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For the second week running, the PGA Tour breaks new ground with a new event on a new course. That makes it a tough assignment for punters although the venue, TPC Twin Cities, has been a regular stop on the Champions Tour so that gives us a few clues. The standout feature of those tournaments was the low winning score, the last five reading -21, -20, -19, -18 and -23. And as that was the Champions Tour, those totals were achieved over just three rounds. Organisers have said this is basically going to be a birdie-fest so we could be in for something similar to last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic which was won with 25-under by Nate Lashley. Lashley was six clear but the top 10 all shot 17-under or better. TPC Twin Cities is an Arnold Palmer design and, similar to his other courses, it offers wide fairways and awards an attacking approach. Angles to consider 1/ Birdie Average Go low or go home. During his three wins at the course, Kenny Perry shot a 60, a 61 and a 63. It should play a bit tougher for the regular PGA Tour guys but the birdie count will have to keep ticking over. 2/ Putting Average Looking back at the last five Champions Tour tournaments at TPC Twin Cities shows that the winners (Kenny Perry x 3, Paul Goydos and Joe Durant) all ranked in the top four for Putting Average the year they won. The bentgrass greens putt beautifully so those with a cold blade need not apply. 3/ Scrambling While Perry hardly missed a green in 2015, thus making his scrambling stats a little irrelevant, in four of the last five years the winner ranked in the top six for Scrambling. Getting up and down regularly is part of the recipe for success at this venue. Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Danny Lee Over the last 8 weeks, Lee ranks second in the field for Putting Average (Hideki Matsuyama is top). Lee has finished tied 21st in the Rocket Mortgage Classic and tied 20th in the Canadian Open in two of his last three starts, opening those events with rounds of 66 and 65 respectively. He’s also a healthy 47th in Birdie Average, making 21 (plus an eagle) last week. Rory Sabbatini Again, referring to the 8-week stats and Sabbatini ranks in the top 10 for both Putting Average and Scrambling in those two categories. He’s the only player in the field who can boast that. Those strong numbers have fuelled some excellent finishes and since early May he’s racked up three top sixes in his last five starts. Add in his 29th place for Birdie Average this season and he looks to have an ideal profile. Kevin Na Na shot a 62 on the way to victory in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial at the end of May and he recently returned to the land of his birth to take sixth in the Korea Open. He ranked 1st for Putting Average in Asia and 5th for PA in Texas. Na is 20th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green this season so his work on and around the putting surfaces should guide him to another good finish. Tips: 0-3; -6.00pts 1pt e.w. Danny Lee at 80/1 (Boylesports 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) mc 1pt e.w. Rory Sabbatini at 28/1 (Boylesports 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) mc 1pt e.w. Kevin Na at 40/1 (Betfair, Paddy Power 1/4 1-2-3-4-5-6-7) wd
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