Office Depot Championship

[Stanley]

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1.5pts)

Paula Creamer to win 11/1 e.w. @ William Hill
With a new course being played this week, I can't see beyond the three most in-form players on the Tour barring Annika Sorenstam. In her last six starts, Creamer has won twice and finished 2nd twice (her last two starts) and she has a total of three wins in her rookie season. And with an extremely impressive performance in the Solheim Cup in the last month as well, she really should be a strong challenger this week. Generally no more than 8/1 elsewhere.

Cristie Kerr to win 14/1 e.w. @ BetInternet
Kerr has finishes of 1st and 2nd in her last two events and her win was by a solitary shot from Creamer in the Wendy's Championship for Children. She also finished ahead of Annika that week, so there is certainly cause for expectation this week. It was her second LPGA Tour title of the season and having finished in the top-5 in both her previous California starts over the last year, she should have a strong claim for a third title.

Jeong Jang to finish in the top-five 5/1 @ Expekt
Jang is also a player in very good form. She has finishes of 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th in her last four starts, but her high finishes pre-date her recent form. She ranks 4th on Tour in top-10 finishes this season with 11 from 21 events and her top-5 record is even more impressive: seven in her last eleven strokeplay events. That consistency, though, is best-rewarded in a place-only market against such a strong field.

 

[Stanley]

Further outright play (1.5pts)

Natalie Gulbis to win 12/1 @ Stan James and Boyle Sports
The fog-delayed Office Depot Championship has ten holes left to play on Monday morning and Gulbis is a very strong position in 4th place, two shots behind Hee-Won Han. She started the day in that position, but hit her approach shot to the tricky 1st hole in the water and make double-bogey. Since then she has been picking up shots where others have failed and she did sound very positive in her post-round interview. She is placed on the fairway on the easy par-5 ninth hole and should make a birdie, at which point she will be level with Catriona Matthew who is 9/2. There is clear value here and given that Han has to come and defend a one-shot lead for ten holes on a crowd-less Monday morning, there is a good chance that she will falter. On the one occasion that she has held the lead heading into the back nine this year - the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in July - she shot 4-over-par for her last eight holes to miss the playoff by one shot.

 

[Stanley]

FINAL RESULT: 0-4; -6.00pts

Creamer 23rd
Kerr mc
Jang 6th
Gulbis 4th

A fitting end to a demoralising week. Golf betting can be torture at times. Because there is one event per week, the build up of anticipation and the potential let-down is so much greater than in other sports. And this was a week of let-downs. Could have had the winner in each of the other three events this week, but they finished 2nd, 2nd and 3rd. But at least the place-only bet on Jang looked safe as she was the joint-leader ... but in the dusk of Sunday evening, Jang contrived to FOUR-PUTT her last hole! And when she returned to continue her final round, she opened with a six. Nine pars later and she finished one shot outside the places and a hugely promising week was turned into a losing one. Really quite demoralising!

LPGA Tour ytd
Outrights: 15-49; +11.58pts
Matchups: 38-20; +50.63pts