Ford Championship 2026 Betting Tips: 200/1 shot one of five for Arizona

Following a victory for headline selection Hyo Joo Kim at the Fortinet Founders Cup, the LPGA rolls on to Arizona this week, where Whirlwind Golf Club’s Cattail Course will host the Ford Championship for the second year in a row.

Our LPGA golf expert Jamie Worsley is in red-hot form after two winners last week and is back with his usual long-read preview for the tournament. Check out his Ford Championship 2026 Betting Tips below, where he has picked out five players to back ranging from 22/1 to 200/1 including last year's winner...

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You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest Ford Championship 2026 Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Debuting in 2024 at Seville Golf & Country Club, the Ford Championship is one of the newest events on the LPGA. That first edition was won by Nelly Korda, who beat Australian rookie Hira Naveed by two shots.

The tournament moved to Whirlwind Golf Club's Cattail Course in 2025, where Hyo Joo Kim saw off Lilia Vu in a playoff after they finished tied at the top on 22-under-par. She returns to defend at the same venue this year and does so in fine form after last week's victory.

THE COURSE

Whirlwind Golf Club – Cattail Course

• Original architect / Year opened: Gary Panks / 2002
• Par / Yardage: Par 72 / 6675 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (140-180 yards)
  • 10x par 4s (337-439 yards)
  • 4x par 5s (495-524 yards)
• Course style: Flat and reasonably exposed desert course, with holes framed by waste areas packed with native foliage
• Fairways:
  • The gently undulating bermudagrass fairways are generous
  • With little rough, it's left to some large, strategically-placed bunkers to offer protection
• Greens:
  • Small-to-average (5,900 sq. ft.) bermudagrass greens overseeded with poa trivialis
  • Predominantly elevated, these subtly-undulating surfaces can run at a speedy 12 on the Stimpmeter
  • Often narrow/shallow in shape and at an angle to the fairway, hitting the correct spots is tough
  • Tightly-mown grass around many asks questions of the short-game skills
• Defences:
  • Water features and wetlands are in play on seven holes
  • Open nature of the layout makes it susceptible to wind
  • Firm and fast greens can pose a difficult short-game challenge

The Cattail Course sets up as a birdie-heavy test, with four gettable par 5s and a number of short par 4s that can be attacked with a strong drive and a wedge. Wide fairways and limited hazards also contributed to the low-scoring edition in 2025, and unless there is more wind on the cards, I anticipate another birdie-fest in Arizona.

THE WEATHER

It's forecast to be a hot week at Whirlwind GC, perhaps uncomfortably so, with temperatures up to 38°C predicted. There is again a lack of wind, meaning there will be little respite for players in the sweltering heat.

KEY STATS

SG: Around-the-Greens (SG: ATG) / Scrambling

Mastering these greenside surrounds was key to scoring in 2025, and with similar conditions on the way, I expect quality around the putting surfaces to again be important.

• 2025
  • Hyo Joo Kim (Winner): 6^th in SG: ATG / 8^th in scrambling
  • Lilia Vu (2^nd): 11^th in SG: ATG / 14^th in scrambling
  • Allisen Corpuz (3^rd): 2^nd in SG: ATG / 1^st in scrambling
  • Lindy Duncan (5^th): 3^rd in scrambling
  • Mi Hyang Lee (6^th): 1^st in SG: ATG
  • Lydia Ko (6^th): 3^rd in SG: ATG / 12^th in scrambling
  • Saki Baba (6^th): 8^th in SG: ATG / 12^th in scrambling

SG: Putting (bermudagrass/poa trivialis overseed)

A strong all-round display with the short game proved vital for many of the main contenders. Anyone who typically putts overseeded bermudagrass greens will be of particular interest.

• 2025
  • Hyo Joo Kim (Winner): 9^th in SG: Putting
  • Lilia Vu (2^nd): 1^st in SG: Putting
  • Jeeno Thitikul (4^th): 3^rd in SG: Putting
  • Lindy Duncan (5^th): 12^th in SG: Putting

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

Birdie-or-Better %

Although it wasn't too prevalent across the top performers last year, strength with the irons is no doubt a plus. Meanwhile, those who rank high in birdie-or-better % are of obvious interest on a setup that delivers countless scoring opportunities.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

HSBC Women's World Championship (Sentosa Golf Club – Tanjong Course)

As a reasonably spacious course that showcases a difficult test on and around its speedy bermudagrass greens, it's no surprise that Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course developed sturdy form ties with this week's host.

Notable correlating form:

• Hyo Joo Kim: Ford (1^st) / HSBC WWC (1^st)
• Allisen Corpuz: Ford (3^rd) / HSBC WWC (3^rd)
• Jeeno Thitikul: Ford (4^th) / HSBC WWC (2^nd, 4^th)
• Lindy Duncan: Ford (5^th) / HSBC WWC (7^th)
• Mi Hyang Lee: Ford (6^th) / HSBC WWC (3^rd, 4^th)
• Gaby Lopez: Ford (6^th) / HSBC WWC (4^th)
• Yealimi Noh: Ford (6^th) / HSBC WWC (7^th)

Chevron Championship (Carlton Woods – Nicklaus Course)

The Nicklaus Course at Carlton Woods is another flat venue with wide fairways and fast, elevated bermudagrass putting surfaces.

Notable correlating form:

• Hyo Joo Kim: Ford (1^st) / Chevron (2^nd)
• Lilia Vu: Ford (2^nd) / Chevron (1^st)
• Allisen Corpuz: Ford (3^rd) / Chevron (4^th)
• Jeeno Thitikul: Ford (4^th) / Chevron (4^th)
• Lindy Duncan: Ford (5^th) / Chevron (2^nd)

Women's Scottish Open

Due to the flat, exposed terrain, wide fairways, and perplexing green complexes of many links courses, we saw some notable crossover form with the Women's Scottish Open at last year's Ford Championship.

Notable correlating form:

• Hyo Joo Kim: Ford (1^st) / Scottish (2^nd, 2^nd, 3^rd)
• Jeeno Thitikul: Ford (4^th) / Scottish (2^nd)
• Mi Hyang Lee: Ford (6^th) / Scottish (1^st)
• Yealimi Noh: Ford (6^th) / Scottish (7^th)

Buick LPGA Shanghai (Qizhong Garden Golf Club)

Qizhong Garden Golf Club is a tree-lined yet open layout that has produced two low-scoring editions in the previous two years. With the wide bermudagrass greens lacking protection, it asks similar questions to the Cattail Course off the tee.

Notable correlating form:

• Lilia Vu: Ford (2^nd) / Buick (2^nd)
• Jeeno Thitikul: Ford (4^th) / Buick (1^st)
• Lindy Duncan: Ford (5^th) / Buick (7^th)
• Yealimi Noh: Ford (6^th) / Buick (4^th)

THE FIELD

We have another top-class field on the LPGA this week, which includes eight of the world's top 10 and 22 of the top 25. Jeeno Thitikul (No. 1) and Nelly Korda (No. 2) again lead the way, this time joined by No. 3 Charley Hull, making just her third appearance of the season.

Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim is up to No. 4 after last week's triumph and, alongside the aforementioned Nelly Korda, both former winners of this event are in attendance.

Nelly's older sister and six-time tour winner Jessica Korda makes her return to full LPGA action after being absent since 2023; Lexi Thompson tees it up for the first time in 2026; and current No. 10 amateur Asterisk Talley is in as a sponsor's invite.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders: Nelly Korda 6/1, Jeeno Thitikul 15/2, Sei Young Kim 16/1, Charley Hull 18/1, Hyo Joo Kim 18/1, Haeran Ryu 18/1

2 pts Miyu Yamashita each-way (1/5 - 5 places) @ 22/1

Despite finishing 5^th at the Founders Cup – her fourth top-20 finish in four starts this year – Miyu Yamashita has been pushed out in price this week. That is no doubt due to her missed cut here last year, though as a quality short-game performer who is good in approach, I see no reason why she can't improve considerably this time around.

Coming off two victories in 2025 – including her major breakthrough at the Women's Open – Yamashita began 2026 with a 5^th-place finish at the Tournament of Champions. She followed with results of 18^th at the Honda LPGA Thailand and 10^th at the HSBC Women's World Championship before that quality display in California.

The diminutive Japanese star led the tour in SG: Putting last year and is 13^th this season. She also ranks 3^rd in scrambling and, sitting inside the top 25 in GIR and birdie-or-better % in 2025, her profile ticks all the boxes.

There's no real excuse for Yamashita's missed cut at the Cattail Course 12 months ago, as she was in decent form, but I'm happy to put it down as a minor blip. Her 4^th-place finish at the Buick LPGA Shanghai at the end of the previous season is a plus, and with that victory in the Women's Open also boding well, expect another strong performance this week.

1.25 pts Chizzy Iwai each-way (1/5 - 5 places) @ 35/1

Producing a dominant display to win the Riviera Maya Open by six shots, Chizzy Iwai enjoyed a winning rookie season in 2025. She’s gone well in the early weeks of this year and, having played well at Whirlwind GC after a slow start 12 months ago, she has every chance of becoming a two-time LPGA winner this week.

Iwai finished down the leaderboard in the season-opening Tournament of Champions but has progressed nicely since. She was 9^th at the Saudi Ladies International on her next appearance before backing that up with an excellent 2^nd-place finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand the following week. Meanwhile, she arrives here after finishing 19^th at the Founders Cup.

Her tee-to-green game stood out in 2025, ranking 15^th, and she’s again looking strong this campaign, sitting 14^th. She’s particularly impressed with the short game, placed 8^th in scrambling and 16^th in SG: ATG, while she’s also a handy 24^th in SG: Approach.

Iwai opened with a one-over 73 at this venue in 2025 though soon got the hang of things, firing rounds of 66, 67 and 68 to finish 22^nd on just her second start in the U.S. as a full LPGA member. Returning with not only more experience but as a proven winner, I’m confident she has the winning formula for the Cattail Course.

1 pt Angel Yin each-way (1/5 - 5 places) @ 70/1

Angel Yin won at Whirlwind GC’s Devil’s Claw Course as a junior all the way back in 2012. Those positive memories certainly seemed to help last year, as she finished 13^th at the Cattail Course and, arriving after playing some of her best golf for several months, she’s well priced to go even better this time.

Yin was looking good at the beginning of 2025, but her form completely tailed off towards the end of the year. This malaise continued into the new campaign, as she finished 37 of 39 players at the Tournament of Champions and 48^th at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

The American suddenly burst into life at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, recording a 3^rd-place finish and there was again promise last week in California, where she finished 19^th.

Ending 2025 ranked 13^th in SG: Putting and 45^th in SG: ATG, her short game is one of the most reliable on tour. However, this recent upturn in form has been engineered by significantly improved approach displays, ranking 14^th at the HSBC WWC and 12^th at the Founders Cup.

That makes Yin a serious danger at a course where she was the second-best putter in 2025, helping her fire four rounds in the 60s on the way to a 13^th-place finish. With a victory at the Buick LPGA Shanghai strengthening her case, along with finishes of 2^nd at the Chevron Championship and 3^rd at the HSBC WWC, she represents excellent value this week.

0.75 pts Erika Hara each-way (1/5 - 5 places) @ 80/1

As a five-time winner on the JLPGA, Erika Hara is one of the more experienced and high-class rookies on tour this season. Securing two top-20s in two starts, she’s settled in right away and, with a strong all-round game, she can contend at Whirlwind GC.

Hara earned her spot on the LPGA via the Epson Tour in 2025, where she won once, recorded eight further top-10s, and finished outside the top 30 on just one occasion in 18 appearances. She began this year with a 10^th-place finish at the Blue Bay LPGA and was set to go even better at last week’s Founders Cup, where she entered the final round in 5^th place before a closing 74 saw her slip to 19^th.

Her iron play stood out there, ranking 1^st in GIR and 2^nd in SG: Approach. These are areas in which she was 13^th and 16^th respectively last season. That said, she gained strokes through the bag and, also among the top-five birdie makers on the Epson Tour, she can score heavily enough to challenge.

Hara’s solo win in 2025 came on a similarly open and exposed layout at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, where she shot 18-under-par to win that 54-hole contest. If able to build on her early momentum at this level, she’ll be a serious danger in Arizona.

0.5 pts Julia Lopez Ramirez each-way (1/5 - 5 places) @ 200/1

Despite missing the cut last week, I’m going to take a chance on Julia Lopez Ramirez at a huge price. Hitting the top 25 in her first two appearances, she actually started the season well and, with eye-catching gains made in approach, this major talent could be one of the breakout stars of the season.

Lopez Ramirez’s rookie 2025 campaign offered plenty of promise, as she recorded a 3^rd-place finish at the Women’s Scottish Open and made three of four cuts in the majors, including a 19^th-place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open. She began this season in Saudi, finishing 51^st, though improved across her next two starts, finishing 24^th at the Honda LPGA Thailand and 10^th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, before missing the cut last week.

The Spaniard is not only the longest hitter on tour but, ranking 4^th in SG: OTT in 2025, she’s also one of the best. However, it’s the improvements made with the irons that have really stood out this year, going from sitting 126^th in SG: Approach in the previous season to 4^th in 2026. She’s also 9^th in GIR, 11^th in birdie-or-better %, and as a decent putter, she has the game to challenge at the Cattail Course.

Lopez Ramirez didn’t necessarily show that last year when finishing 73^rd, but she did arrive in far worse form, missing two cuts either side. Her 3^rd-place finish in Scotland certainly suggests she’s capable of going well here and, with this former No.1 amateur showing signs that she is about to start realising some of that limitless potential, we need to strike while the irons are hot.

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Find all Jamie's latest Golf Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights