2022 Meijer LPGA Classic Predictions: The Tournament Just Getting Better

The buildup to the year's third major appeared to take an eternity this week, as the attention on the tours off the course overshadowed some of the natural buildup to one of the season's biggest tournaments. It mainly calmed down on Thursday, when the focus shifted to the course, where some of the world's best golfers teed it up at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Albane Valenzuela, 24, recorded 5 under in the opening round of the Palos Verdes Championship, a round highlighted by three straight birdies early in the back nine, followed by two more to close.

Valenzuela is setting little objectives for herself today, attempting to hit as many fairways and greens as possible.

Park was a five-time Rolex Junior All-American and won nine events on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) circuit. She reached the semifinals of the 2003 US Women's Amateur. She won the U.S. Girls' Junior in 2002 and finished second in both 2003 and 2005.

From 2004 to 2006, Park competed as an amateur in the Kraft Nabisco Championship as a sponsor invite and the LPGA Takefuji Classic three times, finishing in the top ten twice.

Ryu made her international debut at the 2011 U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor with a playoff triumph over countrywoman Hee Kyung Seo. It was the competition's first aggregate playoff (before, the Women's Open used an 18-hole playoff to decide the winner in the case of a tie). Ryu forced the playoff by hitting her approach shot to 6 feet and birdieing the 72nd hole. Six years later, Ryu won her second major title at the ANA Inspiration in a sudden-death playoff over Lexi Thompson (now Chevron Championship).

Among the women competing in the US Open 2022, the odds are surely in favor of Inbee Park due to her exceptional experience and performance in the past. 

• Inbee Park to win for 2.45
• So Yeon Ryu to win for 2.8
• Albane Valenzuela to win for 3.1