Hoey Leads Barracuda Championship with Back-to-Back 13-Point Rounds
Rico Hoey has taken control at the Barracuda Championship, posting identical 13-point rounds on consecutive days to grab a one-point lead heading into weekend play. The tournament, running opposite The Open, uses the modified Stableford scoring system where players earn points rather than counting strokes.
In this format, birdies are worth two points while bogeys cost players a point. Eagles deliver five points, and the rare double eagle earns eight. Double bogeys are particularly costly at minus-three points.
Hoey’s Friday performance included six birdies and just one bogey at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood course, which sits 6,000 feet above sea level among the pines.
“I really like the course,” Hoey said. “I was pretty fortunate to have my first start out here. They gave me a sponsor invite, so it’s something special to me and hopefully I keep carrying it on.”
Max McGreevy and 2021 champion Erik van Rooyen share second place, just a point behind Hoey’s 26-point total.
Hoey, who was born in the Philippines but grew up in California and played collegiately at USC, is still seeking his first win after 51 PGA Tour starts.
“I just feel like I’m at home,” Hoey said. “It’s California. Grew up in California. I love this event. It’s always fun doing like a point system so you feel like you want to go make a lot of birdies.”
McGreevy surged up the leaderboard with a 16-point Friday round that included an eagle on the par-5 third hole.
“Just plotting along, getting a lot of good looks,” McGreevy explained. “Got some to go early today which just freed me up and allowed me to be a little bit more aggressive in some spots.”
Van Rooyen, who knows what it takes to win here, posted 14 points in the morning wave. His round featured a consistent attack, with four birdies in the final six holes of both his front and back nines.
“Finally making some putts,” van Rooyen said. “It’s been a trying season in that regard.”
Tom Vaillant of France sits alone in fourth with 23 points. There’s a five-way tie at 22 points including Isaiah Salinda, Joel Dahmen, Vince Whaley, Ryan Gerard and Jackson Suber, who was in the final group off the first tee.
First-round leader Ben Martin stumbled badly, posting zero points Friday to fall ten back of the lead.
Max Homa rallied with a 14-point performance to make the cut at 13 points total, while his playing partners weren’t as fortunate. Defending champion Nick Dunlap needed an eagle on his final hole just to finish with a single point, missing the cut. NCAA champion Michael La Sasso of Mississippi, playing on a sponsor exemption, struggled to a nine-point deficit over two days.
The German twin brothers Yannik and Jeremy Paul also failed to make the weekend.
This co-sanctioned PGA Tour and European tour event offers the winner a spot in the PGA Championship, though not the Masters.
