught fire on the front nine, sinking three consecutive birdies at Nos. 2-4 before recovering from his bogeys to add two more birdies on the eighth and ninth to close out his commanding round.
A Strong Field in Pursuit
The picturesque Old Greenwood course, nestled near Lake Tahoe, proved receptive to low scores, leaving a tightly packed leaderboard after the first day of competition. Tied for second at plus-14 are Nick Watney and David Lipsky. Watney’s round featured eight birdies, while Lipsky combined six birdies with an eagle, despite an unfortunate double bogey on the second hole caused by a sprinkler malfunction.
A group of six golfers are clustered in a tie for fourth at plus-13. This strong contingent includes Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen, Danny Walker, the Philippines’ Rico Hoey, and Englishmen Dale Whitnell and Todd Clements. Just one point behind, a group of four players are tied for tenth at plus-12, featuring Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, who carded eight birdies, alongside Andrew Putnam, Jackson Suber, and Vince Whaley.
However, past champions like Nick Dunlap (minus-6) and Chez Reavie (plus-2) find themselves well behind the leaders, facing a significant challenge to climb back into contention over the next three rounds. The stage is now set for an exciting continuation of play as golfers aim to accumulate maximum points on the scenic yet challenging course.
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