The No. 1 men’s golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, captured the gold medal for the men’s golf competition after a strong Sunday performance. Can the No. 1 women’s golfer, Nelly Korda, follow suit and win a second gold medal in golf for Team USA?
The women’s Olympic competition will tee off at Le Golf National, the same course the men played, this coming Wednesday. Let’s take a look at the full list of odds to win the gold medal and then I’ll break down my top three picks to stand atop the podium.
All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Nelly Korda is set as the betting favorite are +470 odds, giving her an implied probability of winning her second straight gold at 17.54%. Her odds have improved over the past two weeks. She opened as the +600 favorite just a few weeks ago.
Nelly Korda: The No. 1 ranked women’s golfer in the world is going to be competing for her second straight gold medal after having won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She seemed almost unbeatable for a stretch in the middle of the season, winning on an almost weekly basis. Since her most recent win, which came at the Mizuho Americas Open, she has struggled, posting three missed cuts and a T26 finish across four events.
Lydia Ko: There is only one golfer in the history of the sport that has two Olympic medals and that golfer is Lydia Ko. She was the silver medal winner at the 2016 Games in Rio and then followed it up with a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Can she add the missing piece, a gold medal, to her trophy case this week?
I’ve been waiting all season for Rose Zhang to round into form and we may have finally got that sign at the CKPC Women’s Open two weeks ago when she finished T6. She gained strokes in all four major areas which has brought her to now ranking third on the LPGA in total strokes gained this season behind only Nelly Korda and Ayaka Furue.
Zhang is also the only golfer in the entire field who has competitive experience at Le Golf National. She competed for the 2022 Espirito Santo Trophy at the course, which is a team event featuring the best women amateur golfers in the world. Zhang finished tied with the second-best individual score at seven under par, helping lead Team USA to a runner-up finish.
That experience will prove vital this week and it also shows that her style of play will fit this track nicely. She’s my best bet to win the gold medal.
As we know from watching previous men’s events at Le Golf National, driving accuracy is going to prove to be much more useful than driving distance this week, which is why we should consider betting on the most accurate driver in the field, Hyo Joo Kim.
She hasn’t posted a top-10 finish in a while, but she has shown some consistency, finishing 16, 16, and 12 in her last three starts. What’s even more promising is her latest start, a T12 finish at the Amundi Evian Championship, was her best ball striking performance of the season. She gained +3.31 strokes on the field with her approach play.
If she can bring that level of iron play into this week while continuing her excellence off the tee, she’ll be in contention to win a gold medal for South Korea.
For my long shot bet of the week, I’m targeting Aditi Ashok, representing India. She is one of the more accurate drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA, ranking 17th in driving accuracy this season. She’s also fresh off her best finish of the season, a T17 placing at the Amundi Evian Championship where she gained +2.63 strokes on the field with her approach play.
Her lack of distance off the tee hurts her at most LPGA events, but Le Golf National won’t penalize her for it if she’s able to keep the ball in the fairway, which she has proven she can consistently do.
She may be a better bet to finish top 10 or top five, but if you want to sprinkle on a long shot bet at 80-1 odds, Ashok is as good of a bet as any.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
You can check out all of Iain’s bets here!
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - The wait is over.A year after its scheduled premiere date, TGL - the upstart indoor golf league comprising six billionaire-backed fou
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley announced Wednesday that LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann and 2023 Ryder Cup star Nicolai Højgaard received invitations t
This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your qu
Triple Diamond, the third ball to join the Chrome Tour family, was designed to create less spin and a high launch to maximize distance for fast-swinging golfers