Two years ago this event played host to half of a famous double-act: Bob Duval won his maiden Senior Tour title while David Duval was winning the TPC. It was the first and only time that father and son have won tour events on the same day. They won't repeat it this year! Hale Irwin does not return this week, it really does look like a minor schedule he has set himself this year, but the rest of the names are here and that ensures a lot of single figure odds!
The setting is a Scottish links-style course: there are no trees, but there are pot bunkers. In fact the imitation goes so far the 3rd hole which was modeled on the "Postage Stamp" at Royal Troon. Like all links courses, wind is its main defense and when it is without it can be easily embarrassed. Aoki shot 60 here in 1997 and Duval shot 61 in 1999, so with the forecast for calm conditions it could be a low-scoring week.
With little value in single-odd players in any Tour event, this week's outright picks have another sense of deja-vu about them. They are Allen Doyle, Jose Maria Canizares and Dana Quigley. Doyle returned back to his top-six ways last week with a 2nd place finish behind Irwin, though he did share the lead at one stage. He did finish 6th here last year in the bad weather and that should be a minimum mark given his game at the moment. The course is a short par-70, so his lack of length off the tee will not be an issue and his excellent, if, like the rest of his game, unusual, putting will come to the fore on these large, undulating "Scottish" greens.
Canizares' record of 37th and 17th on this course may not look too impressive, but he was only three shots out of a 4th place finish last year and that was despite shooting 75 in the first round, so it is not that he cannot play on this course. He did finish 25th last week and as this is his 8th consecutive tournament - not that uncommon on the Senior PGA Tour - he may well repeat last week's performance if he does not get a fast start. But if he does, then he has shown on many occasions this year that he can compete with the best and win.
That it is his 8th straight week of competitive golf will not concern Quigley other than he had to take a break two months ago! He followed Canizares last week in not overcoming a bad start, but this week he returns to the scene of a former victory. He won this title by sinking a huge putt on the last hole two years and has played well here since, finishing 6th last year. He should be able to raise his game for this event and get back to the leaderboard positions he was occupying last month.
Outright plays:
Allen Doyle to win 14/1 e.w. @ BetSmart
Jose Maria Canizares to win 25/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Dana Quigley to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
The setting is a Scottish links-style course: there are no trees, but there are pot bunkers. In fact the imitation goes so far the 3rd hole which was modeled on the "Postage Stamp" at Royal Troon. Like all links courses, wind is its main defense and when it is without it can be easily embarrassed. Aoki shot 60 here in 1997 and Duval shot 61 in 1999, so with the forecast for calm conditions it could be a low-scoring week.
With little value in single-odd players in any Tour event, this week's outright picks have another sense of deja-vu about them. They are Allen Doyle, Jose Maria Canizares and Dana Quigley. Doyle returned back to his top-six ways last week with a 2nd place finish behind Irwin, though he did share the lead at one stage. He did finish 6th here last year in the bad weather and that should be a minimum mark given his game at the moment. The course is a short par-70, so his lack of length off the tee will not be an issue and his excellent, if, like the rest of his game, unusual, putting will come to the fore on these large, undulating "Scottish" greens.
Canizares' record of 37th and 17th on this course may not look too impressive, but he was only three shots out of a 4th place finish last year and that was despite shooting 75 in the first round, so it is not that he cannot play on this course. He did finish 25th last week and as this is his 8th consecutive tournament - not that uncommon on the Senior PGA Tour - he may well repeat last week's performance if he does not get a fast start. But if he does, then he has shown on many occasions this year that he can compete with the best and win.
That it is his 8th straight week of competitive golf will not concern Quigley other than he had to take a break two months ago! He followed Canizares last week in not overcoming a bad start, but this week he returns to the scene of a former victory. He won this title by sinking a huge putt on the last hole two years and has played well here since, finishing 6th last year. He should be able to raise his game for this event and get back to the leaderboard positions he was occupying last month.
Outright plays:
Allen Doyle to win 14/1 e.w. @ BetSmart
Jose Maria Canizares to win 25/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Dana Quigley to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
