Despite a disappointing showing at last week’s DIO Implant LA Open, Jin Young Ko is still the Rolex World No. 1. For that reason, she’s also legal North American sportsbooks’ favorite to win this week’s Palos Verdes Championship.
The “greens” might be a bit more difficult for LPGA bettors to read this week because of the circumstances surrounding the event. That’s been the case for betting on the tour this year overall, though.
The details on the Palos Verdes Championship
This event keeps the 2022 LPGA Tour in California in its inaugural year. Players will vie for the Palos Verdes Championship title at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates. It’s a par-71 course and the event bears a purse of $1.5 million.
The Golf Channel will carry coverage of the event on a time-shifted basis. The streaming and viewing schedule for the week, with all times EDT, is:
- Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In addition to Ko, six other members of the current Rolex Top 10 expect to vie for the trophy this week.
Final 145-player field for the @PV_Champ pres. by @BankofAmerica ⬇️
Field includes seven of the top 10 in the @ROLEX Rankings and four sponsor invites, including 2022 @anwagolf winner Anna Davis. pic.twitter.com/3EJYBkdekV
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) April 25, 2022
With information on players’ history on this course scant, recent form becomes more valuable for handicapping. That information tells several stories.
How have Ko and other favorites performed recently?
While Ko began her 2022 campaign with a win and followed that up with a top-five finish, her two performances since have left much to be desired. Over her last eight rounds, she has only finished below par twice.
That might send bettors looking further down sportsbook’s winner futures. Other contenders have posted superior results lately. One example is Minjee Lee, who has taken over the scoring average lead on the tour.
Lee tied for third last week and also leads the AON Risk Reward Challenge with an average to par of -1.100. Another from the field to consider is Celine Boutier. Boutier leads the tour in birdies so far and has five top 10 finishes.
Boutier has also only been over par in one round so far this year. For bettors who wish to stake Boutier or Lee, there are options.
The betting lines at legal sportsbooks
Canadian and US licensed sports betting apps have myriad markets for this week’s LPGA action. Many books offer winner futures but there are some other options as well.
The best action on Ko to win sits at the LPGA’s official betting partner, BetMGM. There, she is +800. After all, Ko still does lead the tour in average number of strokes gained.
The best odds on other contenders vary from one operator to the next. Those looking to take Lee should look to BetMGM, Caesars, or FanDuel, for example, to get +1600 action on that bet. BetRivers, PlaySugarHouse, and PointsBet offer +1800 on Boutier.
Speaking of BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse, those books along with DraftKings offer some alternative wagers. The first two offer an array of matchup wagers, pitting individual players against each other in the opening round.
DraftKings has its standard top-10 finish and end-of-round leader futures in addition to its own matchups markets. DraftKings has Boutier -105 to finish better than Lee, for instance.
As long as Ko stays atop the Rolex Rankings, she’s likely to continue to be sportsbooks’ favorite in each event she plays. If she falters again this week, though, she might not keep that top billing.
