Preview & outright plays:
Formerly called the New Albany Golf Classic, the 3rd staging of this event has a new name, a new format and a new place on the Tour schedule. It moves forward a month and changes from the week after the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship to the week after the newest major, the Women's British Open. The change from a 72-hole to a 54-hole format was therefore necessary to continue to attract the best players on Tour who had played in England the week before. It has been successful. The world's best players are competing this week and the change of month has meant that the wet weather which has afflicted this event in its two stagings has not been a factor so far this week.
The presence of Webb, Sorenstam and Pak ensure some very short odds in the market, but there is sufficient reason to pass over them regardless of the odds. The bonus that the odds are a little inflated for the rest of the field is most welcome though. Webb looked tired last week and has admitted in interview this week that she still admitted is. She also admitted that she is not satisfied with her game. After her poor performance last week, Sorenstam should also be unhappy with her game and her last victory at the Chick-fil-A Charity Classic is a long time ago. Pak should be very happy with her game, but winning a major, flying back over the pond and competing again in a Tour event will be exhausting. They are avoidable this week, particularly with better prices elsewhere.
The three selections are Lorie Kane, Mi Hyun Kim and Laura Diaz. They represent three of the most in-form players on Tour at the moment and two of them were the contestants in the playoff for this title last year. Kane eventually defeated Kim to land her second title and she is expected to put up a valiant defense of her title. She did have a good 1st round last week, but fell away thereafter and it is clear from the interviews that it has not taken too much out of her. She should return to the form that had brought her a run of six top-20 finishes and top-5 finishes in two of her previous three events.
Kim lost in last year's playoff and she has already lost two this year. With a runners-up spot last week, she may be a frustrating player to back in the outrights, but she is extremely consistent. In five of her last six events she has finished in the top-10 and both the stagings of this event she has done the same. Should be a strong contender for a place finish.
Laura Diaz does not have the form that the other two have on this course, but there are none who can match her form at the moment. Four top-5 finishes in her last five events are enough reasons any week to back a player at double-digit odds! Hopefully she can find that elusive maiden Tour win this week and catapult her career in the same way that Kane did last year after the Michelob Light Classic.
Outright plays:
Lorie Kane to win 25/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Mi Hyun Kim to win 16/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Laura Diaz to win 20/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Note: BetInternet and Stan James have yet to release lines and these may be better than those on offer from Surrey, while still offering 5 places.
Formerly called the New Albany Golf Classic, the 3rd staging of this event has a new name, a new format and a new place on the Tour schedule. It moves forward a month and changes from the week after the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship to the week after the newest major, the Women's British Open. The change from a 72-hole to a 54-hole format was therefore necessary to continue to attract the best players on Tour who had played in England the week before. It has been successful. The world's best players are competing this week and the change of month has meant that the wet weather which has afflicted this event in its two stagings has not been a factor so far this week.
The presence of Webb, Sorenstam and Pak ensure some very short odds in the market, but there is sufficient reason to pass over them regardless of the odds. The bonus that the odds are a little inflated for the rest of the field is most welcome though. Webb looked tired last week and has admitted in interview this week that she still admitted is. She also admitted that she is not satisfied with her game. After her poor performance last week, Sorenstam should also be unhappy with her game and her last victory at the Chick-fil-A Charity Classic is a long time ago. Pak should be very happy with her game, but winning a major, flying back over the pond and competing again in a Tour event will be exhausting. They are avoidable this week, particularly with better prices elsewhere.
The three selections are Lorie Kane, Mi Hyun Kim and Laura Diaz. They represent three of the most in-form players on Tour at the moment and two of them were the contestants in the playoff for this title last year. Kane eventually defeated Kim to land her second title and she is expected to put up a valiant defense of her title. She did have a good 1st round last week, but fell away thereafter and it is clear from the interviews that it has not taken too much out of her. She should return to the form that had brought her a run of six top-20 finishes and top-5 finishes in two of her previous three events.
Kim lost in last year's playoff and she has already lost two this year. With a runners-up spot last week, she may be a frustrating player to back in the outrights, but she is extremely consistent. In five of her last six events she has finished in the top-10 and both the stagings of this event she has done the same. Should be a strong contender for a place finish.
Laura Diaz does not have the form that the other two have on this course, but there are none who can match her form at the moment. Four top-5 finishes in her last five events are enough reasons any week to back a player at double-digit odds! Hopefully she can find that elusive maiden Tour win this week and catapult her career in the same way that Kane did last year after the Michelob Light Classic.
Outright plays:
Lorie Kane to win 25/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Mi Hyun Kim to win 16/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Laura Diaz to win 20/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Note: BetInternet and Stan James have yet to release lines and these may be better than those on offer from Surrey, while still offering 5 places.
