The second major of the year is upon us as the best players in women’s golf head to Riviera for the first time. This iconic PGA Tour venue in Los Angeles should deliver a fantastic leaderboard and dramatic finish. Here are three players to target and three players to be skeptical of:
Players to Target:
- Celine Boutier (+4,500) – Boutier is a player that can be a bit of a microwave, meaning that once she gets some momentum, she can get very hot, as showcased in her four-win season in 2023. Boutier has been in strong form as of late, culminating in a win this past week in Atlantic City. Being one of the relatively few players to play last week, she has had a bit less work at Riviera than many of the best in the world, still, this is good value for a player in great form.
- Hannah Green (+1,800) – No matter the course, I am certainly not going to bet against Hannah Green in the City of Angels any time soon. Green, who has four worldwide wins this year already, including one in Los Angeles, has won three times in the city and clearly feels very confident playing in that environment. She should feel good about her chances this week and you should too.
- Casandra Alexander (+12,500) – Getting Alexander, the top ranked player on the Ladies European Tour, at this value is absurd. Alexander proved in major championships last year that she can hang with the best players on the LPGA Tour and has looked excellent this year so far. She is a player that provides some tremendous value when it comes to her results on the year.
Players to be Skeptical of:
- Lydia Ko (+2,200) – These aren’t horrible odds, and Ko, going for the career grand slam, is capable of a major title at any given time. That being said, I don’t see a ton in her game this season to justify her having the seventh best odds. Ko is coming off a solid performance in Cincinnati, but hasn’t been in serious contention on Sunday yet.
- Ina Yoon (+4,000) – There is a lot to love with Ina Yoon, including her great week in LA just earlier this year. Getting +4,000 though for a player that has so little experience competing in majors and has yet to win on the LPGA Tour just feels a little tough regardless of the current form she is in.
- Jeeno Thitikul (+900) – It is hard to ever say the clear cut, undisputed No. 2 player in the world is ever a bad bet, but Thitikul still has the weight of winning her first major on her shoulders, and that weight is getting heavier each start she makes. Thitikul could easily win by four this week and I don’t think anyone would be shocked, but until she gets her hand on a major championship trophy, questions will persist. She has the second best odds this week only behind Nelly Korda.
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