Outright plays (1 unit):
Shingo Katayama to win 25/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Excellent course form and on top of his game at the moment. In his last eight tournaments, he has finished inside the top-8 in all but one event (he finished 13th) and defended his Suntory Open title in September. After a poor start to the season, he is approaching the form that earned him victories in three of the last events in the 2000 season, including this title. He finished 3rd when under the pressure of being defending champion last year and it is hard to see him anywhere but in contention.
Hidemichi Tanaka to win 28/1 e.w. @ William Hill
Again was unsure about whether to pick Tanaka or Taniguchi (33/1 Ladbrokes), but with this price and being unsure why Taniguchi withdrew from last week's event, have decided to opt for Tanaka. He followed up his 4th place finish in the Disney Classic with a close 2nd place finish last week, his first start in Japan for a year. He has played well on this course in four of the last five years, finishing no worse than 12th on three occasions and finishing 21st in 1997 when he had been 2nd early in the event. With 20/1 the best odds outside William Hill, the double-winner on the Japan Tour in 2000 and 2001 looks good value.
Darren Clarke to win 33/1 e.w. @ BlueSq
You never know which Darren Clarke will turn up in Europe. He can be the best in the world one day and be totally disinterested the next, but in Japan the Irishman has shown a remarkable (for him!) consistency. He has played ten times on the Japan Tour in the last five years and his worst finish has been 16th. He won the Chunichi Crowns in 2001 and finished runners-up on three other occasions. In forty rounds on the Japan Tour in the last five years, he has shot just one round over par. An impressive record in this event and in Japan as a whole and at his best at times in the Volvo Masters, he is backed with confidence this week, which is a rare thing indeed!
Shingo Katayama to win 25/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Excellent course form and on top of his game at the moment. In his last eight tournaments, he has finished inside the top-8 in all but one event (he finished 13th) and defended his Suntory Open title in September. After a poor start to the season, he is approaching the form that earned him victories in three of the last events in the 2000 season, including this title. He finished 3rd when under the pressure of being defending champion last year and it is hard to see him anywhere but in contention.
Hidemichi Tanaka to win 28/1 e.w. @ William Hill
Again was unsure about whether to pick Tanaka or Taniguchi (33/1 Ladbrokes), but with this price and being unsure why Taniguchi withdrew from last week's event, have decided to opt for Tanaka. He followed up his 4th place finish in the Disney Classic with a close 2nd place finish last week, his first start in Japan for a year. He has played well on this course in four of the last five years, finishing no worse than 12th on three occasions and finishing 21st in 1997 when he had been 2nd early in the event. With 20/1 the best odds outside William Hill, the double-winner on the Japan Tour in 2000 and 2001 looks good value.
Darren Clarke to win 33/1 e.w. @ BlueSq
You never know which Darren Clarke will turn up in Europe. He can be the best in the world one day and be totally disinterested the next, but in Japan the Irishman has shown a remarkable (for him!) consistency. He has played ten times on the Japan Tour in the last five years and his worst finish has been 16th. He won the Chunichi Crowns in 2001 and finished runners-up on three other occasions. In forty rounds on the Japan Tour in the last five years, he has shot just one round over par. An impressive record in this event and in Japan as a whole and at his best at times in the Volvo Masters, he is backed with confidence this week, which is a rare thing indeed!
