Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)
Jeong Jang to win 14/1 e.w. @ Stan James and BetFred
Has a lot better form in South Korea than Creamer, including 4th in this event in each of the last two years, and comes into the event better-rested and in exceptional form. Apart from winning the Wegmans LGA in June, she had finished 10th, 2nd, 6th and 1st after each of her two rounds in her four starts on the LPGA Tour before being a wire-to-wire winner of the Japan Women's Open earlier this month.
Sophie Gustafson to win 33/1 e.w. @ Sportingbet, Sporting Odds and Coral
Take out Gustafson's opening 79 last week and she has shot 71 or better in each of her last ten rounds. And that form was merely the raising of a game that had been in great shape for some time: she had finished 21st or better in every event since June until last week's opening round ended her motivation in Thailand. She has played in this event three times, improving her position every time and even though the event is played at a new course this week, it shows that she is adapting to Korean condition better every time. In this form, she should be the top-ranked player from outside Korea.
Ji-Yai Shin to win 80/1 e.w. @ Stan James and Tote
Had been planning to back Shin for this event for over a week, it was just a matter of waiting for the best price to appear. So I'm rather disappointed that was offline when Paddy Power offered 250/1 on her! It didn't last long and for very good reason: she has the potential to be South Korea's best-ever female golfer. In this, her rookie season on the Korean LPGA Tour, she has finished in the top-3 in nine of twelve starts, winning twice, including the Korean Women's Open when she held off Cristie Kerr in the final round. On the Money List, she has won almost 60% more than the 2nd-place player and her scoring average is almost a full shot lower than the 2nd-placed player. And she is only 18-years-old, competing in her first-ever Tour events. The change of venue will help given her lack of previous experience at Nine Bridges. In fact, the only potential problem could be her placing in the marquee grouping with Paula Creamer and Se Ri Pak. She has beaten a lot of LPGA Tour players in the past in Korea, but this may be a spotlight too intense. If she can cope with that, she may certainly have the beating of this field ... just a pity that it wasn't at 250/1!
