Safeway Classic
Outright plays (1.5 units):
Mi Hyun Kim to win 20/1 e.w. @ William Hill
Defending champion from two years ago and with a top-10 finish on her other
appearance on this course, she is obviously well-suited. Playing her seventh
event in a row, which is a concern, but this is just a 54-hole event and she has
won once and finished 2nd another time in the last six weeks. Available at less
than half these odds elsewhere, this is too tempting to ignore.
Cristie Kerr to win 33/1 e.w. @ Surrey
Not as impressive course form as Kim, though she did play in the worst of the
conditions in the first round two years to shoot 77, but played well over the
weekend to finish 13th and just five shots behind Kim who had opened with a 70.
Next week's Solheim Cup may be on her mind, but she does come into this event in
improving form. Her last five finishes read 33rd, 29th, 15th, 7th and 3rd, so
maybe she seems destined to finish high on the leaderboard this week.
Catriona Matthew to win 38/1 e.w. @ Five
Dimes (.75 units to win & .75 units to finish in
top-5)
With Grace Park admitting she was having problems with her swing, Matthew
retains her selection as an outright play. She has been in contention for the
last four weeks and has done everything but win. Burnout could expected from
such a succession of near-misses, but she will be resting (incredibly!) next
week and she has a point to prove to Dale Reid who criticized her for not
playing in the Wales WPGA Championship. Hopeful of a place finish at least.
Matchup plays (1.5 units):
Carin Koch to beat Dorothy Delasin -128 @ Five
Dimes
Koch has been playing much the better golf this year - she has eight top-10
finishes to Delasin's two and one of those was at the Giant Eagle Classic where
she had won in the previous two years - and she has a 10-3 head-to-head record
in her favour over the past year as well. With Delasin missing the cut on her
only previous visit to this course, Koch looks far more likely to win this
matchup.
Kelly Robbins to beat Michelle Ellis -120 @ Five
Dimes
Ellis' run of form appeared to have ended at the Williams Championship when she
got worse every round and eventually finished 61st. After having failed to
secure a single top-10 all year on the LPGA Tour, it was no surprise that there
would be a letdown after her three-weeks of blistering form when she finished
2nd in the Women's British Open and had been the leader after 36 holes only to
finish 2nd and the leader after 54 holes in the Betsy King Classic only to
finish 6th. She shot rounds of 73, 74 and 74 from those points onwards. Expect
to see a return her earlier season form, especially with no course experience,
and Robbins, who has been very consistent this year and has finished in the
top-20 in all but two visits to Columbia Edgewater, should prevail.
Final update:
Matchups: 0-1-1; -1.80 units
Koch/Delasin TIED (Push)
Robbins/Ellis LOST by 1
Outrights: 0-3; -4.50 units
Kim 34th
Kerr 13th
Matthews 34th
Koch dropped a shot at her last hole to only push and Ellis birdied the last
hole to snatch defeat for Robbins. A proper way to end a horrible week.
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