Golf

Appleby snapping at leader’s heels at Barracuda Championship

Seamus Power and Padraig Harrington in 36th and 106th place in Nevada on Thursday

The 17th tee at the Barracuda Championship at the Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada. Photograph: Getty Images

Fri Aug 4 2017 - 08:45

Stuart Appleby made a positive step to earning a 10th win on the PGA Tour with strong opening round at the Barracuda Classic in Nevada on Thursday.

The Barracuda Championship format encourages attacking golf by awarding eight points for albatross, five for eagle and two for birdie, while deducting one point for bogey and three points for double-bogey or worse.

The Australian picked up eight birdies and two bogeys to score 14 points and end the day in equal second place in the Modified Stableford format at Montreux Country Club in Reno.

American John Huh, who had eight birdies and one bogey, leads Appleby and Argentine Miguel Angel Carballo, who made two eagles, by one point.

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Seamus Power is in 36th position on seven points; after birdies on the second, fifth, eighth, 13th and 18th holes. With bogeys on the first, fourth and 16th holes.

Fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington has one point, after a double bogey on the par-4 first and birdies on the 13th and 15th holes.

“The format here you’ve got to make birdies,” Appleby said. “You’ve got to think about six birdies a day. I had eight today. Probably could have had more but I made some putts of length.”

Appleby has nine victories on tour, the most recent in 2010 at the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia, where he carded 59 in the final round.

The 46-year-old, however, has struggled since, undergoing major back surgery in 2015.

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