Press Release

For Immediate Release March 15, 2016

First announcement of wagering odds for 2016 Western Golf Alliance Open

Oddsmakers establish Brian Gray as the favorite to become first-ever back-to-back champ

BOTHELL, Washington. With the details established for the 2016 Western Golf Alliance Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, the sports books have begun releasing odds for this summer's premier golf event. Keeping with tradition, the Boar's Head and Thistle Pub, Sportsbook and Cricket Club of London is the first sports book to post official odds, which establish defending champion Brian Gray as the pre-tournament favorite.

"While no one has ever won back-to-back Western Golf Alliance Opens, this year's contest sets up perfectly for Brian Gray," said Nigel Smythe, owner and manager of the Boar's Head and Thistle. "Gray won in Vegas in 2010, and he won in Palm Springs in 2006, and therefore has established himself as the dominant desert golfer in the western U.S."

"I play great in dry, fast conditions, and I scramble well from desert waste areas, so I fully expected to be a favorite this year," said Gray. "We play golf one shot at a time, and one round at a time, so I don't think there is any reason why I can't win back-to-back titles just because no one else has. The only thing that can stop me is if someone decides to validate my handicap," concluded Gray.

Smythe further clarified that this year's odds heavily favored California golfers due to the timing change of the WGA Open. "With the event being played in May, it is unlikely the golfers from Oregon, Washington, and Canada can play enough dry-weather golf to be ready for this event," explained Smythe. "And since the California guys refuse to drink any kind of real-man microbrew, those SoCal pansies won't be hung over either."

The full odds as posted by the Boar's Head and Thistle are as follows:

Brian Gray, 5-2

Mark Herms, 4-1

Steven D. Smith, 6-1

Bob McCoy, 8-1

Mike Nadon, 10-1

Peter McGarry, 12-1

Doug Atchison, 15-1

Doug Brunton, 20-1

David Duval, 22-1

Mark Taylor, 30-1

Peter Weidenfeld, 35-1

Trever Esko, 40-1

Rick Hall, 50-1

"Big" Al Torrico, 100-1

Rest of "The Field", 18-1

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About the Western Golf Alliance: The Western Golf Alliance is the premier golf organization in the United States. The WGA exists to further the greatness of this grand sport of golf through the improvement of golf play by its members, the promotion of golf rules, etiquette, and tradition, and the ability to gather together from time to time for golf events and tournaments. The regional organization spans five western states, and is organized into nine geographic regions. Further information is available at http://www.westerngolf.org/.

About the Boar's Head and Thistle: Further information is available at http://boarshead.homestead.com/.

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