The LPGA Tour shifts gears and returns to the RTJ Golf Trail in Prattville, Alabama for the Yokohoma Tire LPGA Classic this week. Kris Tamulis shocked the field a year ago when she shot a 65 in the final round to beat Yani Tseng by a single stroke for her first career victory and golfing enthusiasts will be hoping for more drama at this year’s tournament beginning on Thursday morning.
Event Details
Event: Yokohoma Tire LPGA Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: May 5-8
Location: RTJ Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, Prattville, Alabama
There was certainly plenty of drama at last week’s LPGA Tour event with Jenny Shin turning a lot of heads with a two-stroke victory over Mi Jung Hur, Amy Yang and Gerina Piller at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. Lydia Ko’s absence was among the notable storylines last week and that will be the case again with the World No. 1 absent from this week’s event. When she’s not around, it opens up the door for anyone else to walk through. She’s the clear-cut best player on the lady’s circuit and she would be the betting favorite to win this event had she been participating.
Past Five Winners
2015: Kris Tamulis -17
2014: Mi Jung Hur -21
2013: Stacy Lewis -18
2012: Lexi Thompson -17
2011: Katherine Kirk -19
What To Know About The Course
Weather delays throughout the second and third round of the Yokohoma Tire LPGA Classic really disrupted things a year ago as the third round wasn’t completed until Sunday morning with the weather taking its toll on the individual numbers. Tamulis did an excellent job with her Driving Accuracy and that will be an important statistic to keep an eye out for this week. Putting will also be key the with the forecast calling for better weather and the ability to finish on the greens among the most important factors for success this week.
The Field
Tamulis is listed at +250000 to win this event according to at least one sportsbook so it’s safe to say that nobody expects the defending champion to come out on top again. Ko’s absence is among the biggest factors to consider when evaluating a field that is still fairly strong despite the fact that the world No. 1 is missing. In Gee Chun is listed as the betting favorite at +700 followed by Brooke Henderson at +1000 and Piller at +1100. 29 of the top-50 players from the LPGA Priority List will compete in this week’s event including top-five players in Henderson and Stacy Lewis.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Gerina Piller over Stacy Lewis
Piller couldn’t hold on as the hometown favorite at last week’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout but she still recorded a runner-up finish to extend her hot streak. Piller has placed sixth or higher in each of her last four events and we are willing to ride the hot hand by taking her over Lewis this week. The world No. 4 is still a formidable entry but she has gone four straight events without a top-10 finish and we are banking on that trend continuing at least one more week with Piller finishing ahead of Lewis in this matchup.
Top Five Pick: In Gee Chun
It’s hard to argue against In Gee Chun’s position as the betting favorite to win this event outright after another strong finish at last week’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. Chun has already recorded five top-five finishes so far this year and could be overdue for another this week after dialing to finish in the top-10 in each of her last two starts. A 13th place finish would be a strong result for most golfers but Chun started the year absolutely on fire so this week will be considered a bounce back performance as she contends for the outright win.
Top 10 Odds To Win Yokohoma Tire LPGA Classic
Gerina Piller +850
Brooke Henderson +1050
Stacy Lewis +1050
Amy Yang +1050
Haru Nomura +1550
Ariya Jutanugarn +1550
So Yeon Ryu +1550
Minjee Lee +2050
Charley Hull +1850
Hyo Joo Kim +1850
Mi Jung Hur +2250
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