The Home Depot Invitational

Will have preview and further plays later, but once again Simon Bold are taking down their lines a day early! So ....

54-hole plays:

Jose Maria Canizares to beat Mike McCullough -111 @ Simon Bold

Gary McCord to beat Hubert Green -111 @ Simon Bold

Jim Thorpe to beat Lanny Wadkins -111 @ Simon Bold [3 units]

Bruce Summerhays to beat Dave Eichenberger -111 @ Simon Bold

This is Arnie's Senior event. He has served as the tournament host since the event arrived in Charlotte in 1980 and even designed the course. He tees it up this week, but it is 17 years since his best finish (2nd) in this event. Instead the main challenge comes from Bruce Fleisher who has won this event for the last two years. In truth, without Morgan, Irwin, Kite or Watson on view, he does not have too many challengers, though Larry Nelson is being priced as a joint favorite despite struggling last week.

It also means that there are rather too many short-priced players this week, especially at Surrey, and a place-only win will yield little profit. Nevertheless, there is still a familiar look to the week's selections: Allen Doyle, Jose Maria Canizares and Tom Jenkins. Doyle once again managed to accumulate without winning last week; he finished 3rd for yet another top-10. Needless to say, his course form is the same. He has finished 4th and 5th on his two appearances and has shot every round under par. With Nelson struggling and Fleisher carrying the weight of being double-champion, he should not have a better chance than this week.

Jose Maria Canizares finished 8th last week, but that was no failure. He led the event after day one with Hale Irwin and Irwin just wore him down with a great 2nd round. There is no Irwin this week and on his current form, he should be one of the favorites. He did finish 5th last year and will surely at least match that this time around.

The long-shot is Tom Jenkins. He did close well last week to finish 14th and recorded a top-10 finish on this course in 1999. He would have recorded another last year but for a final round 76. In a market with little value and where a place finish is more attainable than most weeks, the 66/1 on offer looks a decent shot and he completes the trio.

Outright plays:

Allen Doyle to win 14/1 e.w. @ BetSmart

Jose Maria Canizares to win 16/1 e.w. @ BetSmart or Simon Bold

Tom Jenkins to win 66/1 e.w. @ BetSmart or Simon Bold

The 54-hole matchups at Simon Bold have been extended to the correct day, but there are no more 54-hole plays. Instead there are two 1st round plays:

Gary McCord to beat Hubert Green -140 @ Five Dimes

Jim Thorpe to beat Lanny Wadkins -190 @ Five Dimes [2 units]

1st round update: 1-0-0 and +2.00 units

An easy win for Thorpe against Wadkins who is struggling with niggling injuries; Thorpe won by eight shots. For the other 1st round play, Green did not tee it up so the play was void. Thorpe also carries an eight-shot lead over Wadkins into the 2nd day for the 54-hole play and Summerhays also leads Eichelberger; the margin four shots. Canizares had a surprisingly poor back nine and trails McCullough by four in the other 54-hole play. In the outrights, Doyle is best-placed in 5th, while Jenkins is just one shot behind in 14th. Canizares lies a distant 72nd.

Five Dimes has lines out for the 2nd round, but there are no plays.

Final update: 2-2-0 and +2.78 units for the week

Just one of the 54-hole plays, but at least it was the 3-unit play! Thorpe finished thirteen shots ahead of Wadkins. Very surprised to lose the other matchups - always seems to happen when Simon Bold put out 'ridiculously bad' lines - as Canizares lost by three to McCullough and Summerhays lost by four to Eichelberger.

Update on outright plays: 0-3 and -3.00 units

First back-to-back blank on the Senior Tour this year   Doyle finished 6th, just one shot out of a place finish, while Jenkins never threatened to make ground on the leaders and shot 73 to fall to 17th. Canizares was a huge disappointment and finished back in 61st position.