FINAL RESULT: 1-2; +0.63pts

Webb 39th
Kim 5th
Miyazato mc

The second of two events this week in which a selection started the final round in 2nd place, but any hopes of putting Jeong Jang under pressure immediately disappeared when she dropped a shot on the first hole and two more in the next five holes. Rather like Gil Morgan before her, she had to secure a late birdie just to save the place money.

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)

Karrie Webb to win 12/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Webb should be no more than a point higher than Ochoa who is available at a best price of 8/1. While Ochoa has been consistently good all season, Webb's 2nd place ranking on the Tour's Scoring Average and Money List categories is courtesy of being the best player on Tour by some distance over the last two and a half months. In that time, she has played seven times, winning twice and finishing second on three occasions. And now she returns to Locust Hill that she admits to always enjoys playing and with good reason: in four previous visits, she has two wins and never finished outside the top-15. Only Rosie Jones has won more money in this event and that was accomplished over 18 attempts, not just four. Over 72 holes, Webb really shouldn't be anywhere other than on the leaderboard on Sunday evening.

Mi Hyun Kim to win 25/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Kim ranks 5th in money won in this event thanks to runners-up finishes in 2004 and 2002, plus making the cut in her four other appearances.  And given that this is a short, tight course, it is not surprising that she plays well around here. She can't match Webb for form, and that is compensated for in the price, but she has won once and finished in the top-10 four times in her last six starts, including 3rd in the McDonald's LPGA Championship last time out. She maybe doesn't win often enough, but she is playing well enough to contend here yet again.

Ai Miyazato to win 33/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes
By contrast, Miyazato is making her debut this week, but these are still surprisingly high odds for a budding superstar of this Tour. There was huge anticipation upon her at the start of the season and she took her time to show her form, finishing 6th in the Takefuji Classic and 5th in the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open, but it has been in the last two Tour events that she has really shown how good a player she is. On both occasions, she held the lead heading into the final round. The finishes of 13th and 3rd may be reason to hold back on her, but those final round performances are worthy of further attention. In the ShopRite LPGA Classic, she held a one-stroke lead heading into the last round, but that was over her idol, Annika Sorenstam, and they were paired in the final group together. Still seeking her first win on Tour in her rookie season, it really is no surprise that she buckled under the pressure. In the McDonald's LPGA Championship, she shared the 54-hole lead with Pat Hurst, but had Michelle Wie playing in the group ahead of her. Still a Tour rookie and now seeking her first Tour win in a major, it was a very creditable performance to finish just one shot outside the playoff. Now we're back to a regular Tour event, there is no Annika or Michelle Wie and she can only take heart from how she got into the lead both times with one round to play and performed better under greater pressure the second time around. She shouldn't be 33/1 again for a while after this event.