The LPGA tour hops over to Northern Ireland this week for the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational. A total of 144 women, including Jeongeun Lee6, will be teeing off at the Galgorm Castle and Masserenne for the opening round on Thursday, July 29.
DraftKings and BetMGM, the only two major US sportsbooks with live lines for the tournament, give Lee6 and Atthaya Thitikul the best odds of winning.
Jeongeun Lee6 among favorites at the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational
While this event was previously featured on the 2019 Ladies European Tour schedule, it is a first for the LPGA Tour calendar. Moreover, many of the LPGA Tour’s top golfers opted to participate in next week’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics in lieu of competing in the 2021 ISPS Handa Women’s World Invitational.
As a result, this year’s title has become accessible to a number of new worthy adversaries.
Jeongeun Lee6, who ranks 26th in the LPGA, is the betting favorite coming into the first day of competition. According to DraftKings, she has +750 odds of winning the tournament.
While Lee6 might be ranked 26th, she is coming off an impressive performance in last week’s Evian Championship in France. She tied an LPGA-major record by carding a 61 on her third round and entered the final round among the leaders.
BetMGM tells a slightly different story, however situating Lee6 in a tie for the top position with Atthaya Thitikul at +800 odds.
Eighteen-year-old amateur Atthaya Thitikul is given +850 odds of winning at DraftKings, along with +160 odds of a Top 5 finish and -110 odds of a Top 10 finish.
Ranked 86th in the LPGA, Thitikul placed second at the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament in May.
Other top LPGA contenders
This week’s field is chock full of players who could rise from the pack and pull out a win.
Georgia Hall
Ranked 53rd in the LPGA, Georgia Hall sits at +1200 odds of winning on DraftKings, with +240 odds of a Top 5 finish and +110 odds of a Top 10 finish.
Hall tied for 6th place at the Evian Championship last week as well as at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June.
Charley Hull
The 25-year-old Kettering, UK native Charley Hull has competed in 12 LPGA and Ladies European Tour events this year, logging six top 25 finishes during the stretch. Hull logged an eighth-place finish in March at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Hull finished second at this course’s previous tournament in 2019.
DraftKings give Hull +110 odds of finishing in the Top 10 and +240 odds of finishing in the Top 5.
Olivia Cowan
Out of the seven Ladies European Tour events Olivia Cowan has played since the start of June, four of those have been Top 10 finishes. Cowan placed second at the 2021 Scandinavian Championship at the beginning of July. Additionally, the 25 year-old German placed third at the ISPS Handa Women’s World Invitational in 2019.
The odds of Cowan landing a Top 10 finish this year are +500, and odds of her placing in the Top 5 are +1100.
Natalie Gulbis
Veteran LPGA Tour player Natalie Gulbis sits all the way at the bottom of DraftKings’ predictions, with +80000 odds of a win, +15000 odds of placing in the Top 5 and +6500 odds of a Top 10 finish.
BetMGM, who only offers tournament winner betting for this event, has even less faith in Gulbis pulling out a win. The sportsbook positions her with the worst odds at +100000 along with 18 other golfers.
Odds for the top 15 players in the field are as follows at DraftKings:
| Player | Winner | Top 5 Finish | Top 10 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeongeun Lee6 | +750 | +150 | -115 |
| Atthaya Thitikul | +850 | +160 | -110 |
| Georgia Hall | +1200 | +240 | +110 |
| Charley Hull | +1200 | +240 | +110 |
| Yealimi Noh | +1400 | +275 | +120 |
| Lizette Salas | +1600 | +300 | +150 |
| Esther Henseleit | +2200 | +500 | +200 |
| Jennifer Kupcho | +2500 | +500 | +200 |
| Angel Yin | +2800 | +550 | +250 |
| Pajaree Anannarukarn | +2800 | +550 | +250 |
| Mina Harigae | +2800 | +550 | +250 |
| Stephanie Kyriacou | +2800 | +550 | +250 |
| Yu Liu | +3000 | +600 | +275 |
| Ryann O'Toole | +4000 | +800 | +350 |
| Chello Choi | +4000 | +800 | +350 |
Ways to wager on the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational
Putting money on the top player isn’t the only way to get in on tournament action, though it may be the only option available at BetMGM.
DraftKings, however, offers a handful of wagering options for this women’s tournament. The sportsbook lists odds of a player winning the tournament, finishing in the Top 5 and finishing in the Top 10.
Bettors can also wager according to matchups. This happens to be a more common method among golf enthusiasts. Odds are slightly better here, as the best player out of two or three participants rather than out of the entire field.
Bettors can catch the action live beginning Thursday, July 29 at 9 a.m. ET and running until the final round on Sunday, August 1.
Both Golf Channel and NBC Sports will be streaming the tournament.
If you or someone you know has an issue with compulsive gambling, help is available. Hit up ncpgambling.org/chat or call/text (800) 522-4700. Visit the National Council on Problem Gambling for more information about confidential, free resources in your jurisdiction.
