This event is more likely to throw up some value priced players - first one for me is Tom Byrum - in the top 20 in last 2 events, 7th here last year and generally a good desert player - 125/1 Sporting Odds
Reno-Tahoe Open
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
Preview & outright plays:
The week after the final major of the year, Ryder Cup qualification has finished and the top players are playing at Akron, Ohio. What reason is there for playing this week? Oh yes, keeping that Tour card. With a field only marginally better than the BC Open, this week's players have exemption on their mind. Winning this event generates a two-year exemption, a decent finish and Q-school might be avoided. Why else would players make the enormously long trips from Colorado to Minnesota to Atlanta to Nevada!
The playing conditions that they will face will be familiar to those at the International at the start of that long loop. The Montreux course is over 7,500 yards long but will play as one of the shorter courses on Tour due to the high altitude (nearly 6,000 feet). As with Castle Pines also, the course winds through tall pines and mountain streams. Accuracy off the tee and a good short game will be more important this week. The final comparison ... both courses were designed by Jack Nicklaus. Unfortunately, only four of the top-10 and one of the top-5 from Castle Pines is in this week's field.
The selections this week are Justin Leonard, Steve Flesch and Billy Andrade. Leonard's swing changes appear to be finally providing some consistency. Ignoring the British Open, his last four PGA Tour events have yielded finishes of 20th, 20th, 10th and 10th. All of those have been against much stronger fields than on offer this week. This is his first visit to Montreux, but he is a different class to much of this week's field.
The second selection, Steve Flesch, is also in fine form. Again ignoring the British Open, his last four events have yielded finishes of 7th, 18th, 35th and 13th. He also finished 7th in this event last year and has an excellent record at Castle Pines as well. Although not renowned for his nerve when in contention, he does look too good a player for his odds this week.
The final selection, Billy Andrade, does not have a very good record in this event or the International. In fact, his record in these events is very poor. However, recent swing changes have yielded a dramatic reversal of form. After missing four cuts in five events, Andrade has finished 3rd, 2nd, mc, 13th, 38th, and 5th since the Buick Classic. Whatever the course, a return to the form that has brought him four Tour victories, including the Invensys Classic in Nevada last year, makes him an appealing play at the available odds.
Outright plays:
Justin Leonard to win 16/1 e.w. @ Victor Chandler
Steve Flesch to win 28/1 e.w. @ Victor Chandler
Billy Andrade to win 36/1 e.w. @ Olympic
Looked at those two closely myself, DTB. Just couldn't find any evidence of high finishes at altitude for Sutherland and this will be Tway's 5th consecutive week of Tour golf and having started at the Western Open, that's an awful lot of miles!
The week after the final major of the year, Ryder Cup qualification has finished and the top players are playing at Akron, Ohio. What reason is there for playing this week? Oh yes, keeping that Tour card. With a field only marginally better than the BC Open, this week's players have exemption on their mind. Winning this event generates a two-year exemption, a decent finish and Q-school might be avoided. Why else would players make the enormously long trips from Colorado to Minnesota to Atlanta to Nevada!
The playing conditions that they will face will be familiar to those at the International at the start of that long loop. The Montreux course is over 7,500 yards long but will play as one of the shorter courses on Tour due to the high altitude (nearly 6,000 feet). As with Castle Pines also, the course winds through tall pines and mountain streams. Accuracy off the tee and a good short game will be more important this week. The final comparison ... both courses were designed by Jack Nicklaus. Unfortunately, only four of the top-10 and one of the top-5 from Castle Pines is in this week's field.
The selections this week are Justin Leonard, Steve Flesch and Billy Andrade. Leonard's swing changes appear to be finally providing some consistency. Ignoring the British Open, his last four PGA Tour events have yielded finishes of 20th, 20th, 10th and 10th. All of those have been against much stronger fields than on offer this week. This is his first visit to Montreux, but he is a different class to much of this week's field.
The second selection, Steve Flesch, is also in fine form. Again ignoring the British Open, his last four events have yielded finishes of 7th, 18th, 35th and 13th. He also finished 7th in this event last year and has an excellent record at Castle Pines as well. Although not renowned for his nerve when in contention, he does look too good a player for his odds this week.
The final selection, Billy Andrade, does not have a very good record in this event or the International. In fact, his record in these events is very poor. However, recent swing changes have yielded a dramatic reversal of form. After missing four cuts in five events, Andrade has finished 3rd, 2nd, mc, 13th, 38th, and 5th since the Buick Classic. Whatever the course, a return to the form that has brought him four Tour victories, including the Invensys Classic in Nevada last year, makes him an appealing play at the available odds.
Outright plays:
Justin Leonard to win 16/1 e.w. @ Victor Chandler
Steve Flesch to win 28/1 e.w. @ Victor Chandler
Billy Andrade to win 36/1 e.w. @ Olympic
Looked at those two closely myself, DTB. Just couldn't find any evidence of high finishes at altitude for Sutherland and this will be Tway's 5th consecutive week of Tour golf and having started at the Western Open, that's an awful lot of miles!
WOW, that's a big price compared to elsewhere. Combining that with a 'show' bet @ 3/1 with Olympic would be a way of making it a decent play
Outrights to place only 1/2 unit @ Oly
Tway 10/1 and Andrade 9/1
In agreement Stan that course form is a premium on these high altitude courses.
Some players just can't guage the yardage.
Sutherland not an option @ Oly so will go with Tway to get a piece and liking Stans choice of Andrade.
Tway 10/1 and Andrade 9/1
In agreement Stan that course form is a premium on these high altitude courses.
Some players just can't guage the yardage.
Sutherland not an option @ Oly so will go with Tway to get a piece and liking Stans choice of Andrade.
Lots of withdrawals as expected:
Stephen Ames
Briny Baird
Harrison Frazar
Kevin Johnson
Jeff Julian
Grant Waite
One noteworthy addition to the field:
Brett Quigley
Stephen Ames
Briny Baird
Harrison Frazar
Kevin Johnson
Jeff Julian
Grant Waite
One noteworthy addition to the field:
Brett Quigley
Stan Noticed the Langer/Lehman matchup has been taken down most places. Any scoop on which one if any is out?
Lehman pulled out at the weekend, before the Ryder Cup team was announced.
His wife Melissa had a still-born child last month and he is still said to be suffering from it
No surprise he was left out of the Ryder Cup team. I am surprised he has played so much this past month though.
His wife Melissa had a still-born child last month and he is still said to be suffering from it
No surprise he was left out of the Ryder Cup team. I am surprised he has played so much this past month though.
72-hole plays:
Craig Barlow to beat Steve Allan -125 @ Camelot
Not a pretty matchup even for this field. Allan has really struggled since sparkling at Q-school, he has a best of 19th place this season and many more cuts missed than made. Barlow has had least secured a number of top-20 places and has experience of playing at altitude. Allan has played just once, at Castle Pines where he missed the cut by quite a distance
Russ Cochran to beat Paul Gow -115 @ Camelot
Cochran has been playing some very consistent golf of late. He has made the cut in his last eight events, including 8th at the Buick Classic and has plenty of experience of altitude golf. He even finished 9th here two years ago. For Gow, last week's rest was much needed. He had played in all of the previous eight weeks and the effect on his game was obvious. His last four finishes read 2nd, 10th, 37th, 57th. A week's rest may not be enough and nor will just one week's experience of altitude golf at this year's International
Brian Henninger to beat Tommy Tolles -120 @ Camelot
Tolles is another grinder. He also played the previous eight weeks before last week's enforced rest. It brought him little reward with six missed cuts, a 29th and a 59th place finish in that spell. With two missed cuts on this course already, he looks one to oppose. Henninger's form has not been much better, but he has made two cuts from his last three and did finish 4th here last year
Corey Pavin to beat Geoff Ogilvy -110 @ Camelot
Since finishing 2nd at the Honda Classic, Ogilvy has really struggled, missing 9 of the 13 cuts since. He spent last month on the European Tour but it made little difference. With no experience at all of altitude golf, he is one to oppose. Pavin's accuracy off the tee will also be much more appropriate around this course
Craig Barlow to beat Steve Allan -125 @ Camelot
Not a pretty matchup even for this field. Allan has really struggled since sparkling at Q-school, he has a best of 19th place this season and many more cuts missed than made. Barlow has had least secured a number of top-20 places and has experience of playing at altitude. Allan has played just once, at Castle Pines where he missed the cut by quite a distance
Russ Cochran to beat Paul Gow -115 @ Camelot
Cochran has been playing some very consistent golf of late. He has made the cut in his last eight events, including 8th at the Buick Classic and has plenty of experience of altitude golf. He even finished 9th here two years ago. For Gow, last week's rest was much needed. He had played in all of the previous eight weeks and the effect on his game was obvious. His last four finishes read 2nd, 10th, 37th, 57th. A week's rest may not be enough and nor will just one week's experience of altitude golf at this year's International
Brian Henninger to beat Tommy Tolles -120 @ Camelot
Tolles is another grinder. He also played the previous eight weeks before last week's enforced rest. It brought him little reward with six missed cuts, a 29th and a 59th place finish in that spell. With two missed cuts on this course already, he looks one to oppose. Henninger's form has not been much better, but he has made two cuts from his last three and did finish 4th here last year
Corey Pavin to beat Geoff Ogilvy -110 @ Camelot
Since finishing 2nd at the Honda Classic, Ogilvy has really struggled, missing 9 of the 13 cuts since. He spent last month on the European Tour but it made little difference. With no experience at all of altitude golf, he is one to oppose. Pavin's accuracy off the tee will also be much more appropriate around this course
72 holes @ Camelot
Beem -110 over Willis
While Willis has $600,000+ in winnings $544,000 came in 1st event of year on win. Has saw weekend only once in last 12 starts. Will go with Beem who is not too steller either but did finish 17th here last year.
Beem -110 over Willis
While Willis has $600,000+ in winnings $544,000 came in 1st event of year on win. Has saw weekend only once in last 12 starts. Will go with Beem who is not too steller either but did finish 17th here last year.
This one's obvious....Scott McCarron.... long hitter from Montreux Nevada... winner this year... 32.00 at GCS
Thanks Stan. Sportstab actually had 3 of those 'suspended' the other day, so they are on top of things I guess.
