72-hole plays (1.5pts):
Shi Hyun Ahn to beat Laura Davies -104 @ Expekt
The move to a new course will help Tour rookie Ahn this week. Probably not enough that she would win this event, but enough to help her finish ahead of Davies. She failed to do so last week, but that was the first time since June that she had finished behind Davies on the LPGA Tour.
(also available at Bet365)
Wendy Doolan to beat Sophie Gustafson -111 @ Stan James
This has been a wretched season for Gustafson. A year ago she won this event at The Woodlands in Texas, but until last week she had failed to record a single top-15 finish in 22 starts in 2004. She did finally achieve that last week, but that has to be a flash in the pan rather than a return to sustained form. Doolan won't finish ahead of many players this week, but she has finished ahead of Gustafson in 10 of their last 12 common events and she should do the same again this week.
Catriona Matthew to beat Sophie Gustafson -167 @ NordicBet
Short price, but not really when you consider that Matthew has finished ahead of Gustafson in 16 of their last 17 common events! Matthew should finish higher up the leaderboard than Doolan, so this is a worthwhile play as well.
Juli Inkster to beat Jeong Jang -110 @ Five Dimes
Not that much between these players - Inkster leads Jang 10-8-0 h2h in 2004 - but the balance in Inkster's favour is further tipped by her better record in California and the fact that Jang is making her debut in this prestigious event while Inkster has won three of the last seven stagings of this event.
Meg Mallon to beat Karen Stupples to beat -111 @ Centrebet
Both players' form has dipped since the summer, but Mallon still holds the h2h advantage. Stupples has finished ahead of her in only three of their last eleven common events. Add in the fact that this is also Stupples' debut in this event and that Mallon is also a former winner and she does warrant being favourite in this match.
