Evian Championship field preview and picks
Published
Major championship golf continues this week as The Amundi Evian Championship tees off in Evian-les-Bains, France.
The fourth major on the women’s calendar has a familiar face competing as its returning champion, Canadian Brooke Henderson, enters the week looking to defend her second major championship.
The Smiths Falls, Ont., native won this tournament last year defeating American Sophia Schubert by one shot after with a final score of 17-under par.
Henderson enters this week on the heels of two missed cuts. However, the 25-year-old has been up to the challenge in every major and has finished inside the top 25 in all three.
If she wins this week, she’ll do it at a nice price of +3400.
Let’s take a look at some other notable names and highlight a few picks to win.
Ho Joo Kim +1200
Nelly Korda +1500
Xiyu Lin +1500
Linn Grant +1800
Ayaka Furue +1900
Leona Maguire+1900
Rose Zhang +1900
Atthaya Thitikul +2200
Jin Young Ko +2200
Hyo Joo Kim +1200
One of the favourites for a reason, South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim was once again in the mix for a win at the U.S. Open the last time we saw her in action.
Kim has finished inside the top 10 at four of the last eight majors, a stretch of golf including a tie for third in this event last year.
Kim’s only major championship on her resume came on this course and in this event in 2014 and has six top-25 finishes in eight Evian Championships.
This season, the No. 8 player in the world has played like it.
She leads the LPGA Tour in scoring average and green in regulation. Meanwhile, she is third in driving accuracy and seventh in putts for GIR.
Kim has gained at least 5-plus strokes on the field tee to green in six straight events.
Her putter will let her down at times, but last yearKim gained over one stroke per round on these greens en route to that third place mentioned earlier.
Charley Hull +2700
Trouble is never too far away for Charley Hull.
The 27-year-old has three top-10 finishes this year on the LPGA Tour, although she also has three missed cuts.
One of her most recent rounds on the European Tour almost sums up her year.
18 holes. Ten birdies, One 10. A 68.
Making 10 birdies is impressive, but turning that into a 68 is almost even more impressive.
With higher volatility comes higher risk, but at the price of 27-1, I’m willing to rolling the dice on Hull this week.
Hull has three top 25s in nine Evian Championships.
Last year, Hull fired four rounds in the 60s in this tournament, with three of those 67 or better and tied for third.
She enters this week on the heels of her best finish at a major championship since 2016 with a tie for second at the U.S. Open.
She gained a whopping 6.3 strokes tee to green at Pebble Beach, and added another 9.49 on the greens.
Last year in this event, Hull gained over six strokes tee to green and had one of her better putting weeks of the year.
She could miss the cut, or she could be in the final group on Sunday.
At 27-1, I think it’s worth throwing a dart.