If you were wondering when legal Canadian and US sportsbooks would list any player besides Jin Young Ko as their favorite to win an event on the 2022 LPGA Tour, your wait is over. The last name still brings it this week for the Meijer LPGA Classic, though.
Lydia Ko is a slight favorite to get a win in Belmont, Michigan this week. She faces plenty of capable challengers, however. Thus, sizing up the winners market requires some research.
How to watch and schedule for the 2022 Meijer LPGA Classic
This year’s Meijer LPGA Classic For Simply Give again takes place at the Blythefield Country Club. It’s the eighth year for the event as part of the LPGA Tour. The par-72 tournament carries a purse of $2.5 million.
The tourney starts on Thursday, June 16, and wraps on Sunday, June 19. Bettors can watch the event on the Golf Channel from 3 p.m. through 6 p.m. EDT each day. Rolex World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is not expected to compete this week.
All past winners are in the field including defending champion Nelly Korda. Others are:
- Brooke Henderson (2019 and 2017)
- Sei Young Kim (2016)
- So Yeon Ryu (2018)
- Lexi Thompson (2015)
- Mirim Lee (2014)
Two-time winner Henderson is just off Lydia Ko’s odds to get another victory this week. She isn’t alone, either.
Where the top contenders currently sit
Lydia Ko is +1000 on BetMGM to win this week. Korda and Minjee Lee both sit at +1100 followed by Henderson at +1200. Nasa Hataoka rounds out the top five at +1400. Henderson comes in with a good amount of momentum.
She just won the Shoprite LPGA Classic last week and has four other top-10 finishes this season. At this event, it’s been feast or famine for her, though. Outside of her two wins, her best finish has been tied for 21st.
Ko comes in having finished in the top 10 in consecutive events and doing the same in three of her last four appearances. From 2016 through 2018, she finished in the top 10 at the Meijer LPGA Classic each year.
Korda is probably the biggest wild card here. She has only played in four events so far this season but has top-10 finishes in half of them. Outside of her win at this event last year, she also has top-10 finishes in 2018 and 2019.
Looking further down the futures market, bettors could find some larger potential returns.
Longer shots to take a look at
Thompson is currently +1800 while Kim rests at +4000. Ryu is an even longer shot at +6600 and Mirim Lee is an astronomical +75000. Thompson might be the best value outside of the top five.
In her last six finishes at the Meijer LPGA Classic, she’s never scored outside of the top 10. That includes two runner-up ties in addition to her win. Kim hasn’t played this event in any of the past three years and hasn’t finished in the top 20 since her win.
Ryu has three top-1o finishes but skipped this event last year. Mirim Lee has missed the cut at the Meijer LPGA Classic three years running. Of course, as this year has gone, that just means she’s in line to upset the lines and claim her second win this week.
