MINJEE LEE
Age: 27
World ranking: 3
Best result in a major: Win (2022 U.S. Women’s Open & 2021 Evian Championship)
Women’s PGAs played: Seven (Seven cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: T12 (2016)
An out and out star, Lee is arguably playing the best golf of anyone on the LPGA Tour in 2022 with two wins, including a major championship. The West Australian is an elite ball striker that will find Congressional to her liking and showed more good signs last week before a final round 74 dropped her to T18. Putting the key.
Odds: $13
HANNAH GREEN
Age: 25
World ranking: 21
Best result in a major: Win (2019 KPMG Women’s PGA)
Women’s PGAs played: Four (Two cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: Win (2019)
After her extremely strong start to the year at home, Lee’s fellow West Aussie hasn’t quite strung four rounds together often enough to really contend on the LPGA Tour. Powerful off the tee and a very good ball striker, Green is a much improved player than the one who collected this trophy in 2019. Made an early scouting trip to Congressional that will hold her in good stead. Needs to minimise the score damage on any days she doesn’t have her best.
Odds: $34
SU OH
Age: 26
World ranking: 110
Best result in a major: T8 (2016 KPMG Women’s PGA)
Women’s PGAs played: Six (Four cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: T8 (2016)
Another who started the year well at home (winning the WPGA Championship) Oh has not had her best stuff since heading back stateside, or in the majority of her past major starts. But the Victorian is a better player than all that suggests. An excellent putter, the key for Su this week will be finding more fairways to allow for more attacking approach play.
Odds: $126
STEPH KYRIACOU
Age: 21
World ranking: 125
Best result in a major: T13 (2021 AIG Women’s Open)
Women’s PGAs played: Debut
Best Women’s PGA finish: Debut
Still learning the ropes of life on the LPGA Tour in her rookie season, Kyriacou might not have the runs on the board, but when she gets it going is a fearless player who knows how to win. A recent coaching change seems to have helped, so too some advice from our greatest ever Karrie Webb, the Sydneysider recording her best finish two starts ago when sharing 25th.
Odds: $326
RELATED: First round tee times (AEST)
KATHERINE KIRK
Age: 40
World ranking: 179
Best result in a major: 2nd (2010 Women’s Open)
Women’s PGAs played: 17 (Nine cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: T16 (2009)
The most experienced of the Aussie crew in Maryland, Kirk has missed more cuts than she has made in 2022 and will need something special if she is to get in the mix this week. But if the Queenslander gets a sniff, she more than knows how to get across the line. An 11 time winner at the professional level and three times on the LPGA. Kirk has had the most trouble with this event alongside the U.S. Women’s Open of the five majors.
Odds: $751
SARAH KEMP
Age: 36
World ranking:189
Best result in a major: T19 (2021 Evian Championship)
Women’s PGAs played: 11 (Three cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: T37 (2014)
The popular player known as ‘Kempy’ played some of her best golf on the LPGA Tour last year, and although she hasn’t reached those heights again in 2022 you can guarantee she will have been working hard. A very straight hitter, Kemp will need the putter to heat up this week, but with a best finish at major coming late last year, anything can happen.
Odds: $501
SARAH JANE SMITH
Age: 37
World ranking: 347
Best result in a major: T5 (2018 U.S. Women’s Open)
Women’s PGAs played: 10 (Eight cuts made)
Best Women’s PGA finish: T11 (2018)
Since playing at Royal Queensland to start her year, and contending, Smith has played a light schedule on the LPGA Tour in 2022, with the Queenslander playing some solid golf on the secondary Epson Tour. A great record of making the weekend at this event, at her best Smith is a solid player throughout the bag who made a magical run at the U.S. Women’s Open just a few years back.
Odds: $501
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