Charles Schwab Cup Championship

[Stanley]

Outright plays (2pts):

Craig Stadler to win 5/1 @ SkyBet and GolfingGods
For all his dominance of this Tour - 1st in Money Leaders, Scoring Average, All-Around Ranking, Ball Striking, Par Breakers, Ford SPC Pts, and more - he is 2nd in the Charles Schwab Cup Points List to Hale Irwin - 3,133pts to 3,172pts. He has won five times, but victory in this event will guarantee him victory in the Charles Schwab Cup Points List and make his dominance of 2004 complete. He won three straight events in August-September and a repeat of last year's 9th place finish will be a poor showing this year. He has the incentive as well as the ability to cap this year in style.

Tom Kite to win 12/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
This has been an excellent season for Kite. His current 3rd place position in the Money List represents his best-ever season on the Champions Tour and he could feasibly still catch 2nd place Hale Irwin if he won this week. He did finish 3rd here last year and he did win three consecutive events in California in 2001-02, so he should be expected to at least be in contention for another place finish this week.

Wayne Levi to win 25/1 e.w. @ Stan James and BetInternet
Levi recovered well from a poor opening round to finish 12th last week and having finished 8th, 1st and 3rd in the previous three weeks, he is clearly a player in form. Tiredness should not be a factor as this is the final event of the season and while he has virtually secured his first-ever finish in the top-10 of the Money List on this Tour, a win this week should lift him into the top-5. He shot every round under-par last year, so there is no reason why he shouldn't contend this week as well.

 

[Stanley]

Matchup plays (2pts):

Andy Bean to beat Ed Fiori -114 @ Expekt
Fiori is easily the weakest player in this event. He has not secured a top-10 finish since April and this matchup against Bean, he has finished ahead of him only once in their last ten common events. Without even any course experience, Fiori should struggle this week.

Graham Marsh to beat Ed Fiori +100 @ Five Dimes
Also opposing him with a weaker opponent in Graham Marsh, but at least Marsh does have experience of playing around Sonoma last year when he finished 13th. He has finished ahead of Fiori in four of their last six common events and should not be the underdog this matchup.

Gil Morgan to beat Bruce Fleisher -114 @ Expekt
Siding with a player who hasn't finished outside top-25 in any event since the first week of May - Fleisher has done so eight times in the same period - and holds a 13-8-3 h2h lead over his opponent. It also helps that Morgan finished ahead of Fleisher last year at Sonoma and shot 62 last Saturday.
(also available at Five Dimes)

 

[Stanley]

Outrights - FINAL RESULT: 1-2; -2.00pts

Stadler 7th
Kite 2nd
Levi 20th

Why did this have to be a 54-hole event. Kite was the sole leader after each of the first three rounds and then did his utmost to throw away this event, going out in 40 in the final round. He did finally wake up with an eagle and two birdies in four holes from the 13th, but he'd left himself too much to do and he finished one shot shy of McNulty. Not exactly a high note on which to end the season!

Matchups - FINAL RESULT: 1-1-1; -0.42pts

Bean/Fiori LOST by 1
Marsh/Fiori WON by 7
Morgan/Fleisher TIED (Dead heat)

Opposed Fiori who came 27th of the 29 who finished the event, so rather surprised to lose one of the matchups against him. Caps a loss-making season on matchups on this Tour so just as well the outrights have been so profitable.

Champions Tour ytd
Outrights: 18-67; +98.42pts
Matchups: 60-54; -11.02pts