ACE Group Classic

Course: The Club at TwinEagles, Naples, Florida
Yardage: 7134
Par: 72  (four par-fives)
USGA Rating: 75.5
Greens: Bermudagrass

Weather Forecast

Best Players Last 10 Years

Past Winners:
2001 - Gil Morgan
2000 - Lanny Wadkins
1999 - Allen Doyle
1998 - Gil Morgan
1997 - Hale Irwin
1996 - Al Geiberger
1995 - Bob Murphy
1994 - Mike Hill
1993 - Mike Hill
1992 - Jimmy Powell

Outright plays:

Tom Purtzer to win 10/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Impressive 7th place last week on his Senior debut. Playing on this Tour could easily re-ignite his enthusiasm for the game - making 3 of 16 cuts on the PGA Tour last year can be demoralizing - and on a course on which none of this week's field have experience (bar the Father/Son event), he will be at less of a disadvantage this week.

Doug Tewell to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Came very close last week to securing a top-5 position until two last bogeys, so will gladly retain him at 33/1 when so many are quoted at single figures.

Dana Quigley to win 66/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]
Like Tewell, Quigley looked destined for a top-5 finish until late bogeys wrecked his chances in last week's shortened event. Already 4th in the first event of the year and with a good record in this event (6th and 2nd in the last two years) albeit on a different course, he represents value at this price.

54-hole plays:

Tom Purtzer to beat Tom Watson -102 @ Five Dimes
Rare to see Watson compete in three straight Senior events. He's been impressive so far, but so has Purtzer and will back him again at this price.

Hale Irwin to beat Bruce Lietzke -102 @ Five Dimes
Both finished mid-table in the season-opening MasterCard Championship and missed last week's event, but Irwin was particularly impressive when setting a new earnings record in the Senior Skins two weeks ago. Maybe he's not too old yet and like the Purtzer play, will back him at this price.

Walter Hall to beat Dick Mast -105 @ Five Dimes
Can't understand why Mast is the favorite here. He has yet to record a top-5 on the Senior Tour and was 12th last week. Hall finished ahead of him in 7th place, was 5th in the MasterCard Championship, won the Canada Senior Open last year and has finished 7th, 2nd, 17th in this event, albeit on a different course, in the last three years.

Final update:

Matchups: 1-2-0; -1.07 units

Purtzer/Watson LOST by 7
Irwin/Lietzke WON by 8
Hall/Mast LOST by 3

Outrights: 1-2; -0.13 units

Purtzer 12th
Tewell 19th
Quigley 5th

Disappointing to have a losing event. Could have been quite different had Quigley not bogeyed the last. Instead of sole 5th place, he had to share with two others