Power Rankings: Barracuda Championship

OTHERS TO CONSIDER

• Brandon Hagy … Sends it silly distances, so the thinner air at Old Greenwood will have him converting measurements greater than most, but he fared just fine en route to a T12 last year. Recently finished T6 in Detroit and T18 in the Quad Cities.

• Aaron Wise … Finished eighth here last year, which doesn't hurt, but it's his consistently stronger form upon arrival that supports this endorsement. He's connected six cuts made with a pair of T9s and a T17 (PGA Championship) in the last three months.

• Ryan Armour … The 45-year-old isn't riding off into the sunset just yet. With a T5 at the Barbasol and a T6 at the 3M, he's risen 26 spots to 117th in the FedExCup. Remains stealthily solid off the tee (third in accuracy), on approach (T16 in proximity) and on the greens (36th in Strokes Gained: Putting).

The PGA TOUR finds the most exotic and envious locations to conduct its tournaments, but it's almost cruel to host a competition of this magnitude with the picturesque backdrop of the pines, firs, cedars and other flora of Tahoe National Forest. Then again, who would expect anything different? Worst case for those who miss the cut, they're already in a natural retreat.

Old Greenwood is a par 71 with a trio of par 5s, but only one is found in the last two-thirds of the walk that extends to 7,425 yards. The 551-yard 12th hole is the last reasonable shot at eagle and five points as rewarded by the Modified Stableford format. In fact, only two of the holes on the inward side are among the seven easiest on the course, so capitalizing on Nos. 1-9 is Plan A.

At least it would seem.

Of 20 par breakers en route to his breakthrough victory last year, Richy Werenski converted both eagles and six of his birdies on the way in. He also squared seven bogeys (minus-1 point per) but held on for a one-point victory with 39 points. It's the lowest aggregate since the scoring system was introduced to the Barracuda Championship in 2012.

The par-5 second hole tips at 631 yards and played a fraction harder than the par-4 eighth hole capable of stretching just 357 yards. At an altitude of 6,000 feet, it's comfortably drivable for most, evidenced by seven eagles a year ago. (No. 2 yielded only four eagles.) The par-4 11th and 16th holes list at just 345 yards and 396 yards, respectively, thus multiplying the chances throughout the tournament to think 2 off the tee.

Greens average a relatively cozy 5,300 square feet but bogeys and worse aren't as penal as birdies and better are beneficial, so an aggressive mindset is preferred, albeit with two hands on the wheel at all times and a little daylight between the bottom of the accelerator and the floorboard. ShotLink is not maintained for the tournament.

The bent-Poa annua blend of grass on the greens will present a true roll amid perfect weather conditions all week, but speed is governed to 11-and-a-half on the Stimpmeter. This is in part due to the undulations on the Jack Nicklaus Signature surfaces but also winds that could gust to 25 mph. Breezes will be sustained at 10-20 mph.

The 75 in the field who gave Old Greenwood a go in its debut will experience a pair of notable modifications. First, due to an enlarged tee box on the par-4 13th hole, it's now 35 yards longer at 522 yards. The other impact is widespread throughout the property. After standing three-and-a-half inches last year, the primary rough now scales to only two inches. This is primary due to a challenging winter.

The champion will receive 300 FedExCup points and a two-year membership exemption through 2022-23 (or an additional year up to five if already exempt through that season), as well as exemptions into the 2022 editions of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship, but the most important task at hand is merely qualifying for the Playoffs. In truth, that is Plan A.

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