Steve Palmer's Barracuda Championship predictions & free golf betting tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Barracuda Championship at Old Greenwood Golf Club, California.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 11pm Thursday

Best bets

Matthias Schwab
2pts each-way 40-1 BoyleSports

Cam Davis
2pts each-way 18-1 bet365

Brandon Hagy
1pt each-way 100-1 bet365

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Following the success of the Barbasol Championship last week, there is another low-grade co-sanctioned PGA Tour and DP World Tour event this week, featuring an eclectic mix of golfing lightweights.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Matthias Schwab 40-1

Austrian grinder Matthias Schwab is one of the best players in attendance at Tahoe Mountain Golf Club this week - and on offer at surprisingly generous odds.

Schwab was a regular contender on the DP World Tour, losing a playoff for the 2019 Turkish Airlines Open, before gaining a PGA Tour card. His rookie campaign this year has been going well, with seventh in the Honda Classic followed by seventh in Puerto Rico, eighth in the Texas Open and 16th last time out in the John Deere Classic.

Schwab is well suited to Old Greenwood and proved it in his only previous Barracuda start, finishing third two years ago.

Next best bet

Cam Davis 18-1

It is doubtful whether Cam Davis will need to play in the Barracuda Championship again. The Aussie's swing is technical perfection and he is underachieving. A maiden PGA Tour title came almost exactly a year ago in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Recent signs have been encouraging - third place in the Heritage in April, seventh at Colonial in May and eighth in the John Deere last time out - so expect this crisp ball-striker to be a leading contender on Sunday.

Other selection

Brandon Hagy 100-1

Californian powerhouse Brandon Hagy will be relishing this home-state opportunity. This huge hitter can access the three driveable par-fours and he has finished 12th and fifth in the two previous Barracudas at Old Greenwood.

After a decent Barbasol warm-up, where he carded a second-round 62 and tied for 27th place, Hagy seems an enormous price.

Old Greenwood course guide

Course Old Greenwood, Tahoe Mountain Golf Club, Truckee, California
Prize money $3.7m ($630,000 to the winner)
Length 7,480 yards
Par 71 - three par-fives, 11 par-fours, four par-threes
Field 156
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Alex Noren (66), Maverick McNealy (72), Cam Davis (76), Chad Ramey (132), Rasmus Hojgaard (140)

Format The Modified Stableford scoring system was introduced for the first time in 2012, allocating points based on the number of shots taken at each hole. Albatross = eight points; eagle = five; birdie = two; par = zero; bogey = minus one; double-bogey or worse = minus three

Course records - 72 holes +50 Erik van Rooyen 18 holes +22 Kyle Reifers, Chad Campbell

Course winner taking part Richy Werenski

When to bet By 3pm Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 11pm on Thursday

Time difference California is eight hours behind the UK and Ireland

Course type Parkland

Course overview Montreux Country Club, Reno, Nevada, staged this event from 1999 to 2019, but Old Greenwood took over in 2020. Jack Nicklaus is the designer of both tracks. The layout features a mountain backdrop in the High Sierras, with tall pines lining the twisting fairways, and balls fly far at the altitude (almost 6,000 feet). Water hazards and deep bunkers guard large, fast, severely undulating greens. There are three driveable par-fours

Story of last year Erik van Rooyen smashed the scoring record en route to his maiden PGA Tour title

Weather forecast Sunny and hot, with windy afternoons, temperatures peaking at 31C

Type of player suited to the challenge Accurate approach shots are always essential on Jack Nicklaus-designed layouts – and Old Greenwood is no different – but the greens there are notoriously difficult and a sharp short-game may be even more important

Key attribute Touch

Spotlight insight The last six Barracuda champions were PGA Tour maidens

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