Women’s Champions Fantasy Picks
Ladies Dream Golf players have finalized their fantasy picks for the HSBC Women’s Champions. It’s no surprise that Lydia Ko is the overwhelming favorite to take over the Champion of Champions title from Paula Creamer, followed by Amy Yang, Jessica Korda, and Yani Tseng. With all the cards signed for the first round of the Asia’s Major, however, I’m not so sure these are all solid picks.
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The Teen Queen’s trying to make it three-in-a-row this week and further lock down her hold on the top of the Rolex Rankings. She’s coming in hot, with wins at the Women’s Australian Open and the Women’s New Zealand Open — a victory that generated near-euphoria among the home-town galleries at Christchurch last week. But can she do it again? One look at Ko’s first round scorecard leaves me saying, Why not?
Lydia Ko
Ko carded a first round 4-under 68. She’s driving with confidence and why shouldn’t she? She hit 12 out of 14 fairways off the tee, got to the green in regulation 78% of the time and managed to navigate those large, undulating Sentosa greens with 28 putts. I’m expecting all these performance stats to improve as Ko settles in for the 2nd round. She’ll start trailing the leaders, Inbee Park and Yani Tseng by two shots. Given her propensity for birdies, she could be playing even with them by the 2nd round turn.
At first glance Amy Yang’s not a bad fantasy pick either. Like Ko, Yang’s coming in hot from her LPGA Thailand victory, where she edged out Stacy Lewis, Yani Tseng and Mirim Lee for the win, and she’s had a strong early season. But if the first round is a barometer, Yang’s game isn’t quite as strong as it was last week, particularly on the putting surface. Amy Yang may be a case of Ladies Dream Golf players’ wishful thinking.
We’ve all been waiting for Jessica Korda to wake up. I don’t think that’s going to happen in Singapore. Korda carded an even par 1st round, and that’s not going to be enough to get on the first page of the leaderboard this week, not with the top 60 players in the world scrambling for the win.
Like Yang, I think Korda is wishful or maybe even wistful thinking. She didn’t make into the top-12 picks in Tony’s LPGA Report power picks.
Aug 16, 2014; Pittsford, NY, USA; Yani Tseng watches her tee shot on the 8th hole during the third round of the Wegman
Yani Tseng, however, is on her game. In this case I’m thinking along the same lines as the Ladies Dream Golf fantasy players. Tseng’s runner-up tie with Stacy Lewis last week at the Honda LPGA Thailand could well be the beginning of her comeback. She tied the Serene Queen, Inbee Park, for the 1st round low of 66 at the Women’s Champions and she’s playing with a renewed level of confidence and joy. Could that be a signal that the Yani who dominated the Tour in 2011 and 2012 is resurfacing?
Although Tseng was a little bit wild off the tee during the first round in Singapore she showed me last week that she has the ability to make overnight corrections and get back on track. And she’s outdriving both Lydia Ko and co-leader Inbee Park by more than 20 yards on average. This could be Tseng’s week to return to the winner’s circle!
I’m looking for a 2nd round battle between Lydia Ko and Yani Tseng for the top of the board. Now wouldn’t that be fun to watch!