First Tee Open

[Stanley]

Outright plays (2pts):

Peter Jacobsen to win 10/1 e.w. @ SkyBet
A former winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (1995) and one who is famed for his ability to play well in the pro-am format, Jacobsen looks a very strong candidate to win this week. In his first Champions Tour event for four months after hip surgery, he opened with a 64; he won the next one, the U.S. Senior Open; and he led for much of the next one, the JELD-WEN Tradition last week and really should have won. He missed a 4-foot putt on the 16th hole on Sunday that would have given him the outright lead again and then hit his ball into the water hazard on the next hole to take a double-bogey - he finished two shots behind the winner, Craig Stadler. In this form and in this format, he really should be in the frame again on Sunday evening.

Tom Kite to win 18/1 e.w. @ SkyBet
Kite was also in the mix on Sunday evening, but he also struggled on the 17th hole it took him out of a share of the lead. But it still meant that he maintained his impressive run of form with top-4 finishes in each of his last five events, including a win at the 3M Championship. And like Jacobsen, he is also a former winner of the AT&T event at Pebble Beach (1983). On current form alone, he should be at much shorter odds.

Doug Tewell to win 40/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
The same goes for Doug Tewell. He extended his streak of par or better rounds to 14 on Sunday and he he birdied the two par-5s in the last three holes on Sunday, he would have taken Stadler to a playoff. He is not a former winner at Pebble Beach, but he is a player who plays very well in bursts and this is certainly one of those.

 

[Stanley]

Matchup plays (2pts unless stated):

Walter Hall to beat Ed Fiori -135 @ Five Dimes
Siding the player in better form: Hall has finished in the top-25 in each of his last seven starts; something that Fiori has only managed twice in his last seven. So no surprise that Hall has finished ahead of Fiori in each of their last four common events.

Jay Haas to beat Craig Stadler -133 @ Centrebet [4pts]
Stadler may top the Money List on this Tour, but there is still a huge gap between that achievement and playing in the Ryder Cup. Haas has finished ahead of Stadler in all four common events this year and this really shouldn't change this week.

Lonnie Nielsen to beat Pete Oakley -135 @ Five Dimes [4pts]
Nielsen has finished ahead of Oakley in four common events on American soil this year and should make it five this week. Oakley moved from the European Senior Tour to the Champions Tour following his win at the Senior British Open, but has broken 70 only once in fourteen rounds and has a best finish of 37th. Nielsen is the far better player.

 

[Stanley]

Outrights - FINAL RESULT: 1-2; -0.50pts

Jacobsen 9th
Kite 3rd
Tewell 9th

Three players in the top-10, but little chance of one of them catching Craig Stadler. At least one did finish in the places to almost break-even on these plays.

Matchups - FINAL RESULT: 2-1-0; +0.68pts

Hall/Fiori WON by 2
Haas/Stadler LOST by 3
Nielsen/Oakley WON by 7

Small profit on the matchup plays to bring all plays on the event into the black. Just failed with the Haas play - he finished 2nd, but it was not enough this week.