Week 5 Power Rankings: AT&T Champions Classic

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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 5 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc. MORE POWER RANKINGS: PGA TOUR | Nationwide Tour

Denis Watson is the defending champion at this week's AT&T Champions Classic and he'll arrive at Valencia Country Club following a solid finish last week.

With rounds of 67-68-70 at Newport Beach Country Club, Watson tied for fourth at the Toshiba Classic.
It was easily his best finish of the season and makes him one of the favorites this week on the second leg of the mini-California swing.

Who are the other favorites in the 50-and-over field?

Here are this week's Power Rankings on the Champions Tour:

Power Rankings: AT&T Champions Classic

Rank Player   Comment Bernhard LANGER No need to move him off the top of the list. In four starts he has four top-10 finishes, including a victory and two third-place finishes before his T9 at the Toshiba Classic, where he was poised to challenge before a final round 73 knocked him out of contention. Eduardo ROMERO The victory in Newport Beach was the fourth in the last 10 starts for El Gato. He did it in style, making birdies on four of the last six holes on the back nine to win by a stroke over Mark O'Meara and Joey Sindelar. DENIS WATSON He came from seven strokes back in the final round of last year's AT&T Champions Classic to force a playoff with a 7-under-par 65. Watson won it on the third playoff hole when his 9-iron approach shot finished two feet from the cup for an easy birdie. Jeff SLUMAN Continues to keep himself in play in the power rankings. His T9 last week was his second in four starts, plus he was T11 at The ACE Group Classic. He keeps hitting greens (T6, 75.46 percent) and making putts -- he's ninth in putts per GIR at 1.730. Joey SINDELAR A career-best T2 last week enabled him to soar into the top 10 in several categories. He's getting better each week -- from T27 at Allianz to T7 at ACE Group and, finally, T2 on the strength of an 8-under 63 in the final round, his lowest on the Champions Tour.