The Women’s PGA Championship begins on Thursday and Nelly Korda will try and continue the trend of first-time major championship winners. Korda is the 9/1 favorite to win her first major championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pennsylvania.
- Brooke Henderson is the second pick to win the Women’s PGA Championship
- Former No. 1 golfer and two-time major winner Lydia Ko is trying to win her first Women’s PGA Championship, but has had an up-and-down 2020 season
- ANA Inspiration winner Mirim Lee is trying to become first woman to capture back-to-back majors since Inbee Park in 2013
Korda’s odds to win the Women’s PGA Championship are much shorter than those of the previous two major championship winners. Mirim Lee won the ANA Inspiration last month as a 600/1 underdog. Sophia Popov was 85/1 when she captured the AIG Women’s Open in mid-August.
Odds to Win Women’s PGA Championship
| Nelly Korda | 9/1 |
| Brooke Henderson | 12/1 |
| Danielle Kang | 12/1 |
| Minjee Lee | 14/1 |
| Inbee Park | 16/1 |
| Nasa Hataoka | 16/1 |
| Lexi Thompson | 18/1 |
| Sei Young Kim | 18/1 |
| Lydia Ko | 25/1 |
| Caroline Masson | 33/1 |
| Georgia Hall | 33/1 |
| Brittany Altomare | 40/1 |
| Jennifer Song | 40/1 |
| Mel Reid | 40/1 |
| Moriya Jutanugarn | 40/1 |
| Amy Yang | 45/1 |
| Carlota Ciganda | 45/1 |
| Jessica Korda | 45/1 |
| Yu Liu | 45/1 |
| Sung Hyun Park | 50/1 |
| Stacy Lewis | 55/1 |
| Austin Ernst | 60/1 |
Source: Sportsbook.ag
Though she hasn’t won a major championship, Korda told reporters on Tuesday she has a game plan.
“I mean, every major you want to hit the middle of the fairway and you want to hit the green,†Korda said. “If you have an opportunity, you try to capitalize on that. But pars go a long way.â€
Experience is a Plus at Women’s PGA Championship
Brooke Henderson, the golfer right behind Korda on the betting board, has plenty of major championship experience. The Canadian is at 12/1, along with fellow major winner Danielle Kang.
Henderson won this event in 2016, and though she hasn’t won a major since, told reporters on Tuesday she’s ready to hoist the trophy for a second time.
“I think, you know, winning my first major in 2016, now when I come to a major championship I know that I can compete here,†Henderson said. “I know that I’ve done it before, so that gives me a lot of confidence going into the week.â€
Lydia Ko on Comeback Trail
Few golfers made as big an initial impact as Lydia Ko did. As a teenager, the New Zealander was the No. 1 golfer in 2015, and won two majors by 2016.
The past couple of years, however, have been a struggle. In 2019, Ko only had one top-10 finish in a major. This year, she appears to be in better form, finishing sixth in the ANA Inspiration, and tying for 14th at the AIG Women’s Open.
Ko told reporters on Tuesday the quality of the competition has improved significantly in the past few years.
“I think people don’t realize the amount of talent that is on the LPGA and just in golf in general,†Ko said. “It is that much harder to win and to play great week in, week out, and to those players that have been doing that, I think it just shows how well they’re playing, how well they’re prepping.â€
Can Mirim Lee Buck History?
When Mirim Lee won the ANA Inspiration in September, she bucked huge odds to win her first major championship. Now winning a second consecutive major is just as daunting of a task. The last person to win back-to-back majors was Inbee Park in 2013.
Lee is listed as a 175/1 longshot to win the Women’s PGA Championship. She told reporters on Tuesday she is a better golfer than she was just a month ago.
“A lot has improved since then, and I’ve been working hard enough where a lot has improved, particularly my long game and my downswing,†Lee said. “I’m still trying to work on the follow-through.â€
