The LPGA makes its annual trip to Japan for the 36^th time this week.  This is the third year that Kintetsu Kashikojima CC has been the venue.  Mizuno has always been a scoring haven, no matter the site.  Last year's event was the first one I've seen where the average score was over par, and then just barely.

Not only did Momoko Ueda win on home soil last year, she did it while recording a double-eagle during the final round.  If you've never seen one, take a look:

34 other players from the top of the JLPGA money list join Momoko in the field of 78 this week.  From the list of the Top 20 JLPGA players I posted earlier this week, the ones we should probably keep an eye on include Ji-Hee Lee, Akiko Fukushima, all-time JLPGA victory leader Yuri Fudoh and Sakura Yokomine.  Korea's Ji-Yai Shin is here as well, thanks to her success on this tour in 2008.  The LPGA contingent isn't nearly so strong - the Field Score of 38 is the sixth-weakest of the year.  Headliners include Yani Tseng, Na Yeon Choi, Shin, Inbee Park, Karrie Webb and last week's winner Candie Kung.

The sheer volume of Japanese players in the field plus that Tour's recent history at Mizuno makes it almost mandatory that I pick one of them as at least a CYA.  Ueda's win last year was the seventh time a JLPGA player won this tournament.  Without Annika Sorenstam's dominance in the early part of this decade, there might have been one or two more.  I'm picking Yani Tseng to win, with Jee Young Lee and the JLPGA's Ji-Hee Lee as CYAs.

Stats:  6-31 (10-31 with CYAs), Top Tens 40-93.