After a "catch your breath" week off before the lead up to the first major, the LPGA is back this week in Phoenix with the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. While the top three in the world are not in the field, it’s still a stacked field. We reached out to our LPGA.com experts to get the scoop on who they think will win at Wildfire Golf Club.
The usual suspects – Michelle Wie, Sung Hyun Park and Brooke Henderson came up quite a bit. Adam Stanley strayed from the rest by using a pick on “Pink Panther” Paula Creamer, who makes her much-anticipated season debut.
Adam and I went with an obvious one in Anna Nordqvist. Shame on Ron Sirak and Amy Rogers. Nordqvist lit up the course last year to the tune of 26 birdies and an eagle highlighted by a third round 61.
Ron and Amy are riding Michelle Wie, who is fresh of her first win since 2014 two weeks ago at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Take a look below for our full picks!
Ron Sirak’s picks
Sung Hyun Park -- She'll be out to prove that last year's ROY & POY season was no fluke. Also, with Rolex 1, 2 & 3 not in the field she has a chance to gain ground in the rankings.
Michelle Wie -- She's out to prove that the win in Singapore was no fluke and that she's a legitimate contender for POY in 2018.
Moriya Jutanugarn -- She wants to join Ariya in becoming only the second set of sisters to win a tour event in the 68-year history of the LPGA.
Nelly Korda -- She wants to join Jessica in becoming only the second set of sisters to win a tour event in the 68-year history of the LPGA.
Amy Rogers' Picks
Sung Hyun Park -- She posted a top-13 in her first two appearances in this event and has never carded worse than a 71 in eight rounds. The pressure she’s feeling to perform will be eased this week as she is the top-ranked player in the field at No. 4 with the world’s top-3 players taking the week off.
Michelle Wie -- Riding the momentum she found in Singapore, Wie is determined to keep on winning and will post another solid finish in Phoenix. It will be another confidence boost for Wie as she prepares for the season’s first major in just two weeks.
Lydia Ko -- The former world No. 1 is coming off her first top-10 of the season as she settles in with the swing and caddie changes she made during the off season. Ko has never finished outside the top-10 in this event, including twice as runner-up. She’ll be motivated to keep that streak alive.
Brooke Henderson -- With three top-10s in her first four starts, it’s only a matter of time before Henderson gets her first win of the year. Riding high on the runner-up finish in Singapore, look to see Henderson post a solid finish in Phoenix where she’s never finished worse than T13.
Bret Lasky's Picks
Brooke Henderson – The Canadian is trending way up after two top-10s during the Asia swing. She is 32-under par since her surprising missed cut in Australia. You knew she’d rebound with a vengeance.
Nelly Korda – It’s going to happen soon! I remember watching her slowly build towards a win on the Epson Tour and the same thing is happening on the LPGA.
Anna Nordqvist – She made birdie or eagle on 15 of the final 36 holes last year to win the Founders Cup. Pretty sure that says it all.
Sung Hyun Park – The door is open for Sung Hyun Park since the top three in the world are not in the field. Elite players strike when they see an opening.
Adam Stanley’s Picks
Paula Creamer -- She’s more motivated than ever, and after an overhaul of changes on and off the golf course, I think she kicks off this week, the beginning of her 14th LPGA Tour season, with a bang.
So Yeon Ryu -- Ryu is fourth on Tour in total birdies in 2018, and birdies are the name of the game this week. She also finished tied for fifth last year.
Brooke Henderson -- Henderson has notched three top-10s out of four events so far this year and had her best finish of 2018 two weeks ago. She spent some time during the off-week with PING, whose headquarters are in Phoenix, so she should be dialed-in.
Anna Nordqvist -- How could you not go with the defending champion, especially one who shot 25-under including a course-record 61 during last year’s third round?
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