Outright plays (1pt):
Toru Taniguchi to win 14/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
The best player in this field. He may not have won since 2002 when he won four times on this Tour, but he has been getting back to his best form with runners-up finishes in two of his three starts. There is no-one who can compete in terms of course form either. Since 2000, his finishes here have been 1st, 2nd, 1st, 12th. Short odds, but justifiably so.
Hideki Kase to win 33/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Kase missed the cut in the last Tour event two weeks ago, but having just won his first event for eight years at the Suntory Open, he can certainly be excused a hangover. His form had been good heading into that event with finishes of 7th, 6th, 4th and 18th, so the free weekend at the Ana Open can be ignored, he is a prime candidate to be in contention this week and even better his 3rd place finish in 1999.
Toshimitsu Izawa to win 50/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Izawa's season has been severely hampered by a severe sinus infection that affected his performances in mid-season and forced him to take over two months out of the game to receive treatment. After such a break, he was always going to be rusty and made his reappearance in the penultimate Tour event in which he finished 22nd, but then he finished 6th in the last Tour event so he is clearly re-approaching the form that has made him one of Japan's leading players in world golf. He last played at Ishioka in 2001 when he shot 70 and under in every round, so with a good record on this course and a health that is returning to full fitness, he looks a decent shot at these odds.
Toru Taniguchi to win 14/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
The best player in this field. He may not have won since 2002 when he won four times on this Tour, but he has been getting back to his best form with runners-up finishes in two of his three starts. There is no-one who can compete in terms of course form either. Since 2000, his finishes here have been 1st, 2nd, 1st, 12th. Short odds, but justifiably so.
Hideki Kase to win 33/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Kase missed the cut in the last Tour event two weeks ago, but having just won his first event for eight years at the Suntory Open, he can certainly be excused a hangover. His form had been good heading into that event with finishes of 7th, 6th, 4th and 18th, so the free weekend at the Ana Open can be ignored, he is a prime candidate to be in contention this week and even better his 3rd place finish in 1999.
Toshimitsu Izawa to win 50/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Izawa's season has been severely hampered by a severe sinus infection that affected his performances in mid-season and forced him to take over two months out of the game to receive treatment. After such a break, he was always going to be rusty and made his reappearance in the penultimate Tour event in which he finished 22nd, but then he finished 6th in the last Tour event so he is clearly re-approaching the form that has made him one of Japan's leading players in world golf. He last played at Ishioka in 2001 when he shot 70 and under in every round, so with a good record on this course and a health that is returning to full fitness, he looks a decent shot at these odds.
