US Women’s Open 2026 Betting Tips: Ina Yoon is our top pick for major

Six weeks on from Nelly Korda producing a dominant display to win the Chevron Championship by five strokes, the women’s major season resumes with the U.S. Women’s Open.

This year, the championship shifts to California, and it’s sure to be an exciting week as the esteemed Riviera Country Club hosts one of the elite events in the women’s game for the first time.

Our LPGA golf expert Jamie Worsley is back with his long read preview for the tournament. Check out his US Women's Open 2026 Betting Tips below, where he has picked out five players, ranging from 33/1 to a huge 110/1...

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You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest US Women's Open Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Beginning as a match-play event in 1946, the U.S. Women’s Open switched to a stroke-play format the following year. It has been held each year since, making it the oldest of the five current majors in the women’s game.

The record of four total victories in this championship is held by Hall-of-Famers Betsy Rawls (1951, 1953, 1957, 1960) and Mickey Wright (1958, 1959, 1961, 1964).

Four players have won the event on three occasions: Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996, 2006), Babe Zaharias (1948, 1950, 1954), Susie Berning (1968, 1972, 1973) and Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984). Meanwhile, among the 10 two-time champions are all-time greats such as Juli Inkster (1999, 2002) and Inbee Park (2008, 2013).

Last five winners:

• 2025 (Erin Hills)

Winner: Maja Stark (-7)

Runners-up: Nelly Korda, Rio Takeda (-5)

• 2024 (Lancaster Country Club)

Winner: Yuka Saso (-4)

Runner-up: Hinako Shibuno (-1)

• 2023 (Pebble Beach)

Winner: Allisen Corpuz (-9)

Runners-up: Charley Hull, Jiyai Shin (-6)

• 2022 (Pine Needles)

Winner: Minjee Lee (-13)

Runner-up: Mina Harigae (-9)

• 2021 (Olympic Club)

Winner: Yuka Saso (-4, playoff)

Runner-up: Nasa Hataoka (-4)

Erin Hills hosted the tournament for the first time in 2025, where Sweden’s Maja Stark successfully converted her 54-hole lead to land a maiden major success.

THE COURSE

Riviera Country Club

• Original architect / Year opened: George Thomas / 1927
• Notable renovations: Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore (1992), Tom Fazio (several times from 1999-2012)
• Tournaments hosted: Genesis Invitational – PGA Tour (61 times between 1929 and 2026), U.S. Open (1948), PGA Championship (1983, 1995), U.S. Amateur (2017)
• Future tournaments: Olympics (2028)
• Par / Yardage: Par 71 / 6,699 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (143-192 yards)
  • 11x par 4s (307-437 yards)
  • 3x par 5s (499-578 yards)
• Course style: A pristine, undulating, and tree-lined parkland with frequent elevation changes. This highly-strategic course has long provided one of the toughest all-round tests on the PGA Tour
• Fairways:
  • Narrow kikuyu fairways (they have the second-lowest driving accuracy percentage on the PGA Tour)
  • Snatchy kikuyu rough and intelligently placed bunkers offer protection
  • Many are doglegging and with trees impeding on playing lines, contenders will find angles into the greens blocked out if they don’t position the ball smartly
• Greens:
  • The large (7,500 sq. ft.), sloping and tiered poa annua greens have consistently ranked among the toughest to putt on the PGA Tour
  • Despite their size, these fast greens are hard to hold, with shaved run-offs littering the perimeters
  • Deep greenside bunkers represent true hazards
• Defences:
  • Tight driving lines guarded by kikuyu rough, bunkers, and trees
  • Poa annua greens are extremely challenging, especially if firm
  • Penal bunkering

Riviera Country Club is one of the most recognisable stops on the PGA Tour and should be a fantastic addition to the list of iconic venues to host a women’s major this week. It not only requires strategy and precision to overcome, but creative shot-makers have often woven their magic to succeed through these winding corridors.

No hole encapsulates the thought-provoking challenge here quite like the diminutive par-4 10^th. At just 307 yards, the hole is the shortest par 4 around the layout and will be drivable over the course of the event. However, with deep bunkers surrounding the elevated, shallow and sloping green, chaos often ensues and if you miss in the wrong spot, achieving a par is no easy feat.

It will be fascinating to see how the best in the women’s game tackle this and all other holes this week.

THE WEATHER

Warm, bright conditions are expected throughout the contest at Riviera, with temperatures forecast to peak at around 23°C each day. Winds should remain relatively light, generally in the 7-8mph range, meaning players are set to enjoy a pleasant week of weather in Los Angeles.

KEY STATS

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR)

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) / Total Driving

SG: Putting (poa annua)

Par 4 Scoring

Each of the last 10 winners of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera have ranked no worse than 15^th in SG: Ball-Striking, with nine of them sitting inside the top 10. I see no reason why that theme won’t continue here.

The par 4s are particularly demanding and it’s on these holes that I expect the event to be won and lost. They’re longer than average and with several playing uphill into the greens, strength with the long irons and/or power off the tee is vital.

That said, the kikuyu rough will punish those who are constantly failing to find fairways, and I think it may pay to focus on the old-fashioned total driving stat this week to find those who blend power and accuracy most successfully.

In addition, poa annua putting surfaces are often regarded as the trickiest to judge. With the greens at Riviera particularly demanding, I’d be keen to get proven poa putters on side.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

There are few courses on tour that I would describe as perfect comps for Riviera, but we certainly have several that share similarities.

2022 Palos Verdes Championship / 2023 DIO Implant LA Open / 2024 Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship (Palos Verdes Golf Club)

California is a sensible place to start, and Palos Verdes stands out, a venue that Riviera designer George Thomas had a hand in creating. It’s a similarly strategic and undulating, tree-lined layout, featuring kikuyu rough, deep, penal bunkers and poa annua greens.

2018-2022 DIO Implant LA Open / 2023-2024 JM Eagle LA Championship (Wilshire Country Club)

Located just 10 minutes from Riviera, Wilshire Country Club has hosted numerous events on the LPGA since 2018. Whilst the fairways are extremely wide at this classic, rolling course, you still need to plot your way around with intelligent shot-making. It’s strongly bunkered and the speedy, elevated poa annua greens are notoriously tricky to putt.

2025 CPKC Women’s Open (Mississaugua Golf & Country Club)

2024 CPKC Women’s Open (Earl Grey Golf Club)

2023 CPKC Women’s Open (Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club)

We move north from California, and it may just prove to be Canada that provides the most helpful guide this week. Each of the last three editions of the CPKC Women’s Open have been held on traditional, strategic, tree-lined courses with narrow, doglegging fairways and poa annua greens.

2026 Kroger Queen City Championship (Maketewah Country Club)

Focussing on setups that we’ve already seen on the LPGA this year, Maketewah Country Club catches the eye. It’s another undulating old parkland that you need to think your way around, showcasing frequent elevation changes, narrow fairways and heavily contoured bentgrass/poa greens.

2016 & 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (Sahalee Country Club)

The moderately undulating Sahalee Country Club is up next. This tightly tree-lined course has narrow, doglegging fairways, poa annua greens and, with holes further protected by smartly placed bunkers and thick rough, it’s a test that requires a thoughtful approach.

2023 U.S. Women’s Open (Pebble Beach Golf Links)

I’m going to head back to California for my last suggestion, Pebble Beach. Despite being much more open with wider fairways, the constant changes in elevation, particularly into the challenging poa annua greens, could see players transfer form to Riviera.

TOURNAMENT TRENDS (2016-2025)

• Seven of the last 10 editions have been won by first-time major champions
• Nine of the previous 10 winners had previously recorded a top-25 finish at the U.S. Women’s Open
• Eight champions since 2016 had a top-five major finish; six had finished inside the top two
• Only two arrived having won earlier that year
• Nine had recorded a top-25 finish across their three prior starts
• Just five had already won on the LPGA

THE FIELD

Our second women’s major of the season brings together 48 of the world’s top 50, headed by Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul at No. 1 and No. 2. Haeran Ryu is the most high-profile absentee, deciding to skip the event in favour of a return home to recharge.

Maja Stark is the defending champion and is one of 11 former winners in the field, joined by Yuka Saso (2024, 2021), Allisen Corpuz (2023), Minjee Lee (2022), A Lim Kim (2020), Jeongeun Lee6 (2019), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Brittany Lang (2016), In Gee Chun (2015), and Michelle Wie West (2014).

The leading players from the Ladies European Tour, KLPGA and JLPGA – Casandra Alexander, Hyunjo Yoo and Shuri Sakuma respectively – will all tee it up.

World No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero gets the chance to test herself against the world’s best. Meanwhile, among the players to come through qualifying are six-time LPGA winner and major champion Danielle Kang, alongside 17-year-old Canadian Anna Huang, who has won three times on the Ladies European Tour in the last eight months.

SELECTIONS

Market leaders: Nelly Korda 4/1, Jeeno Thitikul 9/1, Ruoning Yin 12/1, Hyo Joo Kim 14/1, Hannah Green 16/1, Miyu Yamashita 20/1

1.5 pts Ina Yoon each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 33/1

Considering how favourable this illustrious championship has been to breakthrough winners in recent years, I feel we may be in for another new champion in Ina Yoon. She showed promise during her rookie LPGA season in 2025 and has kicked on significantly this year. As a superb ball striker who has found improvement on the greens, the Korean shapes up well for the challenge at Riviera.

Yoon earned her LPGA card at the 2024 Q-Series and arrived on tour as a two-time KLPGA winner. There were plenty of positives during that debut campaign, none more so than when she finished 14^th at Erin Hills on her U.S. Women’s Open debut.

She began 2026 with a 6^th-place finish in Saudi amongst a top-class field and has carried that form over to the LPGA. A run of six straight top-20s started with a 6^th-place finish at the Ford Championship and includes a career-best major result of 4^th at the Chevron Championship. In addition, she recorded a second top-five of the season just 14 miles away from here at El Caballero Country Club, when 4^th at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

Combining enviable power with accuracy, she is one of the elite drivers on tour, ranking 4^th in total driving and 5^th in SG: OTT. She’s also a strong iron player, ranking 15^th in GIR and has been more precise with the clubs of late, producing positive SG: Approach numbers in her last four appearances.

Even so, the most encouraging aspect of her play this year has been on the greens. She frequently failed to take advantage of her excellent long game in 2025 due to struggles in this area, ranking 132^nd season-long, but has improved by over 100 places to rank 21^st in 2026.

This now gives Yoon a tantalising profile for the test that awaits at Riviera and, with her major results adhering to the tournament trends, there’s every reason to expect a bold display in L.A.

1.25 pts Nasa Hataoka each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 40/1

Nasa Hataoka’s tee-to-green performances have warranted a win this year, but the putter has continually held her back. However, she has twice won on poa annua surfaces in California and, having added some length this year while losing little in accuracy, this could be the ideal venue for her to convert another strong ball-striking week into an overdue major victory.

Nasa’s win at the TOTO Japan Classic at the end of 2025 ended a three-year wait for a seventh LPGA title, and she transported that positivity to the beginning of this season, securing four top-10s in her first six starts. She did miss a couple of cuts on the spin to follow that, though there were signs that her game was coming back together at the Kroger Queen City Championship, as she finished 47^th after a slow start.

Whilst she’s been effective in approach and around the greens, it’s her driving that has contributed most to an impressive ranking of 8^th in SG: Tee-to-Green (SG: T2G). She’s found around nine yards on previous seasons to sit 38^th in driving distance and is still one of the straightest, placing 26^th in driving accuracy, leading to rankings of 6^th in total driving and 9^th in SG: OTT overall.

Hataoka has twice gone close to winning this event, losing out in a playoff to Yuka Saso in 2021 before failing to convert her 54-hole lead at Pebble Beach in 2023, eventually finishing 4^th.

That performance on the poa greens at Pebble would certainly suggest she’s capable of contending once again here and, having won twice in this part of the U.S. on similar surfaces at the 2019 JTBC Classic (Aviara Golf Club) and 2022 DIO Implant LA Open (Wilshire Country Club), she should relish the challenge at this legendary layout.

0.75 pts Mao Saigo each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 90/1

Rose Zhang’s game is moving in the right direction and she’s another who should be seriously looking forward to this local event. That said, with some of the most eye-catching comp form on offer, it’s the credentials of proven major winner Mao Saigo that I prefer just that little bit more.

After earning a major breakthrough at the Chevron Championship, Saigo maintained a high level of form throughout the rest of 2025, including finishing 4^th in this championship at Erin Hills. She didn’t quite get going in the early part of this year but her last two performances have offered huge promise, with top-class tee-to-green displays engineering an 18^th-place finish at the Mizuho Americas Open and a 30^th-place finish at the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Looking closer at statistics from those last two appearances, she ranked 12^th in SG: T2G at the Mizuho and 8^th at the Kroger Queen. The quality she showed with her irons is to be expected from a player who ranks 26^th in SG: Approach and 28^th in GIR, but it was a welcome development to see her find form with the driver, gaining strokes in each.

That is a timely upgrade to bring to Riviera and there’s plenty of evidence that Saigo will like what she finds in California. She’s finished 2^nd (2024) and 3^rd (2025) on comparable layouts at the CPKC Women’s Open in the last two seasons, and with a 7^th-place finish in the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club also boding well, this classy player could just be coming to the boil at the perfect time.

0.75 pts Linn Grant each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 100/1

Linn Grant hasn’t been at her ball-striking peak this year but there are hints that things are beginning to come together. As a great fit for the challenges of Riviera at her best, I’m happy to take the chance on her finding further improvement to contend for a maiden major title this week.

Grant ended 2025 with a victory at The ANNIKA on her second-last outing of the campaign. Beginning this year with promise, finishing 10^th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on her third start, she did follow that with a withdrawal and three missed cuts in her next four. The Swede responded with a 13^th at the Riviera Maya Open and has retained consistency with 34^th and 29^th-place finishes at the Mizuho Americas Open and Shoprite LPGA, respectively.

Having ranked 5^th in SG: OTT and 13^th in total driving in 2025, she has been nowhere near that level this year. That said, as such a consistently strong driver – also ranking 1^st in SG: OTT in 2023 and 6^th in 2024 – it was surely only a matter of time before she got the club under control.

We certainly saw evidence of this at the Mizuho and Shoprite and, as a top-20 par-4 scorer who ranks 34^th in SG: Approach, she appears to be getting ever closer to a big performance.

Grant has recorded a top-10 finish at four of the five majors, which included a 9^th-place finish at Erin Hills 12 months ago, where she of course had to watch long-time friend and rival Maja Stark walk away with the title. That should act as ample motivation here, and with top-10 finishes at the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open and 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship offering extra encouragement, Grant has the ability to ensure this title stays in Sweden.

0.75 pts Maja Stark each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 110/1

If Grant (or anyone else) is to walk away with the title this week, I think there’s a good chance that she’ll have to directly overcome the reigning champion to do so.

Back-to-back winners are understandably rare in this event, but Maja Stark arrives in considerably better form than she did when winning 12 months ago and is hitting the ball superbly. Despite that, she’s around the same odds or bigger than a variety of out-of-form or less proven players, making for an appealing value play at Riviera.

Having finished no higher than 28^th in seven stroke-play starts before last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, Stark’s win at Erin Hills surprised many. In contrast, she’s missed just one cut in eight appearances this year and has recorded four top-25s, descending on Riviera after a 16^th-place finish at the Kroger Queen City Championship last time out.

She struck the ball soundly there and this has very much been the case throughout the season. Her controlled driving has been a particular strength, ranking 10^th in total driving and 29^th in SG: OTT. Additionally, the irons are more reliable compared to 2025, ranking 11^th in GIR and 55^th in SG: Approach as opposed to 71^st and 118^th in those respective areas last year.

Her U.S. Women's Open record is striking. She has recorded four top-20 finishes in six appearances, including a 9^th-place finish at Pebble Beach in 2023 before breaking through at Erin Hills last year. Add in a runner-up finish at the Chevron Championship and her major pedigree is beyond doubt.

A runner-up finish at Wilshire Country Club in 2024 also offers an encouraging piece of comp form. Another strong showing this week would give Stark the opportunity to emulate Swedish golfing legend Annika Sorenstam – who won back-to-back in 1995/96 – and become the first player since Karrie Webb 25 years ago to successfully defend the U.S. Women's Open title.

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