Preview & outright plays:
The 2nd major of the year and yet again the focus is on Annika Sorenstam. She won the first major of the year and she won the last US Women's Open to be held at Pine Needles (1996). She also holds a share of the course record here. But while there is the usual Sorenstam-Webb debate, attention will also focus this week to the 20 amateurs who are playing this week and one in particular, 13-year-old Morgan Pressel who is the 2nd-youngest player ever to qualify for this event.
The course features gently rolling terrain, fast, undulating greens and narrow fairways. Water hazards come into play on seven holes. It has all the classic features of a US Open course and accuracy over power is important as is a good all-round game worthy of any major. The most difficult stretch is holes #3 through #5. On another note, let's hope there isn't a play-off this week. If there is, it will be decided over 18 holes on Monday and we've had enough Monday finishes this week already!
The three outright selections are Rosie Jones, Mi Hyun Kim and Janice Moodie. Sorenstam is passed over on value terms only. Jones geared her early season schedule around the Nabisco Championship and it didn't pay off, she finished 28th. Her form since then has been a revelation. She improved to 14th in The Office Depot and then finished no worse than 4th in three of her next four events, including 4th last week and becoming the first American to win on the LPGA Tour this year. With a decent record in this event - she finished 4th last year - and 7th in driving accuracy and 4th in putting average, she should be close to the leaderboard all week long.
Mi Hyun Kim is becoming a regular pick and if she continues in her current vein of form, she will remain so for some time. She has finished in the top-10 in three of her last five events, including two playoff losses, and one of those "failures" was an 11th place finish over just 36 holes at the Champions Classic. She finished 4th in this event last year and like Jones, has the stats for this course: top-20 in both driving accuracy and putting average. Should feature, but less likely to win.
Finally, Janice Moodie is available at very attractive odds. She also completes a trio of selections who are in the top-10 for scoring average on the LPGA Tour this season, so they all come into the event on good form. She closed with a 65 on Sunday to finish 14th in the LPGA Corning Classic last week and has been in great form since her 2nd place finish at the 1st major of the year. Like Kim, should feature rather than win, both at the available price, that would make a nice profit.
Outright plays:
Rosie Jones to win 33/1 e.w. @ Bet247
Mi Hyun Kim to win 28/1 e.w. @ Bet247
Janice Moodie to win 66/1 e.w. @ Bet247
The 2nd major of the year and yet again the focus is on Annika Sorenstam. She won the first major of the year and she won the last US Women's Open to be held at Pine Needles (1996). She also holds a share of the course record here. But while there is the usual Sorenstam-Webb debate, attention will also focus this week to the 20 amateurs who are playing this week and one in particular, 13-year-old Morgan Pressel who is the 2nd-youngest player ever to qualify for this event.
The course features gently rolling terrain, fast, undulating greens and narrow fairways. Water hazards come into play on seven holes. It has all the classic features of a US Open course and accuracy over power is important as is a good all-round game worthy of any major. The most difficult stretch is holes #3 through #5. On another note, let's hope there isn't a play-off this week. If there is, it will be decided over 18 holes on Monday and we've had enough Monday finishes this week already!
The three outright selections are Rosie Jones, Mi Hyun Kim and Janice Moodie. Sorenstam is passed over on value terms only. Jones geared her early season schedule around the Nabisco Championship and it didn't pay off, she finished 28th. Her form since then has been a revelation. She improved to 14th in The Office Depot and then finished no worse than 4th in three of her next four events, including 4th last week and becoming the first American to win on the LPGA Tour this year. With a decent record in this event - she finished 4th last year - and 7th in driving accuracy and 4th in putting average, she should be close to the leaderboard all week long.
Mi Hyun Kim is becoming a regular pick and if she continues in her current vein of form, she will remain so for some time. She has finished in the top-10 in three of her last five events, including two playoff losses, and one of those "failures" was an 11th place finish over just 36 holes at the Champions Classic. She finished 4th in this event last year and like Jones, has the stats for this course: top-20 in both driving accuracy and putting average. Should feature, but less likely to win.
Finally, Janice Moodie is available at very attractive odds. She also completes a trio of selections who are in the top-10 for scoring average on the LPGA Tour this season, so they all come into the event on good form. She closed with a 65 on Sunday to finish 14th in the LPGA Corning Classic last week and has been in great form since her 2nd place finish at the 1st major of the year. Like Kim, should feature rather than win, both at the available price, that would make a nice profit.
Outright plays:
Rosie Jones to win 33/1 e.w. @ Bet247
Mi Hyun Kim to win 28/1 e.w. @ Bet247
Janice Moodie to win 66/1 e.w. @ Bet247
