The LPGA Tour season got underway last week with Hyo Joo Kim picking up the victory at the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic. Playing the Bahamas sure helped from a weather perspective as the players were treated to perfect conditions at the Ocean Club Golf Course. The weather is expected to be just as nice this week when the ladies make their way to the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Ocala, Florida for the 2016 Coates Golf Championship. A lot of golf fans were entertained by the weather drama we saw at the PGA Tour’s Famers Insurance Open last week but the ladies aren’t going to have any such obstacles this week.
Event Details
Event: 2016 Coates Golf Championship
Category: LPGA
Date: February 3-6
Location: Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, Ocala, Florida
South Korean Na Yeon Choi won the inaugural Coates Golf Championship a year ago with a final score of 16-under. However, it was Lydia Ko who stole the spotlight with her runner-up finish. A lot of people had been expecting that Ko would become a star last season but few predicted it would happen so soon. Ko placed second to become the youngest Rolex Rankings No. 1 in the history of the LPGA Tour.
Tournament Winnners
2015 – Na Yeon Choi
What To Know About The Course
The Golden Ocala & Equestrian Club is a par 72 course that runs 6,541 yards. The course includes four par 5’s and four par 3’s. The most unique aspect of the course is the way that it borrows from the layout of other famous courses. The Golden Ocala & Equestrian Club features eight replica holes from courses such as St. Andrews, Augusta and Royal Troon. For the most part, the greens are larger than average and the Bermuda grass can play a lot faster depending on the conditions. If you’re looking at players to bet on this week, you’ll want to find someone is sharp on the greens.
The Field
Lydia Ko will make her 2016 debut at the tournament where she officially vaulted to No. 1 in the world a year ago. Ko didn’t win the title, but her runner-up finish made her the most talked about golfer that week. Finishing second at Ocala was the start of an excellent season for Ko, who went on to win five times in 2015 and earn Rolex Player of the Year honors. It should be no surprise that Ko is the betting favorite to win this year’s Coates Golf Championship but she will have some strong competition from the field. Choi is the defending champion while Stacy Lewis, Sei Young Kim and Lexi Thompson should all be in the mix for the victory this week.
A Good Matchup To Bet
Na Yeon Choi over Hyo Joo Kim
Kim is among the betting favorites for this event after her victory last week but there is reason to expect a little bit of a letdown following that impressive win so she could be vulnerable in a matchup with Choi. The defending champion will be looking forward to adding another win to her resume and the familiarity with a course that is located under two hours away from her home in Orlando will help propel Choi with her friends and family on hand this week.
Top-Five Prediction: Lydia Ko
Ko is expected to win this event according to the odds and while her competition will be stiff, there is absolutely every reason to expect her to be a lock for the top-five. Ko has absolutely dominated since her arrival with 11 career wins. Now she gets the opportunity to begin her third professional season in style as she looks to pick up from where she left off last year and challenge for the victory at the Coates Golf Championship. Expect her to play with an edge in this spot as she fell just short at this event last year.
Top Odds To Win Coates Golf Championship
Ha Ja Nang 2/1
Lydia Ko 3/1
Lexi Thompson 5/1
Sei Young Kim 5/1
Stacy Lewis 5/1
Brooke M. Henderson 11/1
