The LPGA Tour is making a huge splash as they close out the 2024 season. With just two events left, the world’s top players are in Belleair, Fla., playing The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. The penultimate event on the schedule, players are fighting to get inside the top 60 of the Race to the CME Globe, as only those in the top 60 will qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship next week and have a chance to contend for the $4 million first-place check, the largest single winner’s prize in women’s golf.

Pelican Golf Club will once again serve as host for The ANNIKA. Nestled near the Gulf Coast, this classic Donald Ross design has provided us with endless entertainment for four years. This tournament has become a template event for all other non-major LPGA stops. As if Annika on property wasn’t enough to get the player’s attention, Caitlin Clark joined the festivities for the Wednesday pro-am.

By no surprise, the top six players in the Rolex Rankings are here to compete alongside 18 of the top 25. We have six players on the odds board below +2000, which is like having six favorites to win. Nelly Korda has the lowest odds, but don’t count out Ruoning Yin, who has won twice in the last month, or Olympic gold medal and AIG Women’s Open winner golfer Lydia Ko. Hannah Green has three wins this year, and Haeran Ryu is coming off three straight top-six results.

Who can capture the crown in Tampa? The list of past champions favors scoring ability, as Korda, Lilia Vu and Sei Young Kim are all major champions. Korda, Ryu and Lydia Ko are the highest-ranked scorers in the field. Can Korda get win number seven, or is Ryu ready to go next level in her career against an elite field?

As usual, the 120-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. Successfully navigating that cutline will require a hot putter. Over the past two years, six players from the top 10 on the leaderboard also found themselves inside the top 10 of putting stats for the week. A player can separate themselves from this field with their flatstick, and great Bermudagrass putters have an advantage.

Watch Angel Yin, Lexi Thompson and Green. Thompson has finished second, second and seventh in this event over the last three years. A phenomenal Florida native, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she conjured up some last-minute magic and gave us a signature win right before she walks away.

The LPGA does not play many par 70 courses. Pelican Golf Club has two par 5s, four par 3s and 12 par 4s, and past leaderboards give an edge to those who score on the par 4s. Seven women inside the final top 10 on Sunday were also in the top 10 of par-4 scoring. An incredible analytic for this week, with two extra 4s than a par-72 layout, Korda, Green, Mao Saigo and Ruoning Yin are the ones to favor. Saigo leads the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race and really deserves a win to cap her debut season.

Great ball strikers excel at Pelican. The subtle slopes and fairway angles give the best a very well-rounded test. Look a little down the board at Sei Young Kim (2020 winner), Lilia Vu (defending champion) and Lauren Coughlin (two-time 2024 winner) when filling out your card. All three have the skills needed to secure a victory on Sunday.

We know those who are facing top-60 elimination have lots to play for, but how about the favorites? There will be a ton of attention on the game’s best. With Nelly near home and not having won since May, you know what she is thinking about. Can Lydia continue her historic season? This betting board is absolutely loaded. Have some fun this week, and pick your favorites.

Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR for Golf Digest, SportsGrid, The Sporting News, LPGA, and PGA TOUR. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.

Who Will Hoist the Trophy at The ANNIKA?

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