Preview & outright plays:
Quite the worst field of the year so far on the LPGA Tour. Sorenstam and Webb have not played in this event since 1998, yet Sorenstam's record in it reads 1st, 1st, 2nd via playoff, Pak has not played since 1999, Kane had played every year until this one, Pepper played last year and hasn't come back. And so the list goes on. Some honor for Betsy King! Just four of the top-15 on the money list are present at Berkleigh this week: Mi Hyun Kim (7th), Catriona Matthew (10th), Rachel Teske (12th) and Michele Redman (14th).
The players that do make the trip face a tight course that has a creek flowing through it which comes into play on six holes. The fairways are extremely narrow and the greens very fast. A demanding test of golf and with three par-fives in the last six holes, it sets up for a dramatic finish. Should be exciting, open event, but how many of this year's field will return next year?
The selections for this event are Meg Mallon, Michele Redman and Kelli Kuehne. Mallon has an excellent record on this course. She was runner-up to Redman last year and finished 4th in 1998. With her excellent form on the LPGA Tour continuing - she made it six consecutive top-20 finishes last week, ignoring the British Open - she looks to have as good a chance as market leader, Mi Hyun Kim this week and at double the odds.
Redman is the defending champion and were this a stronger field, she may be one to be avoided. But it is not and she is a class player in this field. As with Mallon, form in the British Open can be ignored, leaving her with a previous finish of 15th on Tour at the Giant Eagle Classic and before that, three top-10 finishes in four events. That form should be too much for 90% of this field and she should make a good defense of her title.
One who gets a selection this week, and probably no other, is Kelli Kuehne. She was actually opposed in one of the matchups last week and it ended a heavy loss! She has finished in the top-10 in each of the last three weeks and these were against strong fields, including the final major of the year, the Women's British Open. Finishes of 20th and 23rd on this course are no reason for concern and in the form that she currently enjoys, she should play a great deal better than Stan James predict.
Outright plays:
Meg Mallon to win 14/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes [5 places option]
Michele Redman to win 16/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes [5 places option]
Kelli Kuehne to win 50/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]
Quite the worst field of the year so far on the LPGA Tour. Sorenstam and Webb have not played in this event since 1998, yet Sorenstam's record in it reads 1st, 1st, 2nd via playoff, Pak has not played since 1999, Kane had played every year until this one, Pepper played last year and hasn't come back. And so the list goes on. Some honor for Betsy King! Just four of the top-15 on the money list are present at Berkleigh this week: Mi Hyun Kim (7th), Catriona Matthew (10th), Rachel Teske (12th) and Michele Redman (14th).
The players that do make the trip face a tight course that has a creek flowing through it which comes into play on six holes. The fairways are extremely narrow and the greens very fast. A demanding test of golf and with three par-fives in the last six holes, it sets up for a dramatic finish. Should be exciting, open event, but how many of this year's field will return next year?
The selections for this event are Meg Mallon, Michele Redman and Kelli Kuehne. Mallon has an excellent record on this course. She was runner-up to Redman last year and finished 4th in 1998. With her excellent form on the LPGA Tour continuing - she made it six consecutive top-20 finishes last week, ignoring the British Open - she looks to have as good a chance as market leader, Mi Hyun Kim this week and at double the odds.
Redman is the defending champion and were this a stronger field, she may be one to be avoided. But it is not and she is a class player in this field. As with Mallon, form in the British Open can be ignored, leaving her with a previous finish of 15th on Tour at the Giant Eagle Classic and before that, three top-10 finishes in four events. That form should be too much for 90% of this field and she should make a good defense of her title.
One who gets a selection this week, and probably no other, is Kelli Kuehne. She was actually opposed in one of the matchups last week and it ended a heavy loss! She has finished in the top-10 in each of the last three weeks and these were against strong fields, including the final major of the year, the Women's British Open. Finishes of 20th and 23rd on this course are no reason for concern and in the form that she currently enjoys, she should play a great deal better than Stan James predict.
Outright plays:
Meg Mallon to win 14/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes [5 places option]
Michele Redman to win 16/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes [5 places option]
Kelli Kuehne to win 50/1 e.w. @ Stan James [5 places option]
