Harrington has high hopes for Nevada

Pádraig Harrington starts the Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada today hoping victory could set him on a late run for a Ryder Cup place.

He will be encouraged by the absence of the defending champion, home favourite Scott Piercy, who has switched from Reno to the lucrative World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, after qualifying through his one-shot victory in the recent Canadian Open.

After 13 years as a strokeplay event, the Reno-Tahoe organisers have made the unusual switch to a modified Stableford system, where points are scored for birdies and eagles. It is designed to encourage aggressive play on the low-scoring Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the Montreux Golf Club, where the record is 61.