The LPGA returns to Arizona for the third year of The Ford Championship. For the second year in a row, it will be played at Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass. Here are some of the odds I love and some of the odds I am more skeptical on this week (Odds via Fanduel Sportsbook):
Odds I Love:
- Hyo Joo Kim – It makes no sense for Hyo Joo Kim to be anywhere outside the top three in odds, yet she is placed tied for fourth here at +1800. Kim is coming off a win at the Founders Cup and has an additional top-three finish already this season. She is ranked fourth in the world and is playing some of the best golf of her already accomplished career here in 2026. Also, who won on this course last year again? Hyo Joo Kim.
- Miyu Yamashita – Last year’s LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year is off to a quietly good start in the early stages of 2026. She has three top-10 finishes in four events and is coming off a top five last week at the Founders Cup. Yamashita fits the profile of a player who should have success on Whirlwind Golf Club. The top of the leaderboard was covered with players who hit the ball relatively short, hit it accurately and putt lights out. Yamashita arguably plays that style better than anyone. At +2200, I think she is an excellent bet.
- Youmin Hwang – Youmin Hwang has been so impressive in the early stages of her rookie season. In three events she has placed top 20 in each of them, and was in excellent position at the Tournament of Champions before the bad weather took over. This is a player who can bring a lot of value for now as she continues to be undervalued at +6500.
Odds I am Skeptical About:
- Haeran Ryu – Ryu is an excellent player who I think doesn’t necessarily fit this course’s style. While Ryu is always a threat to finish top 20, as she did here in 2025 with a T17 finish, I don’t see her as a great winning threat, and she has the same odds as players like Hyo Joo Kim and Charley Hull at +1800.
- Sei Young Kim – Kim is coming off an excellent tournament in Menlo Park last week, finishing in third, albeit a distant one, from Hyo Joo Kim and Nelly Korda. I don’t see why she is third in odds though at +1600. Like Ryu, Kim is always a threat to shoot some really low scores, but she also can have some major struggles thanks to her aggressive play style. I don’t think that will work this week, as it didn’t last year when she finished outside of the top 20 thanks to a poor third round.
- Lottie Woad – Woad is an excellent player who will get into contention a lot in her first full season, but where Hwang is being undervalued, I see Woad as a tad overvalued at this stage. She is still learning about the travel that comes with an LPGA Tour schedule and discovering these new courses for the first time. She has performed well, with a group of four top-15 finishes, but at +2700, I think there’s better value elsewhere. If I had to pick a winner between Hwang and Woad, it would probably be close, but the values are so far off.
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