The best ladies golfers in the world will take part in the Kia Classic this week. 23 of the top-25 on the LPGA Tour will take part in the final tune up for the first major championship of the season. The Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California will return as the host course. The tournament has taken place at the Aviara every year since 2013. There is a strong mix of talent and experience among the top contenders for this year’s event. Once again, all eyes will be on World No. 1 Lydia Ko.
Ko is coming off a tie for eighth at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. She is the defending champion at this event, so it’s no surprise that she’s favored to win in this spot. She held off a hard-charging Inbee Park last year to claim the Kia Classic. It was her first win of the year in 2016 and she’ll be aiming for more of the same this year. She has yet to win an event as she has two eighth-place results, but hasn’t done better than that. Ko won last year’s event by four shots, making it the 11th of her career. This will be the eighth year of the Kia Classic event.
Event Details
Event: Kia Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: March 23-26
Location: The Aviara Golf Club, Carlsbad, California
This will be the last chance to get on track before the first major championship of the season in the ANA Inspiration. Ko won this tournament a year ago. The World No. 1 is also in excellent form after registering three straight top-10 finishes. Ko won this event by four strokes a year ago. It should be no surprise that she is once again among the sports betting favorites to win.
Past Five Winners
2016: Lydia Ko -19
2015: Cristie Kerr -20
2014: Anna Nordqvist -13
2013: Beatriz Recari -9
2012: Yani Tseng -14
What To Know About The Course
The Aviara course has featured a couple of absolute birdie-fests over the past couple. The last two winners have posted a combined 39-under score, including Cristie Kerr’s 20-under-par in 2015. Ko finished 19-under last year and it was her Greens In Regulation and Putting numbers that made the difference. Putting will be an important statistic to keep in mind this week. There is also the element of experience, which should help the top contenders in the field.
The Field
Ko is listed at +1200 odds to win, which surprisingly matches her with Shanshan Feng for third on the list of sports betting favorites. Ariya Jutanugarn will once again be the sports betting favorite this week. Jutanugarn is listed at +800 odds. Meanwhile, Inbee Park is also listed ahead of Ko at +1000 odds to win outright. Ha Na Jang, Sung Hyun Park and In Gee Chun are all in the mix as well among the sports betting favorites to win.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Brooke Henderson over Cristie Kerr
Kerr won this tournament back in 2015. However, she has struggled on the LPGA Tour so far this season. Kerr failed to make the cut at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. She finished tied for 48th at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Kerr has the experience and enjoyed success here in the past but clearly she is not in form. Meanwhile, Henderson followed up a fourth place finish at the HSBC Women’s Champions with a 13th place finish at the Bank Of Hope Founders Cup. Henderson is in excellent form and looking to make a statement this week. She represents a strong value pick in the head-to-head sports betting matchup.
Top-Five Pick: Lydia Ko
It would be impossible to overlook Ko based on her recent form and course history. Ko dominated at this tournament a year ago and looked outstanding in each of her last two starts. This will be Ko’s final opportunity to hit her stride before the first major championship of the season. She has talked a lot about being at her best by the time the ANA Inspiration rolls around. There is a good chance Ko delivers her best performance of the season this week at the Kia Classic.
Click here to get all of the latest golf betting lines at BetDSI including head-to-head matchups, props and odds to win each tournament!
