Power Rankings: Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open

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Editor's note: Vartan Kupelian is the Champions Tour Insider and a PGATOUR.COM Contributor. Each week, Kupelian will size up the field and provide his top five players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc.

Jeff Sluman goes for a three-peat this week at the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Sluman overcame a 6-stroke deficit last year with a closing 4-under 68 which included a hole-in-one.

Sluman won his second straight First Tee Open by two shots over Gene Jones. Sluman's ace came on the 187-yard fifth hole. It helped him hold off runs by Mark O'Meara (T3) and Jones, both of whom got within a shot of the lead late in the final roun.

This week's Champions Tour Power Rankings for the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach:

Power Rankings: Home Care and Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach

Rank Player   Comment Fred COUPLES With Bernhard Langer and Nick Price taking the week off, Couples returns to the top of the Power Rankings following a late-charging third at the Boeing Classic. Jeff SLUMAN Why ignore history? He knows the secret to the First Tee Open and he's coming off a top 10 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, with a recent tie for sixth at the 3M Championship. Mark O'MEARA The Prince of Pebble Beach, he won five times on the famous Monterey Peninsula course on the PGA TOUR between 1985 and 1997. He was positioned to win the First Tee Open last year before finishing in a tie for third. Fred FUNK Fred was T8 last year at Pebble Beach, T4 in '08 and coming off a T8 last week so all systems are go for the JELD-WEN Tradition champion. That's three straight top-10 finishes in August. Tom LEHMAN Has proven he's a player to watch every time he tees it up on the Champions Tour. Lehman has a victory and nine top 12 finishes in 10 starts and he is No. 3 on the Charles Schwab Cup points list.