Preview & outright plays:
The final major on the Senior PGA Tour and it is only mid-July! Most players took last week off as they recuperated from the Salem CC and the course they will find this week is very different. This is a Jack Nicklaus-designed course so it is not too surprising that 15-under-par won this major last year or that in the two years beforehand, the winning score had been 21-under-par. Typically, the driving areas are generous and the challenge on a Nicklaus course comes with the approach shot. The greens are small, hard and fast. Some even have three or four levels. Nevertheless, scoring is low each, giving this the feel of a regular Tour event rather than a major.
As ever, Irwin has dominated this major with four top-4 finishes in the past five years, but his odds are much too short to be contemplated. Instead, it is left to the usual suspects ... Gil Morgan, Allen Doyle and Dana Quigley. Morgan's record in this event is almost as good as Irwin's. He won in 1998 and has never been out of the top-10. As this is a course that should suit the longer-hitters, that should be no surprise. He has finished in the top-5 in all but one of his last seven events, including two majors and really should have taken Fleisher to a playoff two weeks ago. With BetInternet offering 5 places this week, the safety net of the each-way play should make this a profitable play.
It was quite a surprise when for only the 2nd time in twelve events, Allen Doyle did not finish in the top-10 last week. The charge in front of his home crowd obviously took too much out of him, though I fully expect a return to type this week. Top-10 finishes in all the year's majors and 4th in the last two, Doyle looks a good proposition to secure another place finish with the top-5 and not the top-4 the benchmark this week. He has proved himself the most consistent golfer on Tour this season, maybe he can even secure his first win of the year this week.
The odds on Dana Quigley surprise me. He has finished no worse than 11th in his last four events, was in serious contention at the US Seniors Open until the final day, was a strong 3rd place last week and would have taken Ray Floyd to a playoff last year had he only parred the last hole. Yet he is available at 66/1! True, his nerve may stop him from winning this title, but he is a much better player than those odds give him credit. He is a player who rides on confidence and if he starts well, he should remain on contention all week.
Outright plays:
Gil Morgan to win 10/1 e.w. @?BetInternet [Surrey offer 12/1 @ 4 places]
Allen Doyle to win 16/1 e.w. @?BetInternet [Surrey offer 18/1 @ 4 places]
Dana Quigley to win 66/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
The final major on the Senior PGA Tour and it is only mid-July! Most players took last week off as they recuperated from the Salem CC and the course they will find this week is very different. This is a Jack Nicklaus-designed course so it is not too surprising that 15-under-par won this major last year or that in the two years beforehand, the winning score had been 21-under-par. Typically, the driving areas are generous and the challenge on a Nicklaus course comes with the approach shot. The greens are small, hard and fast. Some even have three or four levels. Nevertheless, scoring is low each, giving this the feel of a regular Tour event rather than a major.
As ever, Irwin has dominated this major with four top-4 finishes in the past five years, but his odds are much too short to be contemplated. Instead, it is left to the usual suspects ... Gil Morgan, Allen Doyle and Dana Quigley. Morgan's record in this event is almost as good as Irwin's. He won in 1998 and has never been out of the top-10. As this is a course that should suit the longer-hitters, that should be no surprise. He has finished in the top-5 in all but one of his last seven events, including two majors and really should have taken Fleisher to a playoff two weeks ago. With BetInternet offering 5 places this week, the safety net of the each-way play should make this a profitable play.
It was quite a surprise when for only the 2nd time in twelve events, Allen Doyle did not finish in the top-10 last week. The charge in front of his home crowd obviously took too much out of him, though I fully expect a return to type this week. Top-10 finishes in all the year's majors and 4th in the last two, Doyle looks a good proposition to secure another place finish with the top-5 and not the top-4 the benchmark this week. He has proved himself the most consistent golfer on Tour this season, maybe he can even secure his first win of the year this week.
The odds on Dana Quigley surprise me. He has finished no worse than 11th in his last four events, was in serious contention at the US Seniors Open until the final day, was a strong 3rd place last week and would have taken Ray Floyd to a playoff last year had he only parred the last hole. Yet he is available at 66/1! True, his nerve may stop him from winning this title, but he is a much better player than those odds give him credit. He is a player who rides on confidence and if he starts well, he should remain on contention all week.
Outright plays:
Gil Morgan to win 10/1 e.w. @?BetInternet [Surrey offer 12/1 @ 4 places]
Allen Doyle to win 16/1 e.w. @?BetInternet [Surrey offer 18/1 @ 4 places]
Dana Quigley to win 66/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
