While the final major of the PGA Tour is next week, the second-last major of the LPGA Tour is this week and there’s some compelling stories.
The Amundi Evian Championship in France begins Thursday and FanDuel has Jeeno Thitikul (Callaway Chrome Tour X) and Nelly Korda (TaylorMade TP5x) as co-favorites at 9-1. Thitikul has only played five times this year because of her decision to manage her schedule, though she has won once. She tied for fourth last time out after tying for 11th in her previous outing. Korda is winless in nine starts this year after winning seven times last year, though she has made the cut in all of them and has two top-five finishes in her last four events. A neck spasm has affected her play.
Minjee Lee (Callaway Chrome Tour X) recently won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and has three top-15 finishes in her last four starts. She won the event in 2021. She is listed at 16-1.
Amateur Lottie Woad (Titleist Pro V1), a 21-year-old college student from England, scorched the field in the Women’s Irish Open last week, winning by six strokes. In the process she won the Ladies European title, the first amateur to do so in three years. She is attending Florida State and if she finishes in the top-25 this week she will have enough qualifying points to secure her LPGA Tour membership. She has said she hasn’t made up her mind what she plans to do going forward. She is listed at 35-1.
You have to think there will be a huge push for her to turn pro.
THE LEFKO CURSE: Betting on sports has become a part of our everyday life, and each week there are odds on sites that are enticing, but as far as I’m concerned gambling on professional golf takes discipline, which is to say it’s not for the feint of heart. Not only do you have to hope the player makes the cut, but then you have to also hope the player makes it through the 72 holes or longer if there is a playoff.
Let me give you a couple of examples. Whether right or wrong, I chose Aldrich Potgieter (Titleist Pro V1x), who won the Rocket Classic to record his first PGA tournament, to win the John Deere Classic last week. Potgieter easily made the cut but withdrew after the third round, in which he posted a five-over par. No reason was given, but he is scheduled to play this week in the Scottish Open.
In the Travelers Championship, I picked Viktor Hovland (Titleist Pro V1), fresh off a third-place finish in the U.S. Open. Hovland withdrew during the final round of the Travelers with a neck injury.
In both cases, I felt their pain.
HAPPY GILMORE 2: If the sequel of Happy Gilmore is anything like the original, which was hilarious, then it should be interesting.
But sequels often don’t match the original because they were never intended to have a follow-up, or there’s different actors, producers, writers, etc. Think of Jaws 2. It was nothing close to the original, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What an epic film, but aside from Roy Scheider reprising his role of Chief Martin Brody the cast was basically different.
Anyhow, Happy Gilmore 2 is slated to be released later this month, almost 30 years since the original. Once again Adam Sandler stars in the lead role. He was so irreverent in the way he made golf incredibly funny, it’s a wonder it took so long for him to do a sequel. This one has a ton of cameo appearances from many of the game’s current stars, including Rory McIlroy (TaylorMade TP5), Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1), Bryson DeChambeau (Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash), Keegan Bradley (Srixon Z-Star Diamond), Collin Morikawa (TaylorMade TP5), Brooks Koepka (Srixon Z-Star Diamond), Will Zalatoris (Titleist Pro V1x), Jordan Spieth (Titleist Pro V1x), Rickie Fowler (Titleist Pro V1), Justin Thomas (Titleist Pro V1x) and Xander Schauffele (Callaway Chrome Tour).
It also features stars of yesteryear such as Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, John Daly and Corey Pavin.
By the way, when I think of Happy Gilmore I am reminded of the late Bob Barker, who was hilarious in the film.
