Euro Optimism

Senior Spread

Another year on, another year older and for many of us the Champions Tour has an increasing level of interest. The performances aren't half bad either, with Bernhard Langer setting an extraordinarily high standard over the past three years.
One of the best features of this tour is that with every new season, familiar faces from the regular tour pass their fiftieth birthday and become Champions Tour ‘rookies’. Many of us felt old Father Time knocking us hard when we saw Freddie Couples stroll languidly into the picture in 2010 – and he did not disappoint his fans, winning four times and finishing second in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings. If he stays fits, Freddie and his funky golf sneakers will surely be pushing Langer again this year.

But the best value bet in golf – on any tour – falls on the broad shoulders of Kentuckian Kenny Perry. Perry turned 50 late last year and has played just twice amongst his age group – but this huntin’, shootin’, fishin’ nut is bound to make a big impact with a full calendar year in his crosshairs. Kenny is not going out there to sit on a porch-swing and banter with his old pals either. When asked what message the Champions Tour’s new youngest player wanted to send to his peers, Perry gave a typically feisty response: “Tell ‘em there’s gonna be a new sheriff in town. The players who are now out on the Champions Tour wore me out during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Payback is tough and I’m coming for them”.

Followers of this column over the years will know that I like Kenny’s chances as a ‘sleeper’ punt every time he tees it up and he has not often disappointed. If he can take his current form (16/20 cuts made on the PGA Tour last year) and that fighting talk into the three-day format, he should contend every single week. For this reason, the bet of the year is the 12/1 currently on offer for Kenny to win the Champions Tour Money List. If you consider (with the quarter odds offered each way) you can therefore get 3/1 on him joining Langer and Couples in any of the top three spots – I would heavily overweight your staking on Perry to take the Champions Tour by storm. - A.A.