The LPGA will return to Oneida, Wisconsin and the Thornberry Creek golf course for the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic this week. Played in the shadow of Lambeau Field, Katherine Kirk stole the show with her first LPGA victory in seven years in the inaugural edition of this event a year ago. Kirk is back to defend her title in Oneida this week but she won’t be considered among the sports betting favorites to win this tournament. That is because the field for this event is absolutely loaded with the Jutanugarn sisters, Minjee Lee, Nasa Hataoka and Brooke Henderson headlining the field. The betting odds below are provided by BetDSI Sportsbook.
Event Details
Event: Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: July 5th-8th, 2018
Location: Thornberry Creek Golf Course, Oneida, Wisconsin
There will be some notable absences this week including world No. 1 Inbee Park, who is taking the week off following the third major tournament of the season. Despite Park’s absence, there will be a strong cast of contenders looking to take down Kirk and prevent her from successfully defending her title this week.
Past Winner
2017: Katherine Kirk
What To Know About The Course
Thornberry Creek didn’t provide much of a challenge for the top contenders in the field a year ago when Kirk fired a four-day total of 22-under, including shooting a 63 on Day Two. Ashleigh Buhai was one shot back at 21-under while Sei Young Kim finished third at 20-under. There is a very good chance we could see another birdie fest this week with conditions expected to be very good. Scrambling numbers and Putting statistics should be the key to success this week. In order to win, the eventual champion will need to perform at a high level both approaching the greens and then finishing off their holes with consistently strong putting numbers.
The Field
The Jutanugarn sisters will headline the list of sports betting favorites for this tournament with Ariya Jutanugarn listed at +700 odds while Moriya Jutanugarn is listed at +1100 odds. Hataoka is in the mix as well at +1100 odds while some sportsbooks have Minjee Lee listed as low as +1200 odds. Henderson is expected to be in the mix at +1400 odds. Lydia Ko, Sung Hyun Park and Jin Young Ko round out the list of sports betting favorites to win in Wisconsin this week.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Lydia Ko over Brooke Henderson
Henderson’s temper flared when she struggled with her putter last week. While she has talked about getting over her issues on the greens the fact that she has been so inconsistent this season suggests that she has some issues she needs to correct before she can become a perennial contender week in and week out. Meanwhile, Ko is listed at longer odds to win this tournament than Henderson even despite registering two top-10 finishes in her last three starts including a third-place result at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Ko should be able to beat out Henderson in the head-to-head sports betting matchup at favorable odds this week.
Top-Five Pick: Moriya Jutanugarn
It was just a couple of years ago that the elder Jutanugarn ranked 60th on the LPGA Tour in scoring. Now she ranks fifth. Moriya has really picked up her game over the past couple of years and there is no reason to expect her to slow down as she continues to gain confidence and momentum. Jutanugarn is poised for another strong performance this week in Wisconsin following three straight top-15 finishes. Jutanugarn should be a good bet to finish in the top-five this week.
