J.J. Henry birdied the final hole to take a one-point lead on Saturday in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour’s only modified Stableford event.
Henry had a 41-point total at Montreux Golf and Country Club, scoring 17 points in the third round, with nine birdies and a bogey. Players receive eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.
The 40-year-old Henry won the 2012 event for the last of his two PGA Tour titles.
Photo: AFP
“This course, this place, is good to me,” Henry said. “As I mentioned before, I love being here. I am fortunate enough to obviously win in 2012 and have a bunch of other top finishes. I just love coming and playing here. It is just a great place. Obviously, a fun format. When you make a lot of birdies like I did today, it makes it even more fun.”
David Toms and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt were tied for second.
The 48-year-old Toms had 10 birdies and two bogeys in an 18-point round. He won the last of his 13 PGA Tour titles in 2011.
“Whether I do good or not, I am going to feel comfortable, go out there and continue to be aggressive when I can and obviously take your licks when you have to,” said Toms, the 2001 PGA Championship winner.
Blixt had a 16-point day, playing alongside Henry.
“We kind of fed off each other,” Henry said. “He played great. It is nice to see the other guy you are playing with play well. Kind of feed of each other.”
Blixt eagled the par-five eighth and had seven birdies — five in a row at the start of the back nine — and three bogeys.
“Feel like I have been hitting it pretty well,” Blixt said. “I think I had like one or two tee shots that have been a little squirrely. That is going to happen here. You just got to deal with it.”
The course was softened by light rain.
“The greens are a little bit more receptive,” Henry said. “This place can get pretty tricky when the greens get firm, but you know if you hit the ball in the fairway you are going to have some shorter irons playing at altitude. With soft greens, you know, these guys are good. Somebody is going to play well, and fortunately it is been me so far after three rounds.”
Robert Garrigus had 37 points after a 16-point round.
Former Stanford player Patrick Rodgers was fifth with 35 points after a 14-point day.
The 23-year-old Rodgers has earned enough money through sponsor exemptions to become a special temporary member of the PGA Tour. With more than US$800,000, most of that from a runner-up finish in the Wells Fargo Championship in May, he is virtually assured of a PGA Tour card for next season. Rodgers won the Web.com Tour’s Colombia Championship in February.
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