Mobile LPGA Tournament of Champions

Outright plays (1.5 units):

Juli Inkster to win 18/1 e.w. @ Paddy Power and SIA
This event moves to a position in the Tour schedule after the Asian leg rather than before it, so there should be much greater reward for taking a break before this event than in previous years. By this reasoning, this week's three selections have not played in South Korea and Japan in the last two weeks and, given their mature years, will be refreshed ready for the final two weeks of the season. Inkster falls into this category and since winning the Evian Masters in July, she has played little though she did finish 6th in the Samsung World Championship last month. Of the five that finished ahead of her, three have travelled in the last two weeks and Sorenstam is a notable absentee this week. She should go even better this week.

Rosie Jones to win 33/1 e.w. @ SkyBet, Stan James, Victor Chandler, Ladbrokes and Tote
Jones only finished 14th at the Samsung World Championship, but this has been yet another very consistent season for her, particularly in securing top-10 finishes and she returns to a course on which she finished 4th last year. In a limited field without Sorenstam, she should be at much shorter odds.

Meg Mallon to win 50/1 e.w. @ SkyBet and Victor Chandler
Only in a full-strength field including Sorenstam should Mallon be 50/1. It may be a year since she last won, but she has six top-10 finishes in her last twelve starts and has a respectable record around this course, including 5th in 2001. Against a much-travelled field, she should be 33/1 at most.

Matchup plays (1.5 units unless stated):

Wendy Doolan to beat Heather Daly-Donofrio -118 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Basement clash here, but Doolan has shown her best form in some time in the last two weeks and has finished in the top-20 in each of the last two years here, both times well ahead of her opponent who finished almost last both times.

Beth Daniel to beat Hee-Won Han -118 @ Centrebet
Opposing Han who has yet to play this course and has yet to rediscover her form since the break for the Solheim Cup. Daniel is rested, playing better and has considerable experience around this course.
(also available at Five Dimes)

Laura Davies to beat Hee-Won Han -105 @ Expekt
The same can be said for Davies apart from the rested bit. She in good form, having finished 2nd and 13th in the last two weeks and has good course form with three top-10 finishes in the four years at this course.

Catriona Matthew to beat Laura Diaz -118 @ Expekt
Diaz is a player who has lost her form in the second half of the season with Matthew having a 4-1-0 h2h lead over the past three months. She has also finished 15th and 2nd in the last two years here, so another finish on the fringes of contention is expected from the Scot.

Betsy King to beat Tina Fischer -133 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Easy to oppose Fischer who has missed her last five cuts on the LPGA Tour and finished down in 32nd place when she last played here (2001). King was 10th that year and, comparatively speaking, is in much better form.

Kate Golden to beat Hilary Lunke -115 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Will continue to oppose Lunke. She has made her last five cuts after missing six of seven following her U.S. Women's Open victory, but she has not been competitive and will be making her debut here this week.

Lorie Kane to beat Mi-Hyun Kim -118 @ Expekt
Kim is still struggling with her game and while she finished in the top-20 in the last two weeks, she has only one top-10 finish in her last 16 starts. Kane has finished ahead of Kim in each of the last two years and should repeat the feat again this week.

Meg Mallon to beat Gloria Park +102 @ Five Dimes [3 units]
Two good events for Park in the last two weeks, but will still side with the fresher player at this price. Mallon finished well ahead of Park on the only occasion that Park has played in this event (2001).

Se Ri Pak to beat Grace Park -160 @ Five Dimes
On current form, this would be a close contest: Pak has won two and they have tied in three of their last five events (all in 2nd place), while at the same time no-one has finished outside the top-10. But while Pak has finished 4th, 1st and 1st in this event in the last three years, Park has withdrawn after an opening 77, finished 3rd and then 27th last year. On that basis, she will struggle to keep up with Pak this week.

Final update:

Matchups: 3-4-2; +2.22 units

Doolan/Daly-Donofrio WON by 6
Daniel/Han LOST by 6
Davies/Han LOST by 1
Matthew/Diaz TIED (Dead heat)
King/Fischer WON by 21
Golden/Lunke TIED (Push)
Kane/Kim LOST by 2
Mallon/Park WON by 3
Pak/Park LOST by 5

Outrights: 0-3; -4.50 units

Inkster 14th
Jones 7th
Mallon 12th

Looked like being a good event with a few close matchups, but Jones finished one shot shy of a place win and the profit on the event was to be elusive once Golden finished her tournament with a double-bogey. Looks like being my first losing year on this Tour.