Senior Tour Championship

The final event of the 2001 Senior PGA Tour season and what a profitable season it has been! Canizares, Quigley, Doyle and McCord have all been very successful selections this term and all tee it up this week in the Senior Tour Championship. Capping this final event is not made easy after the event was moved to the Gaillardia G&CC, but at least the event does good good coverage from the layers. The 30-man field play over four days on a course opened just three years ago, which is described as being open with a links-style feel.

In a market with at least five players with single-figure odds, the selections are those that are without: Allen Doyle, Gil Morgan and Gary McCord. Doyle ended his run of top-4 finishes last week, but with every round under par, there is little reason for concern. In fact his two victories this year have followed long runs of top-5 finishes which were ended by a finish outside the top-10. If history can repeat it this week ....  The odds of 12/1 seem very generous and large enough to warrant an each-way play.

The odds on Morgan winning again have steadily increased this autumn and have now reached a season-high in a limited field event. He may have finished 12th-14th-16th in his last three events, but no round was over par and he did finish 2nd in the event preceding that stretch. With just one event played in the past three weeks he has had the lightest schedule of any player, bar Tom Watson, is certainly still good enough to secure at least a place finish. His odds are more enticing than the single-figure ones available for so many of this week's contenders.

It is rather surprising that McCord has been afforded such high odds after his impressive run of form that almost culminated in victory last week. He has finished in the top-10 in six of his last seven events and in the top-15 in all of his last eight. With his one start in this event resulting in victory (1999), the only concern is that he may suffer from having led last week's event for so long before losing out to Larry Nelson.

Outright plays:

Allen Doyle to win 12/1 e.w. @ BetInternet or Stan James

Gil Morgan to win 20/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes

Gary McCord to win 28/1 e.w. @ BetInternet

Final update: 0-3 and -3.00 units

Disappointing way to end an enjoyable season. Doyle was never in the tournament and finished 22nd, but Morgan always was. In the top-3 virtually all week, Dr. Gil dropped to 5th and one spot out of a place win on a blustery Sunday. He finished two shots ahead of McCord who was always struggling to recover from a poor opening round.