The LPGA Tour is getting ready for its second major of the season, but first, it is on to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which started in 2007. It has always been played at Pinnacle Country Club, but the first year was a bit of an anomaly as Stacy Lewis “won” as an amateur as the tournament could only have one round due to weather. Lewis will be in the field as a two-time winner as she also won in 2014, along with defending champion Lydia Ko and 2013 winner Inbee Park. There is a $2.0 million purse on the table for the field.
Details
Event: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Category: LPGA
Date: June 23-25
Location: Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas
Ko’s -17 last year set the record and it was also the largest margin of victory at three, so this course can be had. However, you have to be solid from tee to green and you can’t waste any birdie chances here because there have been five tournaments decided by a stroke and four more by a playoff. Your putter has to be sharp here.
Past Five Winners
2016: Lydia Ko -17
2015: Na Yeon Choi -15
2014: Stacy Lewis -12
2013: Inbee Park -12
2012: Ai Miyazato
The Field
Sung Hyung Park enters the week as the favorite, which is a little bit of a surprise. After all, she is just 10th on the money list this season. However, she’s had a strong season overall and has played well of late. She tied for 13th last week, tied for 12th the week before and had a third-place finish before that. She’s been buzzing close to a win and might get it. Next in line is Lydia Ko, who has also been very close and consistent of late, but hasn’t notched that win. She has tied for 10th in back-to-back weeks and now has placed 11th or better in five of her last six outings. So Yeon Row is third in line according to the odds while Inbee Park is fourth. Rounding out the Top 5 is Minjee Lee, who is the final golfer on the board inside of 15/1.
What To Know About The Course
Pinnacle Country Club is just under 6,400 yards and it was built in 1988 as it was designed by Don Sechrest with help from Bruce Lietzke. It didn’t open until 1990 and it has been the home of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship since then, and it was redesigned in 2009 by Randy Heckenkemper, although it is still pretty true to the original design.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Lydio Ko over So Yeon Ryu
Ko is coming off a very nice T-10 at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, which was won by Brooke Henderson, while Ryu missed the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic at the beginning of the month. Before that, Ryu finished solo 56th at the LPGA Volvik Champion last month and she just looks a little out of sorts right now, not a lot, but just a little. That is enough to give the nod to Ko, especially after what she did here last year in running away from the field for her three-stroke win
Top-Five Pick: Suzann Pettersen
Pettersen has been playing very well as of late with three top-10s in a row following a solo 10th-place finish at the Manulife LPGA Classic a couple weeks ago. She missed the cut at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March and then came in tied for 35th at the Kia Classic, and since then Pettersen has put up four top-10s and five top-20s. She has been getting closer and closer to a win, but she is as good as a lock to make it to the weekend, which you need to do first, and then she’ll challenge for the win on Sunday.
Odds To Win The 2017 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Sung Hyun Park +1050
Lydia Ko +1050
So Yeon Ryu +1250
Inbee Park +1250
Minjee Lee +1250
Anna Nordqvist +1550
Suzann Pettersen +1650
Moriya Jutanugarn +2050
Stacy Lewis +2050
Hyo Joo Kim +2250
Michelle Wie +2550
Sei Young Kim +2550
Carlota Ciganda +2550
Mi Jung Hur +3050
Haru Nomura +3050
Gerina Piller +3050
Amy Yang +3550
Karine Icher +3550
Mirim Lee +3550
Jeong Eun Lee +3550
Angela Stanford +5050
Danielle Kang +5050
Jessica Korda +5050
Madelene Sagstrom +5500
Jenny Shin +6550
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