With the AIG Women’s Open starting this Thursday we are once again putting our golf knowledge to the test to give you our top 5 predictions for the Open. We are hoping to pick the winner for the first time (our predictions haven’t always hit the mark) but we did do pretty well with our predictions for the Amundi Evian Championships, with all 5 predictions making the cut and three of the 5 picks featuring in the top 10. Nelly Korda and Jin-Young Ko both finishing T8 and Charley Hull finishing T3.
This year’s AIG Women’s Open will be taking place at Muirfield which proves a challenge to golfers of every ability. The design of this links course is unusual, most links courses run along the coast and then back again leading to two sets of nine holes, the holes in each set facing roughly in the same direction. Muirfield course design has an unusual quirk when its front nine goes in a clockwise direction while the back nice goes counter clockwise. This means that assuming the wind direction remains the same throughout a round, virtually every hole on the course has a different apparent wind direction from the tee. No more than three consecutive holes follow the same direction at any stage.
It is also interesting to note that it wasn’t until 2017 that Muirfield allowed women to join the club for the first time. This significant decision for a club which was founded in 1744 which still retains many of the values and aspirations of its founding members was partly influenced by being banned from hosting the Open Championship due to this rule.
So lets get down to our top 5 contenders and see if we can predict the winner for the AIG Women’s Open!
Lydia Ko
The World number 4 has performed consistently this year, particularly since the start of June where she has finished outside the top 5 in only 1 of her last 6 tournaments. When you look at her stats this year she is consistently in the top 5, and what this course demands in a player who is consistent in all levels of the game. We are predicting at least top 3.
Brooke Henderson
The 24-year-old Canadian who just won the Amundi Evian Championship clinching her second major after her KPMG Women’s PGA Championship win in 2016. She will be brimming with confidence and if she can bring that confidence to this challenging links course, we feel she can adapt her game to the conditions and win. Like Lydia we are predicting she will be in the top 3.
Georgia Hall
The 2021 runner up from last year at the Carnoustie Golf Links Course can beat the best. The former major champion, winning the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open will be a home favourite. Her highest finish this year so far is T8 at last months Amundi Evian Championship, we feel she will feature in the top 10.
Lexi Thompson
World number 7. The American is a former major champion winning the ANA Inspiration (Now the Chevron Championship) in 2014. Showing some glimpses of great form this year, particularly at the KPMG Womens’s PGA Championship finishing T2. Her best stat this year is rounds under par, currently the second best this year at number 2. Our predictions is top 10.
Ayaka Furue
The young Japanese player who turned pro this year has already won her first LPGA Tour Victory, with an impressive win at the Scottish open last week. Showing great form on links courses. Ayaka who finished T19 at the Amundi Evian Championship is showing she has the skill to win tournaments but so far hasn’t shown consistency. As a young player new to the tour this is not surprising but with her impressive win at the Scottish open, we feel as an outside bet this is where we would put our money.
We are hoping that we may have predicted this year’s winner but with the challenge the players must face on the course at Muirfield we could be looking at a surprise winner.
Let us know who your top picks are in the comments below and don’t forget, you can get out on the golf course and join a club with PlayMoreGolf. Explore your local course here or join now.
