The best in the world of golf will arrive at the CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California this week for the next major championship on the LPGA Tour. The Women’s US Open began in 1946 and is the longest-running tournament currently on the LPGA Tour. There is no shortage of storylines heading in to this year’s event with an incredible cast of young talent looking to make their mark with a signature win this week.
Event Details
Event: U.S. Women’s Open
Category: LPGA
Date: July 7-10
Location: CordeValle Golf Club, San Martin, California
We would have to rewind all the way back to Meg Mallon’s victory here in 2004 to find a U.S. Women’s Open winner that finished with a score of 10-under or better as this tournament has consistently challenged the best players on the LPGA Tour over the years. In Gee Chun returns as the defending champion after winning here in 2015 but it really isn’t a surprise that she isn’t among the top-five betting favorites to get the job done here in 2016.
Past Five Winners
2015: In Gee Chun -8
2014: Michelle Wie -2
2013: Inbee Park -8
2012: Na Yeon Choi -7
2011: So Yeon Ryu -3
What To Know About The Course
This course will have a very different feel than a year ago when it was on the east coast but the same factors will weigh heavily in to the outcome. Driving Accuracy will be extremely important once again this week but the most important statistics to keep an eye on are Greens In Regulation and Scrambling. Players will have to be able to adjust to their shots off the tee and the ability to finish with the putter will be an important aspect as well. Chun made a late charge at the Women’s U.S. Open in the final round a year ago with birdies on three of her last four holes and the ability to handle the pressure of the moment will undoubtedly be among the keys to success for whichever golfer comes out on top at this year’s tournament.
The Field
Lydia Ko finally broke through when she captured that elusive victory at the Arkansas Championship in her last start and she took a week off to rest heading in to this U.S. Women’s Open where she will be the betting favorite to win outright at +450 odds. Ko will face some tough competition in the form of rising star Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and rookie sensation Ariya Jutanugarn, who round out the top-five in the field according to the sports betting odds. In Gee Chunis listed at +2000 odds while 2014 U.S. Women’s Open winner Michelle Wie is listed as an outstanding value play at +20000 odds.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Brooke Henderson over Stacy Lewis
Henderson is coming off her third career LPGA Tour title after successfully defending her title at the Portland Classic and she isn’t far removed from her first major championship win after she took the Women’s PGA Championship back in June. Henderson has been very consistent for the most part and she should be primed for another solid performance this week. Meanwhile, Lewis coming off a runner-up finish at the Portland Classic but that was her first top-10 finish since she posted another runner-up at the LPGA Classic back in early May. Lewis could very well deliver a strong performance this week but we like Henderson to post a better score and beat out Lewis in the head-to-head sports betting matchup.
Top-Five Pick: Lydia Ko
Ko will be shooting for her first Women’s U.S. Open championship this weekend but she already has two major titles under her belt and she should feel more comfortable on the west coast at a course that has more of a Kiwi feel. The world No. 1 has struggled with consistency at this tournament but she placed 12th in this tournament a year ago and a change in venue should help her to capitalize on her immense potential. Ko has placed in the top-10 in seven of her last 10 starts and it isn’t unreasonable to expect her to finally break through at this tournament and place in the top-five this weekend.
Top 10 Odds To Win The US Open
Lydia Ko +450
Brooke Henderson +1050
So Yeon Ryu +1250
Stacy Lewis +1650
Sei Young Kim +1650
Lexi Thompson +1650
Ariya Jutanugarn +1850
In Gee Chun +1850
Shanshan Feng +2050
Suzann Pettersen +2250
