So-called expert golf tips for this week

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

It’s a bit of lottery picking a winner this week as the world’s best female players experience Congressional CC for the first time in major competition.

I fully expect the cream to rise to the top and, on recent form, I think MINJEE LEE can make it major win No.3.

Great iron play is a must to score well at Congressional and no player can consistently match Lee when she has an iron in her hand.

Sportsbet odds: $13

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

This shapes as an absolutely brilliant contest featuring some of the best players in the game in top form.

All of that doesn't of course make picking the winner much easier, even for those of us who as Mark Hayes points out below picked last week's major winner. I do notice that Hayesy omitted my correct tip of the Top Aussie and the fact that I backed Adam Hadwin to be the first round leader, but enough about me.

Nelly Korda would be a great winner after all she has been through this year, and I think more than one Aussie will be there when the whips are cracking, but LYDIA KO adds another major this week.

The Kiwi has been in sublime form all year and it is a matter of when not if she adds a third major to her belt in this (in form) tipster's opinion.

Sportsbet odds: $12

RELATED: KPMG Women's PGA preview

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

Sometimes in golf it’s a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ and that’s the case this week for New Zealand’s LYDIA KO.

I’ve been on the Ko train for most of the year and especially in recent weeks so while this train is yet to pull into victory station with me aboard, I’m tipping it will be stopping there this week.

Ko's last three starts have been fifth, T4 and fourth outright and in those 11 rounds she has shot in the 70s four times. Ko is too good not to win another major and she’s certainly too good right now to not win the next one.

Sportsbet odds: $12

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

I wanted to be the first to congratulate Jimmy and Rod for tipping the winner in Boston last week, but unfortunately in at least one of those instances, I’m way too late because Jimmy graduated dux from the Greg Norman school of self-flattery.

So in honour of very little recognition of me tipping 100 percent of the female major champions in the past one women’s major championship, I’m going to tip the same person again to allow Jimmy a second chance to give me my dues.

MINJEE LEE can reach No.2 in the world with a bold showing at Congressional and you could make a very strong case that she’s already the No.1 at major championships given her two victories in the past year and the other couple of near misses. She has laid low since the U.S. Open and has officially reached that very rare and luxurious point in any golf career when it’s about titles, not money.

If she plays with that freedom, she’ll win again.

Sportsbet odds: $13

KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP – TOP AUSSIE

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

LEE, LEE, LEE … OI,OI,OI

Sportsbet odds: $13

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

Minjee Lee will likely be amongst the challengers come the weekend based on form and suitability to the layout, but I think it is the 2019 champ HANNAH GREEN who will fly the Aussie flag highest on the learboard.

Green has mixed in some great golf with some indifferent stuff of late, but she often finds her best stuff when the biggest prizes are on the line or the attention is zeroed in on her. A good final round last week will have put a pep in the West Aussie's step and the new Congressional seems a perfect fit.

Sportsbet odds: $41

RELATED: Minjee feeling confidence not pressure

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

Most will — understandably — be picking Minjee Lee for this and it’s difficult to make the case against. But forget justifying anything, these are just picks and I feel like HANNAH GREEN is the Australian to watch this week.

She will be frustrated by her play the last few starts and I don’t see that mediocre form becoming the norm. Green is a big event player and determination alone will count for a lot this week.

Sportsbet odds: $41

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

It’s great to tip Aussies, it makes this bit so much easier. (See MINJEE LEE above).

Sportsbet odds: $13

KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP – OUTSIDER

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

Spain’s CARLOTA CIGANDA has found some form in recent times after a series of missed cuts earlier in the season.

Coming off a T5 last weekend, the World No.54 has not won on the LPGA Tour since 2016 so she’s long overdue.

Sportsbet odds: $61

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

Many of you dear readers may not know the name CHARLOTTE THOMAS but it is a story worth your time with a little Australian flavour thrown in.

To give the Cliff Notes version, Thomas was born in England, grew up in Singapore, found her way to Australia and after a star amateur career missed the entire 2021 LPGA Tour season with a mystery illness.

Returning to action on the WPGA Tour here, Thomas has produced some mixed results since returning stateside, but this week she could very well produce one of her best Tour finishes.

Thomas hits the ball so straight that you would swear she has to lean sideways to see it in flight. That asset will help her place her drives in the right spots this week to attack the new greens that should negate her somewhat indifferent putting form of the year. To boot she is always a great chat, so get around her!

Sportsbet odds: $501

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

She might be a rookie and still have a lot to learn but STEPH KYRIACOU is a winner.

There are payers with better swings, players with better short games and players who are better putters but when it comes to the intangibles that really come to the fore in these big events the Sydneysider has ‘it’.

She showed a flash of what she’s capable of two weeks ago when grabbing the first round lead at the ShopRite tournament in New Jersey and while she faded over the weekend it was an important taste of what it’s like to be in the spotlight at the highest level. If she gets off to a good start expect a much better finish this week.

Sportsbet odds: $326

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

Not even Hank Haney would know that JEONGEUN LEE5 is only the 13th-ranked Lee in the Rolex Rankings. More interestingly, some suspect that she’s only approximately 83% of the player Jeongeun Lee6 is.

Yet, in the (not-so) immortal lyrics of “Everybody Get Up”, Five will make you get up – they were clearly “singing” about the Women’s PGA from memory.

(Look, give me a break, it’s hard enough to pick a winner in the LPGA, let alone a roughie.)

Editor’s note: that’s three crap jokes in succession, you’re out.

Sportsbet odds: $401

PGA TOUR – TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

This is the perfect event and venue for South African CHRISTIAAN BEZUIDENHOUT to break the shackles and gain his first PGA Tour win.

Low scoring is common and aggressive players, like Bezuidenhout, can really shine. He’s shown promise in recent starts with two of his best finishes (T12 and T15) since heading to the U.S. full time at the start of the season.

Sportsbet odds: $67

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

I hate to agree with Rod Morri again, but we did pick the same winner up the road in Brookline last week, so there can't be much wrong with it. (That was for you Hayesy).

MARC LEISHMAN I am certain is now prepping in every way for the Open's return to St. Andrews where he went so close in 2015. But he isn't the kind to just show up to play other events, and especially here, a tournament he has won and nearly did again last year.

Leish was very good at times last week and clearly loves TPC River Highlands. And how can you not love a bloke who doesn't really love to practice on his off weeks and enjoys a beer so much he brewed his own. I'll drink to that!

Sportsbet odds: $51

RELATED: Travelers Championship preview

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

He’s won here, he played well at Brookline and was one shot out of last year’s epic play-off won by Harris English.

If that’s not enough to convince you that MARC LEISHMAN is going to win this week in Connecticut then I don’t know what else to tell you.

Sportsbet odds: $51

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

I want to be the first person in these pages to write the name DAVIS RILEY. The young American in his rookie season finished T31 at Brookline, which wasn’t overly spectacular on the surface. But if you look back in the five preceding events since he missed the cut at Heritage, he has three top-10s and hasn’t been worse than 13th.

I think Marc Leishman will give this thing another shake, but I think Riley’s time is coming pretty soon.

Sportsbet odds: $41

DP WORLD TOUR – BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

RYAN FOX can discount his missed cut at the U.S Open as he heads back across the Atlantic to tee up in Germany this week.

He needs to recapture the form that has yielded two runner-up finishes and a T8 in his past five starts, which has him sitting pretty in the top-10 of the Race To Dubai.

Also in his favour is he enjoys the course, averaging 69.75 for his past eight rounds in the event.

Sportsbet odds: $22

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

BILLY HORSCHEL ought to be applauded for travelling over to Europe again this year for non-majors. Although one hopes for a golfing world where players travel all over so it isn't so noticeable that a Yank has left the comforts of home.

Beyond Horschel's admirable global schedule, there is a lot to like about his chances this week. The MC Hammer at Brookline is just part and parcel of playing U.S. Opens, sometimes you don't have it and the course eats you alive. And the weekend off to see the family before his month long sojourn will have been good for the soul of the occassionally zesty character.

In his last start before The Country Club, Billy won at Jack's place and he won on the Old World Tour last year. Good enough for me.

Sportsbet odds: $11

RELATED: BMW International Open preview

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

Most of the focus this week will — unfortunately — be on the fact that several of the players who have defected to the LIV Tour will be in the field. I don't see any of them winning, however, and wish I’d put my tips in earlier so Brendan James didn't beat me to picking RYAN FOX.

Normally that would be enough to make me look elsewhere but, a bit like Lydia Ko, the Kiwi has done everything but win in recent weeks and the law of averages says that eventually his time has to come.

Sportsbet odds: $22

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

I like who BILLY HORSCHEL has become in terms of his honesty and character, but most importantly his willingness to travel to ply his trade. Horschel has wound back the clock a fair way this year and I think his best will be too good for this field.

Really keen to see how Elvis Smylie goes here in Munich. It’s a course that should suit him and potentially open a lot of doors with a good showing for the young Queenslander whose time will come.

Sportsbet odds: $11

ASIAN TOUR – KOLON THE 64th KOREA OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 

Brendan James – Golf Australia Editor

BIO KIM can make a serious run at making the International team for the Presidents Cup with a victory in his national Open. If he can achieve the feat, he would have completed a rare Korean double, having won the Maekyung Open last month.

Ranked No.101 in the world, Kim has a precise game that wins challenging Open championships.

Adding to my confidence with this tip, is that Kim has four top-10s on the Asian Tour in six starts this year.

JIMMY EMANUEL – Golf Australia Deputy & Digital Editor

Aussie KEVIN YUAN hasn't had many opportunities in 2022, but he has taken the most recent two with a top-10 at the International Series England earning him a big payday at LIV Golf version 1.0.

Likely full of confidence after filling his wallet, Yuan returns to the Asian Tour at an event that is steeped in history but always has an element of anything can happen.

The course is tough, but that will suit the New South Welshman.

RELATED: Korean Open preview

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

The Korean Open is difficult to pick if for no other reason that there is such a heavy local contingent and so many of the names are unknown, even to close observers. Having said that, there are some well credentialed Asian Tour players in the field including Thailand’s PHACHARA KHONGWATMAI.

Yet to win this year he is, however, fourth on the Order of Merit and playing well. His only other appearance here came in 2019 when he was mid field but that was mostly courtesy of a final round 79. A repeat of that is unlikely this week.

Mark Hayes – Man About Golf

Not sure if you know that KEVIN YUAN finished tied 33rd alongside some no-name called Mickelson at the first LIV event in Pomgolia.

But the softly spoken Sydneysider (that’s Yuan if you’re still reading) took home $US146K for his biggest golfing pay day that barely raised an eyebrow amid the controversy, yet will give him enormous freedom back in more regular surroundings this week.

Not having to be the teammate of Dustin Johnson will probably help the nerves, too, for what it’s worth.

Yuan has always had a propensity to make bunches of birdies, so let’s see what effect his engorged bank account will have on that undoubted ability.