Roundtable: Who will win the PGA Championship?

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RENO, Nevada — News and notes from Thursday’s first round of the Barracuda Championship, with John Huh leading by 1 point over Miguel Angel Carballo and Stuart Appleby in the Modified Stableford event. Huh scored 15 points Thursday and Carballo and Appleby each picked up 14 points in the first round of the PGA TOUR stop. Huh, from South Korea, had eight birdies Thursday and 24 putts. He finished tied for third at Montreux last year. Huh is at 112 on the FedExCup points standings. Carballo, from Argentina, finished ninth at Montreux last year. This is his fourth time playing the tournament. He had two eagles Thursday, good for 5 points each, on holes No. 2 and on No. 17. He also had a birdie on No. 16 when he holed out from the bunker, which he said changed his round. Carballo is No. 201 in the FedExCup standings. “I’m hitting really good because having played here already gives me a little confidence,� Carballo said. “I didn’t start off that well so during the middle of the round got a little bit better and started hitting the ball better, so I’m feeling really good right now.� Appleby is looking to continue the run of success for Australians in the Barracuda as Greg Chalmers won it last year. He said there no courses like Montreux in Australia. “I really, I just want to get to the weekend and see what happens. It’s been a struggle to get to the weekend. If I can get out play decent (Friday) and feel I can find the line and get some flow going, we’ll see what happens,� Appleby said. He made eight birdies Thursday. There are four golfers tied for second with 13 points each, Brandon Hagy, Ben Martin, Ryan Palmer and Dicky Pride. Martin, who has two top-10 finishes at Montreux, made a 50-foot putt on No. 18 for an eagle and 5 points. ACE IN THE HOLE, SHANK YOU VERY MUCH There were two aces Thursday at Montreux as Jay McLuen made a hole-in-one on hole No. 11 and JJ Spaun had an ace on No. 16. Spaun won a two-year lease on a Lexus for his ace. He has 11 points and is tied for ninth. “The pin was probably in the most accessible location on the green. And I just hit, put a really solid swing on it. Contact was good. It started about five yards left and just started falling right at the hole,� Spaun said. “And once it landed on the green, it landed like I thought maybe it was going to be long. But it landed like maybe 10, 15 feet short of the hole. “And then that’s when like everyone said it was kind of quiet and I was quiet and was starting to think is it going closer to the hole or not. And sure enough like 30 seconds later it just, perfect weight, just right in the cup and it just disappeared. We all freaked out. I didn’t even know I won a car until Alan said you get that car over there sitting on the front of the hole.� It was the second ace in his career. He had one on the Web.com Tour last year. McLuen said his caddy told him he had room on the right of the 171-yard hole. “I really had a good plan today. My caddy helped me out quite a bit, with trying to stay shot by shot. Picking small targets,� McLuen said. It was the third ace he’s made in tournament play, his eighth overall. He used a pitching wedge. “It was right at the flag. I saw it bounce, but we couldn’t see it go in. I saw the crowd stand up and started yelling when it went in,� he said. He also had a shank Thursday, which was the only green he missed all day in picking up 11 points. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a hole-in-one and a shank in the same round,� McLuen said. Last year at Montreux he was tied for second after the first round, but ended up tied for 76th. “Kind of let off the gas a little bit, but this year there’s a different formula,� McLuen said. “It’s a good start, can;t ask for much more.� Defending champ on track: Greg Chalmers had a solid start as he picked up 11 points Thursdayand is tied for ninth place. Chalmers, who got his first win on the PGA TOUR after 386 starts last year in the Barracuda Championship, birdied his first three holes Thursday. “If I can hit some greens (Friday) and I’m rolling the ball nicely, I’ll have some chances,� Chalmers said. “I’m pleased. I’m happy with 11 points. Would I like to one shot different? Sure, but I don’t think there’s one golfer who doesn’t wish he hit one shot better.� He said last year’s win is so far in the past it has no effect on this year. “My confidence is based on my recent performance and I cant say that’s been fantastic,� Chalmers said. CHALMERS DEFENSE STARTS STRONG Greg Chalmers had a solid start on Thursday as he picked up 11 points to sit inside the top 10 of early starters. Chalmers, who won last year’s Barracuda Championship for his first PGA TOUR victory after 386 starts, birdied his first three holes Thursday. “If I can hit some greens and I’m rolling the ball nicely, I’ll have some chances,� Chalmers said. “I’m pleased. I’m happy with 11 points. Would I like to (hit) one shot different? Sure, but I don’t think there’s one golfer who doesn’t wish he hit one shot better.� He said last year’s win is so far in the past it has no effect on what happens at Montreux this time around. “My confidence is based on my recent performance and I can’t say that’s been fantastic,� Chalmers said. ON THE BUBBLE The top 125 golfers in the FedExCup standings earn spots in the FedExCup Playoffs, as well as exemptions for next season on the PGA TOUR. Several players at the Barracuda Championship this week are hovering right around the bubble. With only two events left before the Playoffs begin, time is of the essence for anyone outside the top 125. Any player without status for next season finishing between 126-200 in the FedExCup would need to compete in the Web.com Tour Finals to regain TOUR status. Golfers between 126-150 would earn conditional TOUR status that can be improved in the four-event Web.com Tour Finals. Those on the bubble include J.T. Poston (125), Seamus Power (126), Trey Mullinax (127), Daniel Summerhays (128) and two-time Barracuda champion, J.J. Henry (130). Henry, a 16-year TOUR veteran, has won twice at Montreux (2012 and 2015). He tied for 16th last year at the Barracuda Championship. He has only missed the top 125 once (2014) in his career. BARRACUDA BONUS Three golfers scored 5 points each on hole No. 18 at Montreux. Whoever scores the most points on No. 18 this week earns a $50,000 bonus for the charity of his choice. Ben Martin, Brad Fritsche and Graham DeLaet each scored 5 points in the first round. The Barracuda Bonus is a $50,000 charitable donation given in the name of the player who collects the most Modified Stableford points on the par-5 18th hole over the course of the four competitive rounds. Greg Chalmers, who won the Barracuda last year, also won the Barracuda Bonus in 2016 with 11 points on No. 18. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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