Asahi Ryukoken International Championship

[Stanley]

Outright plays (1.5pts):

Lorena Ochoa to win 12/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
Disappointed on her last outing, but the last time that she finished outside the top-10 - over three months ago - she bounced back with a top-3 finish the next week. By far the best player on Tour behind Annika Sorenstam and it will be a disappointment if she fails to match last year's top-3 finish.

Candie Kung to win 25/1 e.w. @ GolfingGods
Kung can also claim to be very consistent with top-20 finishes in each of her last seven starts and top-4 finishes in two of the last three. With two year's experience around this course, she should be confident of improving on her 11ht place finish last year against a field that is not particularly strong.

Shi Hyun Ahn to finish in the top-five 10/1 @ Expekt
No course experience for Tour rookie Ahn, but that has been a problem all year and it has not stopped her gaining five top-5 finishes in twenty starts this season. At that ratio and with the likes of Annika Sorenstam not playing, these odds look rather generous. While she coasted to finish a lowly 77th last time out, she had preceded it with finishes of 2nd, 11th and 2nd, so her form is good enough to be in contention yet again.

[Stanley]

Matchup plays (1.5pts):

Lorie Kane to beat Laura Davies -114 @ Expekt
Not much to choose from in terms of form, either recent or on this course, but Davies' play last week is enough reason to oppose her this week. She played in the Catalonia Ladies Masters, she has travel as a factor against her and she played incredibly poorly in Sunday to shoot 76 when her playing partner shot 62. Will side with the rested and fresher Kane.

Wendy Ward to beat Dorothy Delasin -111 @ Stan James
In much better form with a commanding 12-5-1 h2h record in 2004 in her favour and finished ahead of Delasin in each of the last two years here, this should be straightforward for Ward.

Grace Park to beat Rosie Jones +100 @ Stan James
No denying Jones' superior record on this course, but these odds take no account of the fact that Jones is being forced to wind down to semi-retirement because of injury. She has a degenerative disk disease in her neck which is increasingly hampering her swing and her power. If fit, she could give Park a game on this course, but not in her current state of health.
(also available at Nordicbet)

May have some more plays later when Five Dimes release their matchup lines.

[Stanley]

Further matchup plays (1.5pts unless stated):

Michele Redman to beat Wendy Doolan -135 @ Five Dimes [3pts]
This will be the first time that Doolan has played on the Tour in over two months and it should be too much for her to return to her Tour game at such an early stage. She did win the Evian Masters in July, but she had finished behind Redman in seven of eleven common events this year before the interruption so even when fully competitive she should struggle to beat Redman each week.

Stacy Prammanasudh to beat Seol-An Jeon -108 @ Five Dimes
Just can't see why Jeon has been made the favourite in this match. Prammanasudh has finished ahead of her in each of their last three common events and in eleven of sixteen common events in 2004.

[Stanley]

Outrights - FINAL RESULT: 0-3; -4.50pts

Ochoa 24th
Kung 10th
Ahn 20th

All three in the top-25, but none were ever in contention. Another poor week trying to pick the winner of a LPGA Tour event.

Matchups - FINAL RESULT: 4-1-0; +5.79pts

Kane/Davies LOST by 10
Ward/Delasin WON by 11
Park/Jones WON by 11
Redman/Doolan WON (Doolan wd)
Prammanasudh/Jeon WON (Jeon wd)

Once again needed the matchups to cover the outrights on this Tour, so thankful for some convincing wins and a very good profit on these plays.

LPGA Tour ytd
Outrights: 11-61; -35.46pts
Matchups: 65-43; +42.11pts