Mac Meissner shot a bogey-free plus-16 on Friday to take a one-point lead over J.J. Spaun into the weekend at the PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship in Truckee, Calif. The 25-year-old Meissner, who had played in only four Tour events prior to this season and has yet to win on the Tour, started on the back nine at Tahoe Mountain Club's Old Greenwood Course. He opened with back-to-back birdies before a par and two more birdies. He added one more on the 16th hole, then birdied Nos. 4, 7 and 9 on the front nine to finish with a two-round total of plus-26. The Barracuda Championship uses a Modified Stableford scoring format that encourages risk-taking. Birdies are worth two points, eagles are worth five and albatrosses are worth eight. Each par is zero points while bogeys are minus-1 point and double bogey or anything worse is worth minus-3. "(The Modified Stableford format) allows you to be a little bit more aggressive just because of birdies are worth more than a bogey hurts you.," Meissner said. "I definitely have been a little bit more aggressive to tucked pins than I probably would normally be on a Friday or coming into the weekend." The Barracuda is the Tour's alternate event opposite the Open Championship. "I'm kind of at a point where I don't have much to lose and I have way more to gain if I play well," Meissner added. "If I don't make the playoffs, I've got the fall season, but if I do have a nice push here at the end and make the playoffs, then all the better." As for Spaun, the 33-year-old had a little more adventurous day in trying to keep up with the leader. Starting on the front nine, Spaun started out on fire with three straight birdies and four birdies in his first five holes. But then came a bogey on No. 7 as part of five straight holes without a birdie. He then alternated birdies and pars from holes 10 through 16, closing out with three straight pars. He finished with a plus-13 after shooting plus-12 on Thursday to finish at plus-25 for the tournament so far. "Yeah, it's been a good week so far," said Spaun, who won the 2022 Valero Texas Open for his only career Tour win to date. "Kind of kept the ball in front of me, not too many mistakes. Made a lot of good putts when I needed to. Just kind of stayed out of trouble, racked up some good points the last couple days." Canadian Taylor Pendrith (plus-12 on Friday) and Americans Sean O'Hair (plus-16) and Chan Kim (plus-15) are tied for third with a plus-24 total. Round 1 leader Ben Silverman of Canada struggled mightily on Friday. He picked up five bogies over the first 13 holes before shooting a birdie on 15 for his only plus-hole of the day. He finished the day at minus-3 to put him at plus-16 for the tournament, just three points clear of the cut line. --Field Level Media
Jun 13, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Mac Meissner plays his shot from the second tee box during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports