Mizuno Classic

FINAL RESULT: 1-2; +0.94pts

Han 70th
Fudoh 3rd
Kang 15th

Just a scramble for the place money after Annika's opening round, so glad that even though Kang faltered from a promising position over the weekend, Fudoh did not.

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)

Hee-Won Han to win 20/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and Ladbrokes
It is probably a little-known fact that Hee-Won Han did not serve her professional apprenticeship in South Korea like the other 'Seoul Sisters', but did so on the Japan LPGA Tour instead. In 1998, she was named the JLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year, won two tournaments and finished 5th on the JLPGA Tour Money List in 1999 and earned her LPGA Tour Card via Q-School in 2000 and subsequently earned the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year award and won her fourth LPGA Tour victory in wire-to-wire fashion at the Office Depot Championship last month. With her successful history in Japan, which includes a 7th place finish in this event last year and her impressive current form - she followed up her win with a runners-up finish in the Longs Drugs Challenge and a career-best top-10 finish in the Nine Bridges Classic last week - she looked well placed to challenge Annika Sorenstam if she should fail to win this title for a record-breaking fifth time in a row.

Yuri Fudoh to win 25/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and Ladbrokes
Had originally pencilled in Ai Miyazato as the home player to back, but have been put with the draw: she is in Annika Sorenstam's group in a repeat of last year. Just as with Lorena Ochoa in the MasterCard Classic in Mexico in March, the pressure of being the great young home hope was too much for her last year - she was seven shots behind Annika after the first round and only came into the event with a final round 63 - the added pressure of playing with Sorenstam in front of an expectant home crowd will surely affect her play. Instead, Fudoh looks better value at 25s and five places. She currently ranks 2nd in the JLPGA Money List behind Miyazato and attempted to win her sixth consecutive Money List title, winning 22 titles since the start of the 2003 season. Her record in this event is good with top-5 finishes in two of the last three years - she finished 13th on the other occasion, having started the final round in 6th place - and really should feature in the top-5 again this week.

Soo-Yun Kang to win 50/1 e.w. @ BetInternet and Ladbrokes
What a difference a first round makes! Last week she opened with a 81 to lie in last position and 16 shots behind the leader, but shot 67-72 over the weekend to finish 14th and just nine shots behind the wire-to-wire winner. And having finished 1st, 2nd 6th in three of her previous four starts, she is clearly a player in form. A top-10 finish in her sole appearance in this event in 2003 is also supportive so there should be value at these odds.