The best on the LPGA Tour will compete in the fifth and final major on the 2016 schedule this week as they make their way to the Haute-Savoie, France for The Evian Championship. 22 of the top 25 players in the Rolex Rankings will compete, including the current world No. 1 and the defending tournament champion Lydia Ko. With a week before the TOUR Championship, the LPGA will get a bigger cut of the spotlight with a chance for its top players to showcase their skill sets.
Event Details
Event: The Evian Championship
Category: LPGA
Date: September 15-18
Location: Evian Resort Golf Club, Haute-Savoie, France
There are only four players that still have a chance to win the Rolex Annika Major Award, which recognizes the player with the best performance in the majors. Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, Brooke Henderson and Brittany Lang are the final four and it won’t be a surprise if all four of those players contend for the win this weekend.
Past Five Winners
2015: Lydia Ko
2014: Kim Hyo-Joo
2013: Suzann Pettersen
2012: Inbee Park
2011: Ai Miyazato
What To Know About The Course
Located in the southeast of France overlooking Lake Geneva, the Evian Resort Golf Club is known for its incredible views but should put a strong field to the test. Ko won this event by six strokes a year ago when she finished at 16-under par, but each of the previous two winners won by two strokes or fewer. Driving Distance will be a little more important at this course than at some of the previous stops but it still might not be as important as accuracy. Putting and Greens In Regulation appear to be the key statistics to look out for once again this week.
The Field
All 13 winners this season on the LPGA Tour will be in the mix in this week’s field. Ko has clearly been the most dominant golfer on a consistent basis over the last two seasons, and considering she won this tournament a year ago it shouldn’t be a surprise that she is the sports betting favorite to win The Evian Championship outright at +400 odds. However, Ko has received some tough competition this year including from the rookie sensation Jutanugarn, who is listed at +700 odds and could very well be the most likely to upset Ko at this event. Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng and Lexi Thompson round out the top-five plays on the board in terms of the sports betting odds but each of those three is listed at +2000 or longer odds. Henderson is listed at +2500 while Lang is listed at an incredible +10000 odds.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Suzann Pettersen over Lexi Thompson
There is a major drop off in terms of the sports betting odds following Ko and Jutanugarn at the top of the board but there are some excellent value matchups to bet in terms of the head-to-head ranks. Pettersen won this event two years ago when it was shortened to 54 holes because of rain and the expectation is that she is in for another strong finish as her focus narrows at the end of the season. Thompson was a runner-up at this event in 2010 and finished third in 2015 but she hasn’t exactly lit it up at this tournament in recent years. With the Solheim Cup right around the corner, Pettersen should be in line for a strong performance and a better result than Thompson.
Top-Five Pick: Lydia Ko
Ko’s numbers this season have been absolutely ridiculous, as she ranks first on the LPGA Tour in Putts per GIR, Putting Average, Scoring Average and Rounds Under Par. Even when she doesn’t win she seems to find herself in the mix, as evidenced by the fact that she has finished in the top-five in seven of her last eight starts including wins at the Arkansas Championship and Marathon Classic. The one notable missing element on her resume is the fact that she hasn’t won a major, but it won’t be a surprise if Ko takes care of business this week and finally breaks through with a major tournament win at The Evian Championship.
Top 10 Odds To Win The Evian Championship
Lydio Ko +450
Ariya Jutanugarn +650
Shanshan Feng +1650
Suzann Pettersen +1650
Sung Hyun Park +2050
Lexi Thompson +2050
In Gee Chun +2250
Brooke M Henderson +2250
Anna Nordqvist +2550
Stacy Lewis +2550
