Outright plays (total stake per play: 2pts)
Gil Morgan to win 12/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and BetFred
Roberts and Haas may head the betting at 6/1, but Gil Morgan deserves to be a very close third. In his last three events, he has finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd and on both occasions that he finished 3rd, he had very good chances for victory. And in last year's rain-shortened event, he finished level with Dana Quigley and Tom Watson, but lost out to Quigley in the playoff. At these odds, he represents value.
Brad Bryant to win 18/1 e.w. @ BetDirect
And a rather large price on a player who ranks ahead of Morgan in the Money List and Charles Schwab Cup Points List courtesy of two Tour wins in his last six events. In that period, Dr. Dirt has finished no worse than 11th and gained his 2nd runners-up finish of the year in the Senior PGA Championship. He deserved to win the Champions Tour Player of the Month award for May. And while he finished 22nd in this event last year, it was his best finish in a five-event stretch and he is playing so much better this year.
R.W. Eaks to win 100/1 e.w. @ Bet365 and Paddy Power
Eaks has been withdrawing from a lot of events in the last couple of months because of a back injury, but the extra rest enabled with the cancellation of the Bank of America Championship has given his back proper time to heal and that was evident when finishing 23rd last week in his first full 54-hole event since April 2nd. And there is a lot to cheer from that finish: this is a player who is one of the longest hitters on Tour and ranks 1st in the Tour's par-5 scoring category, but last week's course measured less than 7,000 yards, was a par-70 and contained only two par-5s. But this week's Jack Nicklaus-designed course is another thing altogether. It will play very long at 7,251 yards, has open fairways in true Nicklaus-style and has four par-5s. So really it should be no surprise that he was the first round leader last year (with Gil Morgan) before the weather intervened, cancelling out any play on Saturday and delaying play three times on Sunday. While Morgan and Quigley completed their rounds early on Sunday, Eaks had a late time that day and had to play in the worst of the weather and greater interruptions, eventually having to return on the Monday to complete his second and final round. No wonder that he failed to hold onto first place in those circumstances. But now that he is back to fitness, he can resume his season which already includes a runners-up finish and a 6th place finish in his last event before his back problems. And given the suitability of this course, 100/1 is more than fair!
Gil Morgan to win 12/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and BetFred
Roberts and Haas may head the betting at 6/1, but Gil Morgan deserves to be a very close third. In his last three events, he has finished 3rd, 1st and 3rd and on both occasions that he finished 3rd, he had very good chances for victory. And in last year's rain-shortened event, he finished level with Dana Quigley and Tom Watson, but lost out to Quigley in the playoff. At these odds, he represents value.
Brad Bryant to win 18/1 e.w. @ BetDirect
And a rather large price on a player who ranks ahead of Morgan in the Money List and Charles Schwab Cup Points List courtesy of two Tour wins in his last six events. In that period, Dr. Dirt has finished no worse than 11th and gained his 2nd runners-up finish of the year in the Senior PGA Championship. He deserved to win the Champions Tour Player of the Month award for May. And while he finished 22nd in this event last year, it was his best finish in a five-event stretch and he is playing so much better this year.
R.W. Eaks to win 100/1 e.w. @ Bet365 and Paddy Power
Eaks has been withdrawing from a lot of events in the last couple of months because of a back injury, but the extra rest enabled with the cancellation of the Bank of America Championship has given his back proper time to heal and that was evident when finishing 23rd last week in his first full 54-hole event since April 2nd. And there is a lot to cheer from that finish: this is a player who is one of the longest hitters on Tour and ranks 1st in the Tour's par-5 scoring category, but last week's course measured less than 7,000 yards, was a par-70 and contained only two par-5s. But this week's Jack Nicklaus-designed course is another thing altogether. It will play very long at 7,251 yards, has open fairways in true Nicklaus-style and has four par-5s. So really it should be no surprise that he was the first round leader last year (with Gil Morgan) before the weather intervened, cancelling out any play on Saturday and delaying play three times on Sunday. While Morgan and Quigley completed their rounds early on Sunday, Eaks had a late time that day and had to play in the worst of the weather and greater interruptions, eventually having to return on the Monday to complete his second and final round. No wonder that he failed to hold onto first place in those circumstances. But now that he is back to fitness, he can resume his season which already includes a runners-up finish and a 6th place finish in his last event before his back problems. And given the suitability of this course, 100/1 is more than fair!
