The Evian Championship Power Rankings

Lydia Ko faces a deeply talented field as she prepares to defend her Evian Championship title this week. The final major of the season, co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, may be the most popular player event in the women’s golf season.

The Evian-les-Bain track takes players on a circuitous tour through the French Alps and this year that tour is going to be cold and rainy. It’s going to make Rancho Mirage look like an easy spring stroll in the park!

Who’s likely to emerge at the top of the Evian Championship leaderboard on Sunday?  While Ko remains the favorite, at least as far as the oddsmakers are concerned, Ariya Jutanugarn is pressing hard to overtake her in the world rankings, the LPGA’s season-long Race to the CME Globe, and the Tour’s Player of the Year contest.

Looking at their records to date, Ko and Jutanugarn are so evenly matched that it’s hard to make a reasoned prediction. Still, Jutanugarn – who will bring 5 wins and 11 top-10 finishes to Evian-les-Bains – looks to have a slight edge over Ko, who has 4 wins and 13 top-10s on her 2016 resume.

Jutanugarn can certainly overpower Ko off the tee and in her long game, but does she have the short game finesse that’s necessary to tame the nuanced Alpine Evian track? I’m betting she does and will. Give Jutanugarn the edge this week. She’s very likely to collect a 2nd major championship and lock down the Annika Major Award in a season that started slowly but is looking to have a fairy tale ending for the young Thai player.

The Evian isn’t a two-woman contest and while I’m looking for Jutanugarn and Ko to be slugging it out at the top of the board, even though they’ve both disappointed with recent lackluster performances I’m expecting both Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson to be right there in the mix and ready to take advantage of any stumbles from the Thai and the Kiwi.

Thompson, who was runner-up last year, certainly wants to hoist this trophy and if her flat stick is working she has a winning game in her bag. Every though her Rio performance was a disappointment, Thompson is bringing more experience with the Evian-les-Bains track to the tee than many of the other top contenders. Look for another high finish for Thompson this year.

Beth Allen, who’s the current Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader, is also likely to emerge as a challenger to Jutanugarn and Thompson this week.  Allen’s advantage will be the weather. While she’s no more experienced than Jutanugarn and Henderson on the Evian course, she knows how to deliver a quality game in adverse weather conditions. I’m looking for her to outplay much of the field.

The LPGA’s top rookie, In Gee Chun, is also likely to emerge on the front page of the leaderboard on Sunday. While Chun is still on the hunt for her first 2016 victory, she has 3 runner-up finishes among her 9 top-10s, one of those at the ANA Inspiration. Chun missed the cut at the 2015 Evian but that’s behind her now. With 3 top-10s in her last 3 starts, Chun’s game is fine-tuned and among the best in the women’s game.

Among the veterans, Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen may have the best chance to record a high finish or, under the right conditions, a victory.

Although it’s been almost three years since Lewis hoisted a trophy, she remains in the top ten in the world rankings and that, in itself, is testimony to the consistent quality of her game. She’s persistent, patient, and knows this golf course very well – she’s not finished outside the top 20 since the Evian became a major championship. Don’t count Lewis out. I’m looking for her to contend.

Pettersen is a past winner at Evian (2013) and was delivering a solid game in Canada. Look for her to challenge this week and to be on the front page of the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon.

I’m going to round out my top ten picks with Anna Nordqvist and Minjee Lee. Nordqvist is wanting to remedy that US Women’s Open runner-up finish – it really was something of a default finish – with a major victory and this is her last 2016 opportunity.

Minjee Lee is an emerging star on the women’s golf stage. I think her game is as good as Ko’s and Jutanugarn’s and she’s been steadily building her credentials as a dominant figure in the game. This is her 3rd Evian appearance and she’s finished inside the top 15 in both previous appearances. She has the Evian track figured out and I can easily envision Lee emerging as a serious challenger this year.

The Evian’s going to be an exciting tournament. Will it be one of the young guns hoisting the trophy or will one of the veterans prevail. Sunday will tell the tale!

Cover Image via Twitter