LPGA Evian Masters

[Ian]

Quick change of topic to an LPGA event being played in Europe
2 players I think are overpriced based mainly on their past course form
Nicholas - never been out of the first 5 in the last 4 years here (even when the event was co-sanctioned for the first time in 2000), she never seems to play well in the US but comes alive here 100-1 at Hills seems a bit large (66-1 elsewhere)
Kobayashi - a previous winner here in 97 and followed that with a 5th and 8th, finished 10th on her last start, 125-1 Hills or 100-1 Surrey (1st 5)

 

[Stanley]

Preview & outright plays:

A week before the 3rd major of the year on the LPGA Tour and all the best players have made the trip across the pond to France. You wouldn't get that from the men! However this event has been described as the "Augusta Masters of the women's game" and with it boasting the 2nd highest purse in the women's game ($2.1m), second only to the US Women's Open, its status in world golf is clear. As a concession to the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the event starts on Wednesday and finishes on Saturday. This is 2nd year that the event has featured on the LPGA Tour, though it has been on the Ladies European Tour for all of its six year existence. With this amount of money on offer and this quality of field, it looks likely to remain a joint-sanctioned event for much longer and probably with a better slot on the LPGA Tour schedule.

The three selections for this event are Se Ri Pak, Mi Hyun Kim and Catriona Matthew. Pak withdrew from last week's Rochester International after finishing 2nd in the US Women's Open and she will be the better for the break, especially with the next major only next week. Her form is good and on her debut at Evian last year she finished 5th which if repeated would be good for a small place win at least.

Kim has become something of a regular selection on the LPGA Tour and she is sided with again. Like Pak, she finished in the top-5 last year and comes into the event in great form. Again, like Pak, the rest last week before two weeks of important events will only have refreshed her and after the US Women's Open, some refreshment was needed for everyone!

The last pick is at least a European to win on her home continent. Matthew make her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour earlier this year in Hawaii and has since been in great form. She has finished in the top-six in four of her last five LPGA events, including the US Women's Open, and in the other she finished 20th. She has finished in the top-25 in this event for the past two years, but the big improvement in her game has come this year and a big improvement in her finishing position is expected.

Outright plays:

Se Ri Pak to win 12/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Mi Hyun Kim to win 20/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Catriona Matthew to win 33/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes [5 places option]

 

[Clive]

The presence of Webb and Sorenstam has led to some huge prices, and as my site is down(!), my selections are;
Raquel Carriedo, the best Euro this year on this side of the pond, 80/1 Stan James
Maria Hjorth, a real contender now that she has more control off the tee, 33/1 Surrey
Wendy Ward, some good recent efforts 80/1 Stan James.
Mhairi McKay, increasingly becoming my favourite player (apart from Jill McGill, of course!!), should be the same price as Hjorth, but Stan James have her at 80/1
Loads of other big prices, agree with Ian on Kobayashi, but not Nicholas. Diaz has plenty of experience here, and the 50/1 Mallon is a seemingly generous price.

 

[Stanley]

Clive, I might be wrong, but I didn't see McKay's name on the LPGA entry list or tee-time listing. She was one I was looking for myself this week.

 

[Clive]

Thought she may have got one of the three sponsor slots...she's certainly priced up by every book I've seen, so she must have been an an entry list somewhere!
Can't find a tee time, so at least that's a guaranteed return before we've even teed off!

 

[Clive]

Good start!!

 

[Stanley]

Final update: 0-3 and -3.00 units

Close, but not close enough. All three picks finished in the top-15, but none in the top-10. Pak and Matthew were 11th and Kim 15th. Each had chances for a place win, but finished a long way behind the eventual winner, Rachel Teske.

Unlucky Clive, thought Hjorth would hang on for victory

 

[Clive]

Hjorth was leading for most of the back nine, but bogeyed the 17th...another second!