CJ Nine Bridges Classic

FINAL RESULT: 2-1; +7.63pts

Park 1st
Ochoa 4th
Kung 42nd

Park atoned for her back nine collapse two weeks ago and finished a clear five-shot winner this week. Ochoa birdied the last two holes to get into the last of the place positions, but with three people sharing that position it was not enough to even return the full stake. Still a good return in a market in which I have struggled this year.

Outright plays (1.5pts):

Grace Park to win 10/1 e.w. @ Stan James, BetInternet and Paddy Power
Siding with the next two best players in this field after Annika Sorenstam who may have won three of her last four events, but should expect a strong challenge from these two. For Park, just one win is a poor return on an otherwise very impressive season. She has finished in the top-3 in ten of twenty starts this year which is a phenomenal strike rate and it includes her last three events. Typically she finished 2nd last year so she can be expected to return a place win if nothing else.

Lorena Ochoa to win 16/1 e.w. @ William Hill
Ochoa ranks one place ahead of Park in 2nd place in the Tour's scoring average stat and they are some way ahead of 4th-placed Cristie Kerr. She has won more titles than Park this year and has also recorded a top-3 finish in her last start, the Samsung World Championship. Ochoa did play in this event last year and finished 13th, so she will be better-prepared to mount a title challenge this year. I would have expected no more than 12/1 on the Mexican.

Candie Kung to win 50/1 e.w. @ Stan James, Centrebet, BetInternet and William Hill
And certainly no more than 40/1 on Kung even with Sorenstam in the field. Kung has finished in the top-20 in each of her last eight starts and in this event last year. A three-time winner on the LPGA Tour last year and a native of Taiwan, she certainly has the ability and the form to earn at least a place win this week.