LPGA TOUR - US WOMEN'S OPEN

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

The US Women’s Open is set up to be a difficult test and the harder it gets this week, the more it will play into the hands of SO YEON RYU.

It’s hard to believe that it has been nine years since a then 21-year-old Ryu claimed the coveted title and her first major championship. In the years that have followed, she has finished in the top five at the US Open three times. On each occasion, the winning score has not been low, which suggests Ryu is comfortable playing mistake-free golf, making plenty of pars and grabbing birdies when she can.

The World No.14 hasn’t had a win in 2020 as yet but she came close last week, finishing T2 behind Angela Stanford. She’s finding form just at the right time and I expect she will be in the mix heading into the back nine of the final round. Major championship title No.3 awaits.

Sportsbet odds: $26.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor

I am sticking with NASA HATAOKA this week after seeing enough in Texas to suggest a fourth LPGA Tour win isn’t far away.

The rising Japanese star was T10 in her first US Open in 2018 before missing the cut last year, but a venue that will be very unfamiliar for most of the field negates her relative inexperience in America’s national open.

A good ball striker and solid putter, the 21-year-old has the ideal game for success in this event for many years to come.

Sportsbet odds: $23.

RELATED: US Women's Open preview

Michael Jones – Golf Australia writer

Everything points to INBEE PARK for me this week. The two-time champion has one of the best all-round games on Tour and is currently ranked second for her putting average – which should come in handy on the huge greens at Champions – and fourth for driving accuracy.

She also has the most top-10s on Tour this season with seven. Minjee Lee is my pick of the Aussies.

Sportsbet odds: $12.

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

There is no bigger title in women’s golf than the US Women’s Open and it will be an enthralling week in Texas with the very best in the game taking aim at the year’s final major.

The list of potential winners is long and while there are some standouts like Sei Young Kim, Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko and Lexi Thompson I am backing our own SU OH.

Oh generally shines on more difficult layouts and while her US Open record would be disappointing by her own standards (a best of T17 and just two cuts made from five attempts) she played well in Texas last week and after a horror middle stretch of the season is ready to put together four good rounds.

Sportsbet odds: $176.

EUROPEAN TOUR - DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

I’m a firm believer in ‘horses for courses’ and there are few better scorers around the Earth Course than TOMMY FLEETWOOD, the runner-up in this event last year.

Since 2016, the Englishman is whopping 51 under par for the 16 rounds played here … that’s a scoring average of 68.81. If he can replicate his 18 under performance from 2019 he will out a broad smile on his bank manager’s face.

Sportsbet odds: $12.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy Editor

TOMMY FLEETWOOD will surely feel a little unfulfilled by his year due to the lack of a victory anywhere in the world so far in 2020. This is the Englishman’s last chance to change that and I think he will take it with both hands.

Fleetwood was the runner-up here last year and has a strong history of playing his best golf in the desert, add in the benefit of a small break since the RSM Classic and there is plenty to like about the quality ball striker’s chances this week.

Sportsbet odds: $12.

RELATED: DP World Tour Championship preview

Michael Jones – Golf Australia writer

Five-time Tour winner TOMMY FLEETWOOD should be in the thick of the action this week. The Englishman finished runner-up to Jon Rahm – who won’t be defending his title – last year and has been playing very solid golf since missing the cut at the US Open in September.

Fleetwood arrives off the back of three consecutive top-20s, including his playoff loss to Aaron Rai at the Scottish Open in October. He hasn’t finished worse than T21st at this event since 2015.

Sportsbet odds: $12.

Rod Morri – Golf Australia magazine contributor and The Thing About Golf podcast host

I’m not just saying this because he is our guest on the latest The Thing About Golf podcast (an excellent and fascinating discussion with John Huggan which you really should listen to) but because he is a player moving rapidly in the right direction.

Scotland’s ROBERT MACINTYRE is just a month removed from his maiden European Tour victory, the first of what is likely to be many, and with new found confidence and a T14 result here in his only appearance last year all the ingredients are in place for a good week.

Sportsbet odds: $21.

2020 RESULTS

So far our so-called experts have combined to tip 20 winners in 2020, with 99 of their picks recording top-10 finishes that week and a best return of $29 for Adam Scott to win the Genesis Invitational (tipped by Brendan James and Jimmy Emanuel).