The LPGA’s first major championship of the year is set to tee off this week with The Chevron Championship at Mission Hills Country Club. 

Formally known as the ANA Inspiration, the first major championship of the season has a tradition unlike any other tournament on tour. 

Beginning in 1988, the winner of this event traditionally celebrates her victory by jumping in the pond surrounding the 18th green. 

Canadian Brooke Henderson finds herself as one of the favourites to be leaping into Poppie's Pond Sunday afternoon as she is +1200 to capture the second major championship of her career. 

After winning her first major in 2016, Henderson has waited six long years to capture her second and faces a challenging task this week. 

Since that win in 2016 at the Women’s PGA Championship, Henderson has had a few close calls for that second major. 

One of them came in 2020 at this event when she went to a three-way playoff with Mirim Lee and Nelly Korda.

Lee would pull off the win for her first major championship, leaving Henderson tied for second with Korda. 

Before getting some insight from Golf Talk Canada’s Bob Weeks and Adam Scully, let's take a quick look at the odds. 

Betting Odds to win 2022 Chevron Championship - Top 10 

Jin Young Ko                   +550
Lydia Ko                        +1200
Brooke Henderson        +1400
Lexi Thompson              +1600
Atthaya Thitikul              +1800
Inbee Park                     +1800
Danielle Kang                +2000
Patty Tavatanakit           +2000
Xiyu Lin                         +2200
Charley Hull                  +2500

 

Bob Weeks and Adam Scully on Henderson 

Weeks: Henderson comes into the Chevron Championship with the second-best scoring average on the LPGA Tour, a scintillating 68.474. 

There’s lots to like about her game, with her strong putting performance through the first five starts the most notable.

There is a big question mark, however, and that’s with her driver. Henderson will be using a 46-inch driver for the first time and holding the club at the end of the grip, something she’s never done before. In the past, she’s used a 48-inch driver and choked down on it. A new local rule being brought in by the LPGA Tour (it’s already on most other major tours) has forced the change. 

If she can master that club, she should be able to take on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, where she’s experienced plenty of good results, including a playoff loss back in 2020. A dip in Poppie’s Pond is certainly a possibility for Henderson. 

Scully: Brooke Henderson’s season is off to a very consistent start.

In her first five tournaments, her worst finish is a tie for 11th! 

Henderson is looking for her second career major and has done well at this golf course before. 

She has two top 10s in seven starts, including a loss in a playoff back in 2020. 

I think she provides excellent value to win outright at +1400. 

 

Contenders to keep an eye on

While Henderson finds herself near the top of the odds board, there are several contenders in this field. Let’s take a look at some of those more prominent names and why it could be them capturing the first major of the year. 


Jin Young Ko +550

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World No. 1 Jin Young Ko enters as a heavy favourite to win this event, and for a good reason. Dating back to the Cambia Portland Classic in September, Ko has played in nine LPGA Tour events. 

She has won five of those, finished runner-up once, and cracked the top six in the other three. 

The 26-year-old has 24 professional wins, including when she captured her first major championship at this event in 2019. Since that win, Ko has played in nine majors, winning one more and placing in the top 10 three times. 

Weeks: Lydia Ko +1200 

Ko returned to play at last week’s JTBC Classic after sitting out following a positive COVID test.

She finished tied for 12th which was her sixth top-12 finish in her previous seven starts dating back to last season.

A past champion of the Chevron Championship and runner-up last year, Ko’s game has shown a return to form over the last year, in part due to her work with Canadian instructor Sean Foley.

The keys to a successful week will be keeping the ball in the fairway as much as possible and utilizing her wonderful touch on and around the greens. 

Danielle Kang +2000

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Scully: Looking down the board, I’m also very high on Danielle Kang  

This season, she already has a win, a runner-up and two additional top 10 finishes.

Plus, she’s finished T-13 or better three straight years at this tournament.