The LPGA Tour will make its second stop in Michigan this week for the Meijer LPGA Classic from the Bythefield Country Club in Belmont. Lexi Thompson will look to retain her crown as the defending champion at this tournament but it certainly won’t be easy with a strong list of contenders looking to bump her off led by World No. 1 Lydia Ko, rookie sensation Ariya Jutanugarn and rising star Brooke Henderson. These days, the LPGA Tour is about that big three. It used to just be Ko who dominated the headlines but the sensational rookie Jutanugarn won three straight events before Henderson became the second-youngest player to win a major (Ko is the youngest). This trio has created quite the competition on the lady’s tour.
Event Details
Event: Meijer LPGA Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: June 16-19
Location: Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Michigan
The 18-year-old Henderson stole the show in last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by beating Lydia Ko in a playoff in one of the most stunning finishes of the season to date. Ko’s playoff loss has left her winless since a victory at the ANA Inspiration in late March so there is plenty of reason to believe she will be motivated to earn a measure of redemption at this week’s tournament.
Past Winners
2015: Lexi Thompson -18
2014: Mirim Lee -14
What To Know About The Course
Driving Accuracy and Putting statistics should once again be the most important numbers to consider when evaluating the field for this week’s tournament at the Blythefield Country Club as the past two winners have produced at a high level in both of those areas including Thompson last season. Thompson’s 18-under score was just enough to give her a one-stroke victory over Gerina Piller and Lizette Salas and it could very well take a better score than that to come out on top in this year’s tournament.
The Field
Ko is listed as the obvious sports betting favorite heading in to this week’s tournament as she continues to search for her first win since March. Ko’s runner-up finish was a big surprise last week but she is listed at +400 odds to bounce back and finally capture that elusive victory in Michigan. Ko is followed by Jutanugarn at +600 odds and then Henderson at +1200 odds. It was Henderson who upset Ko at last week’s tournament while Jutanugarn followed up a record-string of three straight victories with a third-place finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Thompson rounds out the group of top favorites at +1400 odds followed by In Gee Chun at +1800 and Anna Nordqvist at +2000 odds.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Ariya Jutanugarn over Brooke Henderson
As impressive as last week’s playoff win was for Henderson, it was only her third top-five finish over her last 10 starts with none of those higher than third. Meanwhile, Jutanugarn followed up three straight victories with a third-place finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and showed absolutely no signs of slowing down following a brilliant start to her career. Jutanugarn should be able to keep it going in her first appearance at the Meijer LPGA Classic this week while Henderson should be due for a minor letdown following last week’s emotional victory.
Top-Five Pick: Lydia Ko
There is no doubt that the World No. 1 should be a lock to finish in the top-five this week as she looks to put it all together and finish what she started last week. Ko would have won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship if not for an absolutely brilliant performance by Henderson and we fully expect her to bounce back and contend for the win this week to clinch her third victory of the season. Ko has placed in the top-five in six of her 10 starts so far this season so you should feel comfortable betting on her to make it top-five finishes seven of 11 starts this weekend.
Top 10 Odds To Win The Meijer LPGA Classic
Lydia Ko +330
Ariya Jutanugarn +550
Brooke M Henderson +1050
Lexi Thompson +1250
Gerina Piller +1550
Sei Young Kim +1550
In Gee Chun +1650
Anna Nordqvist +1650
Amy Yang +2050
So Yeon Ryu +2250
