Picks for the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third major of the season is on deck this week at the esteemed Atlanta Athletic Club. Located 20 miles north of the city in the suburb of Johns Creek, the Rees Jones redesign promises to present a stiff test to the competitors.

Headlined by Nelly Korda, fresh off shooting 25-under-par and capturing her fifth career LPGA Tour, the field is loaded with all the big names in professional women’s golf. There are all sorts of ways to bet on the action, so with that, let’s dive into some betting picks for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Brooke Henderson may have lost her edge without having her sister on her bag, and it’s looking like Brooke will be without Brittany for the second straight week. Having said that, the robust length of Atlanta Athletic Club plays right into Brooke’s hands. 

Not so much for Shanshan Feng.

Considering this layout could get stretched out past 6,800 yards this week, prominent ball-striking is one of the keys to a successful week.

If you’re still not convinced that backing Brooke in this head-to-head matchup isn’t one of the best KPMG Women’s PGA Championship picks, let this little tidbit resonate.

Brooke turned pro in 2014 and has played in every edition of the Women’s PGA Championship since 2015. She’s never lost a H2H matchup to Feng at this golf tournament.

-115 is a bargain.

+138 for Danielle Kang to crack the top 20 – sign me up. You can head to the best golf betting sites and lock this wager in too.

One of the grittiest competitors who also happens to be a truly elite putter, Kang’s ball-striking has waned at times and left her in a jam. On that note, spending the past weekend fine-tuning her swing at home with Butch Harmon should help put our minds at ease.

Ranked 5^th on the LPGA Tour in par-4 scoring average, I love Kang’s chances of tallying a top-20 finish at the Women’s PGA Championship. And don’t be surprised if she ends up doing a little more damage than that.

Now for a couple of LPGA betting picks that come roaring with upside. Keep in mind, Hannah Green lifted the LPGA Championship Trophy in 2019 despite being ranked 114^th in the world at the time. It may not be likely that a dark horse captures the hardware in 2021, but it’s certainly not out of the question, which brings me to Jennifer Kupcho.

Priced at +4500 to win at some of the top online sportsbooks, head to BetUS or MyBookie, where the Colorado native is lurking at +6000. Coming off a T10 in Grand Rapids and a T13 in Daly City, the 24-year-old quietly plays some good golf. She’s also a good fit for the challenge that lies ahead.

26^th at the Women’s US Open earlier this month at Olympic Club, Jennifer is building on a major championship resume that includes a T7 at last year’s Women’s PGA Championship. Kupcho was in second place heading into the weekend at Aronimink and knows what it takes to prosper at a tournament of this magnitude.

Moving onto Charley Hull, here’s a 25-year-old Englishwoman who has already been a member of four Solheim Cup teams. An early guide to the 2021 Solheim Cup confirms we can all but pencil Charley in to make her fifth straight squad, although a good performance in Atlanta will cement her status.  

Coming off a 16-under-par performance (T15) at the Meijer LPGA Classic, it’s safe to say that Hull will be sauntering into this week’s festivities, feeling some positive vibes.

Culminating my KPMG Women’s PGA Championship predictions is a nod to Lexi Thompson. Visibly distraught after coughing up an opportunity to win the US Women’s Open, Lexi handled all of her post-tournament obligations about as maturely as one could expect. She just shot four rounds in the 60s at the Meijer LPGA Classic (T20) and seems to be in a great frame of mind entering the third major of the season.

I highlighted Brooke Henderson’s prowess with her driver and her irons in a table above, but there’s only one woman on the LPGA Tour who ranks inside the top 5 in both driving distance and GIR. It’s Lexi.

2^nd in eagles, 4^th in birdies, Thompson clocks in 7^th in the latest edition of the Rolex Rankings. The best remedy to get her past the heartbreak at Olympic Club would be to triumph at Atlanta Athletic Club.