They're still quoting 66/1
Preview & outright plays:
After a ten-year absence this event returned to the Senior PGA Tour schedule in 1996. Despite it being played on four days and rotated around the country's best courses in line with the men's and women's Canadian Opens, it has continually failed to attract the big name players. This was primarily because the event coincided with the US Open from 1996 to 1998 and while some have changed their schedules since, others are a little more set in their ways. The event does see the return of Hale Irwin though and a debut appearance from Tom Kite, but there is still no Morgan, Watson or Nelson.
They play at Mississaugua G&CC, Ontario, which is a course dating back to 1890 and has held six Canadian Opens, of which the first two were won by Walter Hagen and Sam Snead in the 1930s. The course features tree-lined fairways, well-manicured greens and water - the Credit River features on five holes. It is a classic course that requires good ball-striking skills above all.
The three selections this week are Hale Irwin, Doug Tewell and Tom Jenkins. Irwin returns after losing the 1999 Open to Jim Ahern in a playoff. He continues his light schedule, but must surely be getting hungry for victory again as his last one was back in the Bruno's Memorial Classic. Would not be a selection at the general price of 7/2, but Surrey offer a couple of points more and over four rounds his superior game should be able to come to the fore this week.
A four-day event should also be good for Doug Tewell. He won the opening major of the year, the Countrywide Tradition, over four rounds and finished 2nd in the last major over four rounds, the Ford Senior Players Championship, in a memorable playoff to Allen Doyle. He followed that loss with 2nd at the 3M Championship two weeks ago and ignoring last week's poor effort as he got off to a bad start, he looks a decent prospect to match his 3rd place finish last year.
The most amazing price of the week is on Tom Jenkins. Stan James, and the eternal cloners, UK Betting, price him at 66/1. Yet he is defending champion and has finished 2nd and 4th in his other two Canada Senior Opens! Just one of his twelve rounds in this championship has been over-par. He is also coming nicely into form: his last four finishes have been 45th, 12th, 7th, 2nd. Surrey price him at the expected 25/1, so a larger price and an extra place is an unexpected bonus.
Outright plays:
Hale Irwin to win 11/2 @
Surrey
Doug Tewell to win 20/1 e.w. @
Stan James [5 places option]
Tom Jenkins to win 66/1 e.w. @
Stan James [5 places option]
