The LPGA Tour will stay in California for the ANA Inspiration, the first of the five major championships. It is played on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club, and it is named after the entertainer that founded the tournament in 1972; it became a major in 1983. It is known for the jump into “Poppie’s Pond” that the winner performs at the end of the tournament. Odds are courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
Event Details
Event: ANA Inspiration
Category: LPGA
Date: March 29th – April 1st, 2018
Location: Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California
Last year’s event was won by So-Yeon Ryu, her first major championship since the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. However, the tournament was notable for the penalty given to Lexi Thompson. She received a two-stroke penalty for incorrectly placing a marked ball, which was seen by a television viewer, then another two strokes for signing an incorrect scorecard. Thompson was told this after the 12th hole, falling from -16 to -12, and would eventually lose to Ryu in a playoff. The rule has since been changed.
Past Five Winners
2017: So-Yeon Ryu -14
2016: Lydia Ko -12
2015: Brittany Luncicome -9
2014: Lexi Thompson -14
2013: Inbee Park -14
What To Know About The Course
The Dinah Shore Tournament Course is one of the toughest on the LPGA Tour, and it is a place where par is a good score often. The closing stretch can drop you out of a tournament on any day, starting with the par-3 14th hole. Depending on the rough, hitting the fairway is key at this course, but being good on the greens is what could vault players to the top of the leaderboard. It is fast and many of the greens have multiple tiers,which could be the difference between a two-putt and a three-putt.
The Field
Inbee Park and Thompson are the co-favorites at your online sports betting book to win the ANA Inspiration at +1100, then there is a jump to Ariya Jutanugarn and Shanshan Feng at +1800. Brittany Lincicome and defending champion Ryu are next at +2000, and then Jin-Young Ko and In-Gee Chun are rated at +2200 to win the tournament. It is a major championship, so all of the LPGA’s best players will be teeing it up this weekend.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Shanshan Feng over Ariya Jutanugarn
Feng is the underdog in this matchup at +100, while Jutanugarn is favored at -120. Both are looking for their second major title, and Jutanugarn has finished in the top ten in her last two starts here (T-4, T-8). Feng has a pair of top-tens here from 2014 and 2015, and has finished outside the top 20 in the last two years. However, she has finished in the top seven in the last three major championships.
Top-Five Pick: Michelle Wie +650
Wie won the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the beginning of March, and she has three top-six finishes here, including last year’s solo sixth. Wie’s putting has been excellent this season as she ranks ninth on the LPGA Tour, and she gives herself plenty of chances with solid iron play. If she can keep her drives in the fairway (Wie is 116th in driving accuracy), Wie can make some noise come Sunday.
