Adcock Top 4 66/1 Centrebet
1/4 1-5 at Skybet:
San Fillippo 400/1
Mike San Filippo touched down at Hanscom Field at 2 yesterday morning after his 72--208 finish Sunday afternoon at the Champions Tour's Allianz Championship in West Des Moines, Iowa.
His was on the tee at 9 at Shaker Hills GC in Harvard, trying to qualify for this week's $1.5M Bank of America Championship at Nashawtuc CC in Concord.
"I think I had four hours sleep and the course was very wet, but I knew (the course) would be tough," said San Filippo.
But San Filippo also had extensive course knowledge: he was the pro at Shaker Hills for two years in the '90s -- in addition to his six-year run at Nashawtuc.
San Filippo was 2-over after missing a short putt on five, but bounced back to fire a 1-under par 70 and then birdied the first hole in a three-way playoff to earn one of two spots at Nashawtuc this week. Medalist Mitch Adcock (67) earned the 78th spot and San Filippo the 79th. Mike Harzen, who parred the playoff, is the first alternate.
"This means a lot (qualifying)," said the 53-year-old San Filippo, who also teed it up at the Bank of America Championship at Nashawtuc in 2003 and 2004. "With my association with Nashawtuc, I have friends that are still members there. Both from a professional and social level."
This past week, playing on conditional status, he pocketed $13,987.50 at the Allianz. "The past two weeks, in Oklahoma and Des Moines, it's been hot, dry conditions."
So the wet tract at Shaker Hills was an adjustment.
But after his miss on No. 5, he sank "a great putt" on 7 for par, parred 8 and then birdied 9 and 10. His back nine feature solid up and down on 12, a "wonderful" 40-foot birdie putt on 16 and a birdie on 18.
"My short game was terrific," said San Filippo. "I was very encouraged."
Now, he'll back on the familiar tract at Nashawtuc. "I hope the local knowledge will give me a boost."
T Simpson 100/1
Hitting some form last week:
``He was one of those who literally got forgotten," said Dave Stockton, a former PGA Championship winner and a 14-year member of the Champions Tour. ``People just forgot about him and they forgot just how good he was."
They forgot . . .
# that from 1977-90, Simpson accumulated $2,827,468 in prize money.
# that he ranked sixth in money in 1989 and eighth in 1990.
# that he accumulated 24 top-10 finishes from 1988-90.
# that he led the Tour in greens in regulation in 1992.
# that early in 1991, Simpson was high up in the Ryder Cup standings and looking like a lock for the team that fall.
At least most people forgot, but not everybody, because after turning 50 May 6, Simpson made his Champions Tour debut at the Boeing Championship, and one of the first players he ran into was Lee Trevino. The ``Merry Mex" offered Simpson a warm embrace, then turned to his caddie and said, ``This is the greatest iron player I've ever seen."
1/4 1-5 at Skybet:
San Fillippo 400/1
Mike San Filippo touched down at Hanscom Field at 2 yesterday morning after his 72--208 finish Sunday afternoon at the Champions Tour's Allianz Championship in West Des Moines, Iowa.
His was on the tee at 9 at Shaker Hills GC in Harvard, trying to qualify for this week's $1.5M Bank of America Championship at Nashawtuc CC in Concord.
"I think I had four hours sleep and the course was very wet, but I knew (the course) would be tough," said San Filippo.
But San Filippo also had extensive course knowledge: he was the pro at Shaker Hills for two years in the '90s -- in addition to his six-year run at Nashawtuc.
San Filippo was 2-over after missing a short putt on five, but bounced back to fire a 1-under par 70 and then birdied the first hole in a three-way playoff to earn one of two spots at Nashawtuc this week. Medalist Mitch Adcock (67) earned the 78th spot and San Filippo the 79th. Mike Harzen, who parred the playoff, is the first alternate.
"This means a lot (qualifying)," said the 53-year-old San Filippo, who also teed it up at the Bank of America Championship at Nashawtuc in 2003 and 2004. "With my association with Nashawtuc, I have friends that are still members there. Both from a professional and social level."
This past week, playing on conditional status, he pocketed $13,987.50 at the Allianz. "The past two weeks, in Oklahoma and Des Moines, it's been hot, dry conditions."
So the wet tract at Shaker Hills was an adjustment.
But after his miss on No. 5, he sank "a great putt" on 7 for par, parred 8 and then birdied 9 and 10. His back nine feature solid up and down on 12, a "wonderful" 40-foot birdie putt on 16 and a birdie on 18.
"My short game was terrific," said San Filippo. "I was very encouraged."
Now, he'll back on the familiar tract at Nashawtuc. "I hope the local knowledge will give me a boost."
T Simpson 100/1
Hitting some form last week:
``He was one of those who literally got forgotten," said Dave Stockton, a former PGA Championship winner and a 14-year member of the Champions Tour. ``People just forgot about him and they forgot just how good he was."
They forgot . . .
# that from 1977-90, Simpson accumulated $2,827,468 in prize money.
# that he ranked sixth in money in 1989 and eighth in 1990.
# that he accumulated 24 top-10 finishes from 1988-90.
# that he led the Tour in greens in regulation in 1992.
# that early in 1991, Simpson was high up in the Ryder Cup standings and looking like a lock for the team that fall.
At least most people forgot, but not everybody, because after turning 50 May 6, Simpson made his Champions Tour debut at the Boeing Championship, and one of the first players he ran into was Lee Trevino. The ``Merry Mex" offered Simpson a warm embrace, then turned to his caddie and said, ``This is the greatest iron player I've ever seen."
