The LPGA 2016 calendar season will officially tee off this week with the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic from the Ocean Club Golf Course from Paradise Island in the Bahamas. This will be the first of 33 official tournaments on this year’s LPGA Tour schedule with Sei-Young Kim looking to pick up from right where she left off a year ago when she won the event with a 14-under 278. Last year’s showdown required a one-hole playoff Ariya Jutanugarn where Kim managed to survive.
Event Details
Event: 2016 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic
Category: LPGA
Date: January 28th-31st
Location: The Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island, Bahamas
It will be only the third edition of the Pure Silk-Bahamas and the field will hope that the beautiful conditions hold up throughout the entire week. The first edition of this event was shortened to three 14-hole rounds because the constant rain at this time in the year left the course in unplayable conditions. The forecast calls for sunny skies from Thursday through Sunday so we should be in for smooth conditions. The bottom line here is that we don’t have a huge history to work with for this course.
Last Three Winners
2015 – Sei Young Kim -14 (Playoff)
2014 – Jessica Korda -19
2013 – Ilhee Lee -11
What To Know About The Course
The par 72 course stretches to 7,100 yards and while the greens are smooth and the landscape is beautiful, there are plenty of challenges for even the most skilled golfers. The first thing to note with this course in the Bahamas is that it’s very long. You’ll probably want to bet on golfers that have a big game. The next biggest obstacle could very well be the cross winds that batter the island as one big mistake can result in a major drop off on the leaderboard with the power hitters in the best position as they attempt to navigate the long course.
The Field
The field for this event will be very strong including last year’s winner Sei Young Kim, who beat major champion Sun Young Yoo and fellow rookie Ariya Jutanugarn in a one-hole playoff to claim the first of her three victories last year. Kim will be looking to recapture the success from her rookie year but there will be a strong field of contenders looking to knock her off including Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson, who all have designs on opening up 2016 with a victory this week.
Keep an eye on Morgan Pressel as a good long shot to win this event. She had a number of near-misses last year but arrived in the Bahamas early this week to get a jump on her preparation. That extra time could give her the edge over her competitors.
A Good Matchup To Bet
Jessica Korda over Azahara Munoz
Korda actually won this event back in 2014 and she could be a sneaky good play this weekend to challenge for at least a top-10 finish as part of a strong group of second-tier players with the potential to get the job done. Munoz on the other hand finished inside the top-10 in 2015 but she really struggled with consistency throughout the year and we are banking on Korda finishing ahead of her this week in what looks like a strong matchup to bet.
Top Five Prediction: Inbee Park
It’s almost impossible to bet against Park as the No. 2 ranked player on the LPGA Tour and the top-ranked player in this field. The challenge for her will be a little easier after world No. 1 Lydia Ko made the decision to begin her year in Ocala instead of in the Bahamas. The top-ranked American Stacy Lewis will be another solid bet to place in the top-five but look for Park to be a slightly better bet of the two as she looks to add a victory at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic to her already impressive list of accomplishments.
Top 10 Odds To Win Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic
Inbee Park +350
Lexi Thompson +805
Stacy Lewis +905
Sei Young Kim +1015
Ha Na Jang +1850
Cristie Kerr +2250
Hyo Joo Kim +2250
Minjee Lee +2550
Brooke Henderson +3050
