Preview & outright plays:
The final event on the 2001 LPGA Tour schedule is the Tour Championship, limited to the top-30 money winners. As an indication of the international flavor of this Tour, only half of the top-30 are American. However, a number of withdrawals of the 'internationals', notably including Se Ri Pak because of a family illness, has addressed the balance. The event could see the fall of yet more records to Annika Sorenstam. This week she will attempt to become the first LPGA player to break the $2 million mark in single-season earnings, establish an LPGA single-season scoring average record and become the first player to win nine events in a single season since Nancy Lopez in 1978. Her eight wins this season is the most since Lopez's eight wins in 1979.
This is the sixth year of this tournament and after being held at Desert Inn and the LPGA International, the events come to West Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump International Golf Club. The course was only opened 12 months ago, so information is sketchy, but it is being described as a fairly generous off the tee with length being an advantage, but generally being a good all-round test of ball-striking ability. As with any course in Florida, an ability to play in wind will be an advantage.
The three selections are Karrie Webb, Lorie Kane and Emilee Klein. Sorenstam is opposed as she won the last two events in Japan and at the end of a record-breaking season, she is bound to be exhausted. Karrie Webb certainly was at the end of last year. This year has been much different for the Australian even though she successfully defended the US Women's Open and won the McDonalds LPGA Championship to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam. She did not play in the events in Japan and instead chose to stay home in nearby Boynton Beach and practice on this course. Being able to stay in her own home at the end of each day and the fact that she has played this course numerous times before this week make Webb the more likely short-price winner this week.
The remaining two selections are form horses who can hopefully secure at least place finishes. This is helped considerably by NetBetSports continuing to offer six places even though there are only 30 players in this field! Kane has not repeated her run of four victories in 13 starts to February, but she has been one of the most consistent players on Tour with 62 of 89 rounds under par, the 2nd best record on Tour. She ranks 4th behind Webb in both the Rolex Player of the Year standings and in % top-10 finishes. Her record in the event, though on different courses, is similarly consistent. She lost in a playoff to Sorenstam in 1997, but has finished no worse than 7th in her four appearances. Hard to see anything different this week.
Emilee Klein was having a poor season until she led wire-to-wire in the Michelob Light Classic, since then she has been extremely consistent, securing eleven top-10 finishes and finishing in the top-5 in her last four LPGA Tour events. She may be dubbed the 'Iron Woman' of the Tour as this will be her 31st event of the season, the most by any player this year and she has shown of signs of fatigue creeping into her game. She finished 2nd to a rookie Karrie Webb in 1996 and in the form to repeat that performance.
Outright plays:
Karrie Webb to win 4/1 @ Ladbrokes, Bet365 or Sports.com
Lorie Kane to win 14/1 e.w. @ NetBetSports [6 places]
Emilee Klein to win 25/1 e.w. @ NetBetSports [6 places]
The final event on the 2001 LPGA Tour schedule is the Tour Championship, limited to the top-30 money winners. As an indication of the international flavor of this Tour, only half of the top-30 are American. However, a number of withdrawals of the 'internationals', notably including Se Ri Pak because of a family illness, has addressed the balance. The event could see the fall of yet more records to Annika Sorenstam. This week she will attempt to become the first LPGA player to break the $2 million mark in single-season earnings, establish an LPGA single-season scoring average record and become the first player to win nine events in a single season since Nancy Lopez in 1978. Her eight wins this season is the most since Lopez's eight wins in 1979.
This is the sixth year of this tournament and after being held at Desert Inn and the LPGA International, the events come to West Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump International Golf Club. The course was only opened 12 months ago, so information is sketchy, but it is being described as a fairly generous off the tee with length being an advantage, but generally being a good all-round test of ball-striking ability. As with any course in Florida, an ability to play in wind will be an advantage.
The three selections are Karrie Webb, Lorie Kane and Emilee Klein. Sorenstam is opposed as she won the last two events in Japan and at the end of a record-breaking season, she is bound to be exhausted. Karrie Webb certainly was at the end of last year. This year has been much different for the Australian even though she successfully defended the US Women's Open and won the McDonalds LPGA Championship to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam. She did not play in the events in Japan and instead chose to stay home in nearby Boynton Beach and practice on this course. Being able to stay in her own home at the end of each day and the fact that she has played this course numerous times before this week make Webb the more likely short-price winner this week.
The remaining two selections are form horses who can hopefully secure at least place finishes. This is helped considerably by NetBetSports continuing to offer six places even though there are only 30 players in this field! Kane has not repeated her run of four victories in 13 starts to February, but she has been one of the most consistent players on Tour with 62 of 89 rounds under par, the 2nd best record on Tour. She ranks 4th behind Webb in both the Rolex Player of the Year standings and in % top-10 finishes. Her record in the event, though on different courses, is similarly consistent. She lost in a playoff to Sorenstam in 1997, but has finished no worse than 7th in her four appearances. Hard to see anything different this week.
Emilee Klein was having a poor season until she led wire-to-wire in the Michelob Light Classic, since then she has been extremely consistent, securing eleven top-10 finishes and finishing in the top-5 in her last four LPGA Tour events. She may be dubbed the 'Iron Woman' of the Tour as this will be her 31st event of the season, the most by any player this year and she has shown of signs of fatigue creeping into her game. She finished 2nd to a rookie Karrie Webb in 1996 and in the form to repeat that performance.
Outright plays:
Karrie Webb to win 4/1 @ Ladbrokes, Bet365 or Sports.com
Lorie Kane to win 14/1 e.w. @ NetBetSports [6 places]
Emilee Klein to win 25/1 e.w. @ NetBetSports [6 places]
