Ben Martin Takes Early Lead at Barracuda Championship with Birdie Blitz

Posted : 18 July 2025

Ben Martin made a flying start to the 2025 Barracuda Championship on Thursday, carding nine birdies to seize a two-point advantage at the Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Competing at the Old Greenwood course, Martin ended the first round with 16 points under the event’s unique modified Stableford scoring system, which rewards aggressive play. Players earn two points for a birdie and five for an eagle, while bogeys result in deductions.

Martin's round featured an impressive flurry of birdies that outweighed two bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes. Beginning his round on the back nine, he quickly found rhythm, birdieing the 11th, 13th, 15th, and 16th holes. He maintained that momentum on the front nine with consecutive birdies on holes two through four, before closing out with two more on the eighth and ninth holes to reach a total of plus-16.

“Yeah, +16 is usually a tough start. This week it’s good,” Martin joked after his round. “It was just one of those days where I had a clear idea of the kind of round I wanted to play—and it came together.”

Reflecting on his relaxed mindset, Martin added, “Sometimes we can stay and grind and work hard—and that’s great—but I’ve found that when I can leave the course and forget about golf, that’s usually a positive sign.”

Martin wasn't the only player taking advantage of the scoring format. Nick Watney and David Lipsky sit just behind him at plus-14. Watney strung together eight birdies, while Lipsky added six birdies and an eagle, despite a rare mishap that led to a double bogey on the second hole when his ball struck a sprinkler head and ricocheted into the trees.

“It was pin high, right where I was aiming, but just off the green. It hit the sprinkler and bounced into the trees,” Lipsky explained. “It’s just one of those things—you can’t dwell on it.”

A tight field follows close behind, with six players tied at plus-13: Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen, Danny Walker, Rico Hoey of the Philippines, and English golfers Dale Whitnell and Todd Clements.

Another group of four, including Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, who made eight birdies, trails at plus-12, alongside Andrew Putnam, Jackson Suber, and Vince Whaley.

Meanwhile, previous champions Nick Dunlap and Chez Reavie struggled to make an impact, finishing at minus-6 and plus-2 respectively.

With only one round complete, the leaderboard remains crowded, and plenty of contenders are poised to make a move as the Barracuda Championship continues at the scenic, yet challenging, Tahoe course.

Ben Martin Takes Early Lead at Barracuda Championship with Birdie Blitz

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics