Lottie Woad is betting favorite ahead of AIG Women's Open
Yes, you heard that right.
Woad is listed by DraftKings Sportsbook at +750 odds to win at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, ahead of world No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who are each +900. Minjee Lee (+1600) is next on the odds list, followed by four players at +2800.
The 21-year-old Englishwoman is believed to be in uncharted territory as the first player, female or male, to be the pre-championship favorite at a major in two or fewer starts as a pro.
Tiger Woods was the co-favorite at the 1997 Masters, his major debut as a pro. Woods was listed at +800 along with Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, though that Masters was Woods' 17th start as a pro.
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Neither is totally accurate, but in this media world of image-is-everything, 'Happy Gilmore 2' has done wonderful things for this wonderful golfer. Even moreso, for his sport He will be all over your TV screens for the three-week FedEx playoffs. It starts Aug. 7 with a tournament in Memphis, followed by the next week in Baltimore and the grand finale Aug. 21 in East Lake, Ga., near Atlanta. For the playoffs, the PGA will distribute $100 million in prize money and the winner will receive $10 million. Scheffler, a likely winner, would then certainly be invited to appear on TV, especially the late-night shows such as Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon. This would present another great image-building opportunity. He could show up in an orange jump suit.
