McDonalds LPGA

[Clive]

First reports suggest course is set up to be a real test, with the rough very long and the greens very fast, so I'm sticking with the experienced players this week;

Juli Inkster 28/1 SJ (five places) three top tens in last three events, including a win, back-to-back victories here in past, 4th last year

Karrie Webb 16/1 SJ (five places) - has all the stats in all the right places! A past winner too, below par so far this year, but still had a host of top tens

Wendy Ward 80/1 SJ (five places) - must be included due to her excellent course form, a good long shot

 

[Stanley]

Outright plays (1.5 units):

Lorena Ochoa to win 25/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Continuing to side with Ochoa until she wins or the odds become prohibitive. She has finished in the top-3 in three of her last six starts and that includes the first major of the year. She has no course experience, but there should be no shortage of preparation for this event. She will win soon, just hoping to be on board when she does!

Juli Inkster to win 28/1 e.w. @ Five Dimes
After a slow start to the year, there has been an impressive turn-around in Inkster's form. She has finished in the top-10 in her last three events and surged past Catriona Matthew with a final day 62 to win the LPGA Corning Classic two weeks ago. With her recent course history being so impressive - wins in 1999 and 2000, plus 4th last year - there is every reason to have expected much shorter odds this week.

Catriona Matthew to finish in the top-five 9/1 @ Five Dimes
Matthew can't claim to have the course form of Inkster or the superstar status of Ochoa, but she has become a very consistent player over the past year and is in the top-10 of most of the LPGA Tour important stat categories. She has finished in the top-6 in four of her last eight events and looked set to appear on the leaderboard again this week. She did finish in the top-10 last year and is certainly playing well enough to match that. The top-five option is again employed with Matthew as she is unlikely to convert her chances in this company.

 

[Stanley]

Matchup plays (1.5 units):

Beth Daniel to beat Christina Kim -118 @ Expekt
When one player has a year 8-0-0 h2h against another, there really is little else to say! But could also add that Daniel was 2nd last year and Kim will be making her debut this week.

Hee-Won Han to beat Laura Davies -118 @ Expekt
Davies has a good record on this course, but she did miss the cut last year and her form has certainly dipped in the last couple of months. Not so for Han who has four top-10 finishes in her last fiver starts and should record her best finish at DuPont this week.

Michele Redman to beat Pat Hurst -118 @ Expekt
Repeat of last week's matchup play that ended in defeat when Redman shot six on the last hole. But Redman's form is still superior and her course form is particularly so this week. Hurst has failed to finish ahead of Redman in any of the last five years and her best finish in seven previous visits has been just 17th. Should get back last week's loss.

Catriona Matthew to beat Grace Park -118 @ Expekt (-130 @ Five Dimes)
Park did win the Michelob Light Open last month, but has finished behind Matthew in her two starts since and missed the cut last week. She cannot even claim to have finished ahead of Matthew any of her previous three visits, so there is good reason to expect a Scottish victory in this matchup.

 

[Stanley]

1st round plays (1.5 units):

Hee-Won Han to beat Patricia Meunier-Lebouc -115 @ Five Dimes
Danielle Ammaccapane to beat Sophie Gustafson -112 @ Five Dimes

 

[Stanley]

Adding, matchup plays (1.5 units):

Danielle Ammaccapane to beat Dottie Pepper -111 @ BetandWin [3 units]
A repeat of last week's matchups and a repeat of the result would be very welcome. They have played in eight events together this year since Pepper returned from injury and she has yet to finish ahead of Ammaccapane so will gladly take these odds and note that Ammaccapane course form has been improving in each of the last four years.

Cristie Kerr to beat Pat Hurst -111 @ BetandWin
This matchup lost last week, but Kerr has still finished ahead in seven of their last ten common events and can boast a top-5 finish at DuPont (1999), whereas Hurst has always struggled here.

 

[Stanley]

1st round update: 2-0-0; +3.00 units

Han/Meunier-Lebouc WON by 8
Ammaccapane/Gustafson WON by 1

2nd round plays (1.5 units unless stated):

Rachel Teske to beat Wendy Ward -118 @ Five Dimes
Cristie Kerr to beat Laura Diaz -115 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Meg Mallon to beat Michele Redman -130 @ Five Dimes

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Quote of the day

``The rough is ridiculous,'' Inkster said after an even-par 71. ``If you miss the green, you can't use any skills. I'm happy with my score. I didn't shoot myself out of it.''

I would imagine she was also conclude you "can't use any skills"
on long narrow fairways with tucked pins,on fast greens.:lol:

 

[Stanley]

2nd round update: 2-1-0; +2.73 units

Teske/Ward LOST by 1
Kerr/Diaz WON by 1
Mallon/Redman WON by 1

Mid-point update:

Daniel/Kim WON by 7
Han/Davies WON by 13
Redman/Hurst Leads by 2
Matthew/Park Trails by 4
Ammaccapane/Pepper Leads by 1
Kerr/Hurst Leads by 3

Ochoa 24th
Inkster 16th
Matthew 30th

Very good position at the cut with the matchups and while winning the event looks out of range for the outright selections, they still have a chance of getting into the top-5 before the end of the tournament.

3rd round plays (1.5 units):

Hee-Won Han to beat Grace Park -130 @ Five Dimes
Natalie Gulbis to beat Dorothy Delasin -125 @ Five Dimes
Juli Inkster to beat Rosie Jones -108 @ Five Dimes

 

[lostinamerica]

SATURDAY MATCHUPS for 1* each @ 5 dimes:

Ochoa(+103) over Webb
Kerr(+100) over Diaz
T.I.T.F.D.

GL

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

note of interest

http://www.asapsports.com/golf/2003mcdonald/060703TO.html

 

[Stanley]

3rd round update: 2-1-0; +1.05 units

Han/Park LOST by 4
Gulbis/Delasin WON by 1
Inkster/Jones WON by 1

Final update:

Matchups: 5-1-0; +7.23 units

Redman/Hurst WON by 7
Matthew/Park LOST by 13
Ammaccapane/Pepper WON by 16
Kerr/Hurst WON by 3

18-holes: 6-2-0; +6.78 units

Outrights: 0-3; -4.50 units

Ochoa 20th
Inkster 37th
Matthew 37th

Very profitable event with the matchups and the 18-hole plays. Struggled with the outrights, though Ochoa had been 5th at the end of play on Saturday, but otherwise never in the hunt. Still a welcome return to the black on this Tour.

LPGA Tour ytd
Matchups: 19-13; +11.51 units
18-holes: 23-19; +4.36 units
Outrights: 4-26; -8.40 units