2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Betting Guide: Will Lexi Thompson Keep Rollin’?

2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Betting Guide: Will Lexi Thompson Keep Rollin’? article feature image
Credit:

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Lexi Thompson

  • The 2019 KPMG Women's PGA Championship gets underway at Hazeltine National Golf Club on Thursday, June 20.
  • Brooke Henderson, Jeongeun Lee6 and Lexi Thompson are the co-favorites at 11-1 betting odds.

Two weeks ago, I laid out the many reasons I love to bet on the LPGA, and last week's winner with Brooke Henderson was a great example.

At 12-1, the odds just weren't accounting enough for her elite course history and consistent play in 2019. In addition to Henderson, I had two other players — Nelly Korda (25-1) and So Yeon Ryu (14-1) — who finished in the top-nine.

We'll look to continue rolling this week, as the world's best descend on Hazeltine National Golf Club for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Three-time KPMG winner Inbee Park (2013, 2014, 2015), Henderson (2016), Shanshan Feng (2012) and Danielle Kang (2017) highlight the other former champions at this event.

Value can be found all over the board this week, with no player sitting at shorter than 10-1 at the time of writing.

Henderson, Jeongeun Lee6 and Lexi Thompson are co-favorites at 11-1 odds. Jin Young Ko, the world's No. 1 player, sits alone next at 14-1.

Let’s take a look at my favorite outright plays, in addition to my top tournament matchup and first-round three-ball.


KPMG Women's PGA Championship Outright Picks

Lexi Thompson

Odds: 11-1

The American has been the definition of sizzling coming into this major championship, reeling off a win two weeks ago at the ShopRite LPGA Classic before finishing tied for second last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Thompson has two top 10s in her last five appearances at this tournament, including a solo third in 2015 and a T-7 in 2017.

Hazeltine should favor those who can bomb it off the tee, and that should suit Thompson’s game perfectly. Thompson ranks eighth on the tour in average driving distance (276.3 yards).

Add in the fact she could take over the No. 1 spot in the Rolex World Rankings this week and you should have a player extremely motivated in her quest for a second career major championship.

Brooke Henderson

Odds: 11-1

Going to ride the hot hand with the Canadian standout. Henderson is fresh off her third LPGA Meijer Classic title and should be in the thick of things on the back nine Sunday in Minnesota.

The world’s No. 5-ranked player, Henderson is one of only two players who has multiple wins on tour this season (Jin Young Ko being the other). Like Thompson, Henderson could play herself into the top spot in the world rankings this week.

So Yeon Ryu

Odds: 16-1

Absolutely love the form the two-time major champion brings into Hazeltine, highlighted by her T-2 finish at the U.S. Women’s Open and T-9 at the LPGA Meijer Classic. Ryu will be looking to turn disappointment into triumph this week at the Women’s PGA Championship after losing last year’s tournament in a three-way playoff with Park and Nasa Hataoka.

Ryu, the world’s No. 9-ranked player, looks ready to have a big performance. A win would mark her first major championship victory since the ANA Inspiration in 2017.

Nasa Hataoka

Odds: 20-1

The world’s No. 6-ranked player lost in heartbreaking fashion at last year’s Women’s PGA Championship, falling in a three-way playoff against Ryu and eventual champion Park.

Hataoka is coming on a T-2 finish last week at the Meijer Classic, highlighted by her final-round 65 that should have her ready to fire this week as she chases her first major championship win.

Sung Hyun Park

Odds: 28-1

Said it last week and I will say it again for those in the back: Give me any number longer than 12-1 on the former world No. 1 and defending Women’s PGA Championship winner, and I'll bet her every time. Park has a win this season at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, along with a T-2 finish at the Kia Classic.

Park is extremely long off the tee, ranking third overall in average driving distance (280 yards), and that is going to benefit her greatly this week at Hazeltine. She should never be sitting at this number and I am happy to jump aboard the Park train as she pursues the third major championship of her career.

Angel Yin

Odds: 100-1

Love this number on the American, who finished T-4 in the 2018 edition of this championship. As previously mentioned, Hazeltine is going to be playing long and that sets up nicely for Yin, who ranks second on the tour in average driving distance at more than 282 yards.

Throw in the fact Yin seems to thrive under major-championship playing conditions — she tied for second at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open and wound up T4 at last year’s Women’s PGA Championship — and it would not be shocking to see her land the first title of her professional career at Hazeltine.

Sue Oh

Odds: 150-1

Your overlay of the tournament. The Australian fired back-to-back rounds of 69 to open the Meijer LPGA Classic, then followed that with a sizzling 8-under-par 64 on Saturday before finishing with a 65 in the final round to finish one shot back of Henderson to get a share of second place.

Outside of that performance, Oh has been pretty underwhelming this season, missing the cut seven times in 14 starts, but something clearly clicked for her last week, making her worth a flier at these odds.


KPMG Women's PGA Championship Head-to-Head Matchup

Danielle Kang (-125) over Bronte Law (+105)

I love Kang, the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship winner, against the upstart Law in this showdown. Kang finished tied for ninth last week at the Meijer Classic and appears to be back in her early season form that saw her finish no worse than a tie for 10th in five of her first seven events.


KPMG Women's PGA Championship First-Round Three-Ball

Jeongeun Lee6 (+110) over Shanshan Feng and Maria Fassi

This really comes down to a battle between Lee6 and Feng if you want to simplify this play. Lee6 is one of the three hottest players in the world, and the reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion has shown no signs of stopping her stellar run. Play Lee6 with confidence.

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