SBC Championship

This is the 16th year that the SBC Championship has been held at The Dominion CC - only Nashawtuc CC (FleetBoston Classic) has hosted a Senior PGA Tour  for longer - and it is one of the oldest events on Tour. It had traditionally been held in March, but was moved to June in 1999 and the field improved as a result. This year it is the penultimate event and the strong field remains. Widely known for its clubhouse, this is a testing tree-lined course who key feature is very fast greens which slope from front to back. With wind a feature in San Antonio, this course could embarrass many a Senior Tour pro were it not for its short length.

The three selections this week are Allen Doyle, Gary McCord and Ray Floyd. Once again Doyle is retained as a selection and at the end of a season in which he leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings and has had four consecutive top-4 finishes in the last four weeks, there is every reason to expect him to gain another top-5 finish this week. The only concern is that he has played this course once, finishing 35th, but if that is the reason for Stan James offering twice the odds on him than is found elsewhere then it is a welcome worry.

McCord has also become a regular selection following his current run of form. Last week's 15th place finish was his worst event since the US Senior Open, but with him improving in every round there is little cause for concern. He has become one of the most consistent players on Tour and with indifferent form on this course in the past, the side-effect of inflated odds is once again welcomed.

The final selection is a first-timer, but Floyd's closing 64 to finish 2nd last week cannot be ignored. It was his second runners-up spot of the year from a very light schedule and he can be sure to be fiercely competitive whenever he plays. Once again the odds are inflated at Stan James, but it cannot be for his course form this time. In seven starts on this course he has finished outside the top-10 just once. With that liking for this course and coming off that closing round, he warrants a much lower price than 50/1.

Outright plays:

Allen Doyle to win 16/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]

Gary McCord to win 40/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]

Ray Floyd to win 50/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]

54-hole plays:

Hale Irwin to beat Bruce Lietzke -115 @ Five Dimes
Irwin had had a disappointing summer and looked to going through the motions as the time since his last win increased. All that changed with his victory in Hawaii two weeks ago and with all but one of his last eight rounds in the 60s, but looks be finishing the season in his more customary vein of form. Lietzke has made quite an impact since joining the Tour, but he has a long way to go before he reaches Irwin's dominance of this Tour

Gil Morgan to beat Don Pooley -110 @ Five Dimes
Opposing another 2001 debutant. Pooley looks to be a contender rather than a winner on this Tour so far and could very easily finish behind Morgan who has an excellent record on this course - both times he has finished within two shots of the lead

Final update: 1-1-0 and -0.15 units

Split the plays, but only just. Lietzke needed to birdie the last and defeat Irwin by a shot, but at least Morgan had an easy thirteen shot victory over Pooley.

Update on outright plays: 2-1 and +3.83 units

McCord led after Friday and Saturday's play, but not when it mattered on Sunday   He finished 2nd behind Nelson. Floyd faltered over the last few holes, but did just enough to finish in a tie for 5th with two others for a small profit, while Doyle finished 11th.