Preview & plays:
Rather a confused event. For the fourth time in its five-year history, the name of the tournament has changed! And while Wachesaw Plantation East in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina had hosted this 72-hole event since its inception in 1997, it is now over 54-holes beginning on Thursday due to the Easter holiday and has been moved to Los Angeles, California. Very peculiar!
The result is that there is no course form to use for this event and while the media attention will be on Annika Sorenstam's attempt to move within one event of Nacy Lopez's record of five consecutive LPGA victories, this may be a week to avoid her and keep wagers low. That said, the three selections this week are Se Ri Pak, Janice Moodie and Laura Diaz.
Se Ri Pak won the opening event of the year to re-establish herself at the top of women's golf after a poor season and has followed that up with two further 2nd place finishes to Annika Sorenstam. They are the only two players to average less than 70 shots per round this year and is almost a full shot ahead of 3rd place, Marcy Newton. In that sort of form, she should challenge whatever the course and playing almost without pressure because of the Sorenstam phenomenon, she could certainly feature this week.
Janice Moodie may rank a more lowly 18th in scoring average on the LPGA Tour this season, but she finished 2nd in the last LPGA event, the Nabisco Championship, also in California and has a decent record in this event - two top-10 finishes from three starts - on its previous course in South Carolina. While she did win the Shoprite LPGA Classic last year, she is a more realistic challenger for another place finish.
Laura Diaz also comes off a fine Nabisco Championship - she finished 9th - and has been extremely impressive since marrying Kevin Diaz (formerly called Laura Philo) at the end of last year. She has four top-10 finishes from eight events this season, including a 2nd place finish alongside Pak at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, and is in the top-10 for scoring average this year. She is yet to win on the LPGA Tour, but another place finish would be very profitable.
Outright plays:
Se Ri Pak to win 10/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Janice Moodie to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Laura Diaz to win 50/1 e.w. @ Surrey
[This message has been edited by Stanley (edited 04-11-2001).]
Rather a confused event. For the fourth time in its five-year history, the name of the tournament has changed! And while Wachesaw Plantation East in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina had hosted this 72-hole event since its inception in 1997, it is now over 54-holes beginning on Thursday due to the Easter holiday and has been moved to Los Angeles, California. Very peculiar!
The result is that there is no course form to use for this event and while the media attention will be on Annika Sorenstam's attempt to move within one event of Nacy Lopez's record of five consecutive LPGA victories, this may be a week to avoid her and keep wagers low. That said, the three selections this week are Se Ri Pak, Janice Moodie and Laura Diaz.
Se Ri Pak won the opening event of the year to re-establish herself at the top of women's golf after a poor season and has followed that up with two further 2nd place finishes to Annika Sorenstam. They are the only two players to average less than 70 shots per round this year and is almost a full shot ahead of 3rd place, Marcy Newton. In that sort of form, she should challenge whatever the course and playing almost without pressure because of the Sorenstam phenomenon, she could certainly feature this week.
Janice Moodie may rank a more lowly 18th in scoring average on the LPGA Tour this season, but she finished 2nd in the last LPGA event, the Nabisco Championship, also in California and has a decent record in this event - two top-10 finishes from three starts - on its previous course in South Carolina. While she did win the Shoprite LPGA Classic last year, she is a more realistic challenger for another place finish.
Laura Diaz also comes off a fine Nabisco Championship - she finished 9th - and has been extremely impressive since marrying Kevin Diaz (formerly called Laura Philo) at the end of last year. She has four top-10 finishes from eight events this season, including a 2nd place finish alongside Pak at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, and is in the top-10 for scoring average this year. She is yet to win on the LPGA Tour, but another place finish would be very profitable.
Outright plays:
Se Ri Pak to win 10/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Janice Moodie to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Laura Diaz to win 50/1 e.w. @ Surrey
[This message has been edited by Stanley (edited 04-11-2001).]
