FINAL RESULT: 0-3; -3.00pts

Matthew 52nd
Neumann mc
Koch 79th

Horrible event. The only good news from it was the reduced states on these outright plays.

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)  * Note: stakes are now lower on LPGA Tour outright plays relative to 2005 *

Catriona Matthew to finish in the top-five 8/1 @ Expekt
No Annika in the field, but opting for three conservative place-only plays as this is the first (and therefore more unpredictable than usual) event of the season and these are three players who record a lot of high finishes, but not too many wins. Matthew is the classic example of this as she ranked 3rd behind Annika and Jang in the number of top-10 finishes last year but failed to win an event. However, she did win the 2001 Hawaiian Ladies Open and in her two subsequent events in Hawaii, she has finished 9th and 7th so growing up on the East coast of Scotland has certainly been of use in this part of the world. And having displayed very good form in the Women's World Cup in South Africa last year - she was the low-scorer in the individual round and her team finished 2nd - this should be yet another very high finish from Matthew.

Liselotte Neumann to finish in the top-five 10/1 @ Expekt
Neumann also played in the Women's World Cup and played particularly well over the first couple of days as the Swedish teams coasted to victory. It was nothing more than an extension of her late-2005 form as she finished the season with three consecutive top-3 finishes. Her record in Hawaii is not as spectacular as Matthew's, but three cuts made and a top-10 finish in her penultimate event is enough to not detract from her most recent form.

Carin Koch to finish in the top-five 10/1 @ Centrebet
Koch is the only one of this group to have won last year - Corona Morelia Championship - and she can also boast very good form at the end of last season and a good record in Hawaii. She finished 7th on this course last year and had been 6th in 2002 when the Tour had last been in Hawaii. That's easily enough to warrant value at these odds.