Outright plays (total stake per play: 2pts)
Gil Morgan to win 14/1 e.w. @ BetInternet, William Hill and BetDirect
After coming so close in the Senior PGA Championship, Morgan won for the first time in two years at the Allianz Championship earlier this month. On that occasion, he beat a much stronger field than that assembled this week with only Haas and Morgan from the top-5 in the Tour's Scoring Average category playing this week. And there must be serious doubts about Haas' ability to win a fourth consecutive Champions Tour title. He finished 37th at Winged Foot last week and admitted to feeling very tired. It may be too much for a 52-year-old to overcome. So that should really leave Morgan to be the player to beat and he is available at odds that are four points higher than I expected.
David Edwards to win 16/1 e.w. @ BetDirect
Edwards ranks 6th in Scoring Average on the Tour, which is hardly surprising as in his five Champions Tour events to date, he has yet to finish outside the top-15. His scoring has been built upon accuracy - he ranks 1st in driving accuracy and 2nd in greens in regulation on Tour - and that should be particularly important around this short, par-70 course. And with this being such a weakened field, this should represent a good opportunity for his maiden win.
Bobby Wadkins to win 66/1 e.w. @ Paddy Power
Not as consistent a player as the other two selections, but he has certainly been consistent in this event: he has finished in the top-15 in each of his five appearances. He even won this event around the Meadow Brook course in 2001 when making his Champions Tour debut, just ten days after his 50th birthday. The venue changed in 2003, but he has still continued to play well in this event and could have easily won in 2004. He has tied for the lead with Jim Thorpe with one hole to play; they both missed the green short-right and chipped to 20 feet, but it was Thorpe who holed the putt to win. It was a similar story in March this year when he held the lead for the Toshiba Senior Classic, but Bart Bryant holed a good putt on the last hole to deny him a playoff. However last month, he was a wire-to-wire winner of the Boeing Championship to prove that, even though he may not be the most consistent player on Tour, he is capable of winning on this Tour. In this event, his chances of winning appear to be greater than at any other time.
