The 75th U.S. Women’s Open tees off on Thursday, December 8, in Houston, Texas — the last major of this year unlike any other.
Because of daylight constraints, the first two rounds will be contested on two courses at Champions Golf Club: Jackrabbit and Cypress Creek. The players will play one round on each course on either Thursday or Friday, and once the cut is made after Friday’s round, the final two rounds will be played on Cypress Creek.
So who will be crowned the newest U.S. Women’s Open champion on Sunday afternoon? Check out our staff picks below.
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Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) : With the sour taste of a T2 finish at the ANA still lingering, Nelly Korda (+2800*) is going to finish the job this week. Korda gets her first major championship to cap the year and takes the next step toward superstardom in 2021.
Alan Bastable (@Alan_Bastable): Stacy Lewis (+6600) hasn’t exactly been lighting it up since her win at the Scottish Open in August, but she has a way of seizing the moment: two of her best finishes in her last seven starts came in majors: T33 at the PGA, 5th at the ANA. The Texas native also has something else going for her: local knowledge. Champions is her home course.
Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak): The obvious answer is Sei Young Kim (+600), and I’ll stick with that. She’d be the No. 1 player in the world if Jin Young Ko actually played at all this summer. Kim’s last two starts? Win, win. Yeah, I’m backing her.
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Jessica Marksbury (@jess_marksbury): Going to play the hot hand here and pick last week’s winner, Angela Stanford (+8000) Tour veteran and Texas native. Would be a great story to see her notch a victory in her home state this week.
Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall): Danielle Kang (+1200). She’s finished T12 or better in three of her last four starts. You always expect the cream to rise to the top at majors. I think that’ll once again be the case in Houston.
Zephyr Melton (@zephyrmelton): Anna Nordqvist (+9000). I’m gonna go with the long-shot here and pick Nordqvist, but based on recent performance, it might just work out. The two-time major winner has finished in the top 10 in her last two starts, and her fifth-place showing at the Women’s PGA inspired a lot of confidence in where her game stands.
Nick Piastowski (@nickpia): Brooke Henderson (+1100). Her game is trending in the right direction with four Top 10s in her past four starts – including a tie for second at the ANA and a sixth at the PGA. She wins her second major this week.
Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier): For the first time I can remember, I’m agreeing with Tim. If we’re talking value, what could be better than Nelly Korda at 28-1? I understand there are concerns with her health after a WD in her last start. But if she’s healthy, she’s in the conversation for best player in the game.
Josh Berhow (@josh_berhow): Sei Young Kim has won her last two starts and is the betting favorite. Let’s not overthink this now. She hasn’t finished outside of the top 20 in 2020!
Josh Sens (@joshsens): Lydia Ko (+2800). Biased here, as she is my favorite player in the game (Call me Ko-dependent). But there’s also good reason to believe she’s ready to win again, after a long journey in the wilderness. Her game has been sound, she finished 6th at the ANA. Yes, she had an ugly hiccup in Toledo earlier this year, where she gave a way a win on the 18th hole. But those are the kind of bumps that happen on the comeback trail. She’s proven plenty of times that she can rise to the occasion. Don’t be surprised when she does it again.
*Betting odds from draftkings.com