LPGA: Predicting the 2016 Major Champions
Evian-les-Bains uniquely suits Lexi Thompson’s game – look for her to hoist the trophy in 2016.
The 2015 Evian Championship was Lydia Ko’s. No doubt about it. Although it looked like Lexi Thompson would challenge Ko Sunday on the front nine, by the time they made the turn Thompson’s game had run out of steam and Ko cruised easily to her first major championship title with a 6 stroke cushion.
Live Feed
FanSided
I confess that I’m tempted to call this one for Ko again in 2016, but then, on reflection, even though I’m confident Lydia Ko will be in contention, I think the outcome is not going to be so clear cut.
Shanshan Feng and Lexi Thompson are both due a major championship win and they both like Evian-les-Bains. But I have my eye on two younger players as well, Alison Lee and Nicole Broche Larsen. Lee is still on the hunt for her first pro win and Larsen hoisted her first trophy at the 2015 Helsingborg Open, so they seem to be unlikely contenders. I don’t discount them. They both had high finishes last year on the Evian track and they both have the kind of game that will play well at Evian.
So, Ko will have to outplay some serious competition from these four players in particular if she wants back-to-back Evian victories. I’m looking for Lexi Thompson to edge Ko off the top of the leaderboard, and I’m also looking for Lee and Larsen to finish well inside the top-10, ahead of both Ko and Feng.
Next: Meet the 2016 LPGA Rookie Class
We’ll get our first look at everybody’s 2016 game at the Pure Silk-Bahamas but all those games will look different as the season advances. Follow the LPGA 2016 season with ProGolfNow on Twitter and Facebook and we’ll watch it unfold together.