Steve Palmer's Moon Valley Classic preview, best bets, free golf tip

When to bet

7.30pm Wednesday

Best bets

Anna Nordqvist to win the Moon Valley Classic
2.5pts each-way 11-2 Hills
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Cheyenne Woods to win the Moon Valley Classic
1pt each-way 25-1Coral, Ladbrokes
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Preview

Reach for the moon golf punters – there is a tournament starting today that has defied the coronavirus and has been priced up by several bookmakers.

Planet Earth is in the grip of a pandemic, but the Moon Valley Classic at Moon Valley Country Club is set to go ahead at 7.30pm UK and Ireland time on Wednesday, with a few decent female golfers teeing up on the Cactus Tour. This is a feeder circuit for professionals hoping to move on to bigger and better things like the LPGA Tour.

The limited field, three-round event in Phoenix has actually thrown up a serious betting opportunity, with experienced 32-year-old Swede Anna Nordqvist looking well worth an investment at 11-2. She could prove a class apart from her rivals on terrain that suits.

In the male equivalent of this event last week – on the Outlaw Tour – Nordqvist took advantage of a special invite. She competed from the men's tees (7,250 yards) and carded a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to tie for the lead after the opening round in a field containing 80 men.

Nordqvist faded to 28th place in the 54-hole contest, but still beat 60 percent of the men in attendance, and that form is absolutely golden going into this week's much lower grade.

The eight-time LPGA Tour champion, twice a Major winner, attended Arizona State University and still lives in Scottsdale, so is ultra-comfortable in this part of the world.

The younger Amy Olson is favourite with some firms, but Nordqvist seems a much safer bet given how sharp she looked on the Outlaw Tour last week.

Punters seeking a bigger-price option are pointed towards Cheyenne Woods. Tiger's talented niece was born in Phoenix and still lives there, so knows Moon Valley CC well.

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