Scintillating Storylines

This is a big week for many professional golfers, and I’m not just talking about what’s unfolding at Royal Liverpool. But among casual fans the social media question has been circulating, “Why should I care about another tournament while the Open Championship is being played?”

Asking why you should care about tournaments other than a major is like asking why you would order only appetizers and dessert at a steakhouse. Why watch a band other than the headliner at a music festival? Why would Buffalo Springfield play a show on the same night as the Beatles? Why play the back nine if you only like the front? 

If opening bands aren’t for you or you don’t want to play the back nine, then by all means, stick with what you know. But intriguing stories are developing in tournaments on this side of the Atlantic worthy of your attention. 

Sample some appetizers below, and if you like, give the dessert a try. 

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‍Barracuda Championship

PGA Tour, Truckee, Calif.

A two-year exemption is up for grabs in the PGA Tour’s only Stableford event, where the highest point total wins. The unique format weighs eagles and birdies heavily. Making nine pars and nine birdies is a heck of a lot better than making 18 pars. And you can be in your pocket on a hole yet still be in the tournament. 

Ryan Gerard, 23, entered the Honda Classic Monday qualifier in late February without Tour status. He has since gained special temporary membership on the PGA Tour and holds the 36-hole lead with 30 points at the ’Cuda on the strength of a pair of 64s (16 birdies and only two bogeys). Gerard joined Any Given Monday earlier this year and discussed his season and how he handles pressure.

“I take a lot of pride in the fact that when my back gets up against the wall I usually perform pretty well and that’s something I aspire to be, is what people say is clutch,” Gerard said on AGM. “There is a certain kind of focus that you have to turn on when your legs are kind of shaking but your hands are pretty steady over the putter.”

Patrick Rodgers has earned nearly $12 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2015, but he has never closed the deal. He sits in second place, four points behind Gerard, and looks to follow in the footsteps of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, whose maiden win came at the 2019 Barracuda Championship.

At 28, Cameron Champ has collected three PGA Tour wins. He’s freakishly long and talented, but he has only made six of 21 cuts this season after returning from injury. He’s fun to watch with his high-variance game and silky, athletic swing. Champ is in seventh place heading into the weekend, 10 points back (two eagles away from the lead).

Leaderboard: https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/2023/barracuda-championship/R2023472

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‍Price Cutter Charity Championship

Korn Ferry Tour, Springfield, Mo.

The lush zoysia fairways and soft greens of Highland Springs Country Club yielded sizzling scores in the first two rounds. A battle between twin brothers is shaping up. 

After helping lead Texas to the 2022 national championship, the grandsons of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody have burst onto the professional scene. Parker Coody is atop the leaderboard at 15 under par, while Pierceson Coody is two shots back. Parker began the season with conditional KFT status and has played his way to 34th on the season-long points list in only 12 events. Pierceson is 15th. The twins have spent their lives pushing each other, but battling in the final group on Sunday might be the height of sibling rivalry. Parker discussed the relationship on Any Given Monday earlier this season. 

“It’s like your best friend or something,” Parker said. “You typically know what they’re thinking or how they’re feeling in certain scenarios. We obviously have a great relationship but we can’t read each other’s minds.”

Speaking of twins, Jeremy Paul, twin brother of DP World Tour winner Yannik Paul, is in sixth place at 11 under. Yannik missed the cut at the Open Championship and Jeremy hopes to be competing at the highest level alongside his brother soon. A win this week would be a major step in that direction. 

Leaderboard: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/leaderboard

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‍Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational

LPGA Tour, Midland, Mich.

Similar to the format of the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, this is the LPGA’s two-player team event. Partners play two rounds of fourball and two rounds of alternate shot in the 72-hole event.

Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol made the alternate-shot format look easy on Friday, shooting 62 and tying the 54-hole scoring record at 18 under par. The duo finished T-4 last year and take a three-shot lead into the final round over last year’s runner-up, Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan.  

Leaderboard: https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational/leaderboard

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‍Twin Bridges Invitational

Epson Tour, Guilderland, N.Y.

Jenny Bae, 21, was the runner-up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. She has played in only two Epson Tour events in her young professional career and already has a victory. Bae opened with eight birdies and two bogeys to shoot 6 under par and take the opening-round lead. 

Gabriela Ruffels, 23, has two Epson Tour wins already this season and has her sights on a third. The Aussie opened with a two-under-par 69 and leads the Tour’s season-long points race.

Leaderboard: https://www.epsontour.com/tournaments/twin-bridges-championship/leaderboard

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‍Commissionaires Ottawa Open

PGA Tour Canada, Dunrobin, Ottawa, Canada

Bryce Emory sleeps on a two-shot lead at 13 under par through two rounds. Emory, 32, is a journeyman who has worked outside services at Black Sheep Golf Club in the Chicago area for years to keep his professional dreams alive. He played a limited schedule on the Korn Ferry Tour last season with minimal success. Ryan French calls Emory “one of the better guys in golf,” so you can bet French will be cheering for him this weekend. 

In the past year and a half, Cooper Dossey, 25, has shot 58 and 59 in professional events, won two All-Pro Tour events and made it through two Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifiers. He is 8 under and looking for a breakthrough. 

Leaderboard: https://www.pgatour.com/canada/leaderboard

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‍Colorado Open

Denver 

This is the Super Bowl of state opens, with $100,000 going to the winner. Mini tour legend Andrew Metzger has added to his already impressive resume this year with a successful Monday qualifier at the Waste Management Open and a win at the Scottsdale Open. Through two rounds, Metzger holds a one-shot lead at 14 under par over Ryan Cole. Wil Collins, a former PGA Tour member and the defending champion here, is three shots back. Former LIV golfer Turk Petit enters the weekend at T-9, five shots back.

Leaderboard: https://cogf.bluegolf.com/bluegolfw/cogf23/event/cogf2310/contest/9/leaderboard.htm