2022 Amundi Evian Championship Odds, Picks: Can Minjee Lee Defend Major Title in France?

Things should heat up in Europe this week when the top women’s golfers in the world compete in the 2022 Amundi Evian Championship  in Évian-les-Bains, France.

The event, held at Evian Resort Golf Club, will mark the fourth of five major championships contested on the women's side of the sport. Most recently, longshot In Gee Chun wired the field at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. Md. The win marked the South Korean standout's third career major title.

Now, the focus turns to the picturesque town of Évian-les-Bains, which is located off Lake Geneva in the southeastern part of the country. The tournament will be played on a par-71 layout, measuring at 6,523 yards.

Headlining the field again will be defending champion Minjee Lee, who edged Jeongeun Lee6 in a playoff to secure last year’s crown. The Australian star of Korean descent, who sits No. 2 in the latest Rolex World Golf Rankings, fired a final-round, 7-under-par 64 to pave her way to the title.

Lee will have plenty of competition from the likes of contenders Jin Young Ko, the 2019 Evian champion and world's top-ranked player, and many others who have tasted success at this tournament.

So, let's take an in-depth look at this field and see where we can find betting value ahead of Thursday’s opening round. Obviously, there is a ton of it out there.

Top Contenders

Minjee Lee (+900 at BetMGM)

There really isn't a whole lot you can say negative about someone playing like she's the top player in the world. Lee was lights out at the U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles, where she cruised to the major crown.

And her track record at Evian — last year's performance in particular — simply can't be forgotten. Lee carded rounds of 68-69-65-64 to make the playoff, where she calmly dispatched Lee6 to secure the victory.

As for this season, her results and statistics speak from themselves. Lee is chasing her third title of the campaign (and third major overall) and is coming off a runner-up effort at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

I know. I know. This is an awfully chalky number to be taking on a reigning champion considering the fact there has never been a repeat winner at the event, which debuted in 2000. However, this is a special player at the top of her game who should probably be going off closer to +700 to +750.

Lee isn't my top choice, but she will be on all my tickets when it comes to outright winner, first-round leader and prop bets.

Lydia Ko (+1400 at BetMGM)

Like Lee, you cannot leave Ko off your tickets. The 2015 Evian winner was only 18 years old when she hoisted the tournament trophy after firing a final-round 63 to earn the victory. It made her the youngest major winner on the LPGA Tour, which is a record she still holds.

Ko already has a victory under her belt this season, which came at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. And ever since, the 17-time event winner and two-time major champion has been knocking on the door for another trophy.

Ko has finished no worse than fifth in four of her last six events, including a T3 at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America in April. She wound up tied for fourth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer and was solo fourth at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give during back-to-back June events.

This is a fair price oddsmakers have laid on Ko, so I have no issue playing her at this number. She finished in a four-way tie for sixth place here last season, which was highlighted by a 65 in the second round.

Bottom line, Ko is overdue to pick up win No. 18 and I'm not going to miss that boat when it happens. Full steam ahead with the New Zealander please.

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Atthaya Thitikul (+1800 at BetMGM)

Not often do I get hyped on a player entering a tournament, but I'm loving the prospect of the Thai teen earning her first major title in France.

Thitikul finished solo fifth at last year's Evian, winding up just four shots behind Lee and Lee6 in the standings. The 19-year-old wasn't even a full-time tour member when she was here last time, making her finish even more impressive.

Thitikul, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, notched a final-round 65, so if she can build off that performance on this layout where low scoring is always in play, she could be primed for a historic performance.

As for this season, Thitikul has seemingly been in contention at each tour stop. She finished solo fourth at the KPMG Women's PGA, which came after a T5 effort at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Thitikul does have a win on the campaign, which came at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol back in March.

As for wagering, make sure to shop around to get the best price possible on Thitikul. She should probably be a touch higher at shops — maybe around +2000 — but I'm backing her outright at +1700 or better and via all the prop wagers I can find with betting value.

Brooke Henderson (+2200 at FanDuel)

Everyone who follows our coverage of the women's tour knows my affinity for the Canadian standout. I picked her to win the KPMG Women's PGA at +1600 (she finished T16), so I'm happy to see her odds move into the +2000 range.

Henderson won the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer four starts back, then followed that effort with a T9 at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give before her somewhat disappointing effort at Congressional.

If you look at her data and statistics, Henderson's numbers are beyond gaudy. Unfortunately, the one area she vastly needs to improve on is putting. Henderson has been subpar with the flat stick the majority of the season, especially on the final day of four-round events.

So, if she can make some magic happen or at least find some much-needed consistency on the greens, Henderson could be on the cusp of her second major championship. And I love the price we're getting as well.

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Analysis

There is no one overly outlandish in this group when it comes to a longshot play, but I really like the number we're getting on Leona Maguire. The Irish woman finished T6 here a year ago, which included a bogey-free, 10-under 61 in the final round that featured 10 birdies.

And I don't know how you leave Chun off your tickets at this price. She finished in a four-way tie for sixth in 2021, plus she won the 2016 edition of this event. Throw in the fact three of the four titles Chun has won in her career are majors and you're looking at a player who consistently shows up on the game's biggest stages.

The Pick

It would be really easy to go with the chalk and back Lee to land another major. She's playing that well, so it really wouldn't surprise anyone if she wins. However, at +900, I'm looking elsewhere for my top outright play and that player is right down the board from the tournament favorite.

That said, I'm going with Thitikul to get the job done and win the first major championship of her young career. The fifth-ranked player in the world has all the tools in her golfing arsenal to beat the field. She knows how to score, play tee to green and can putt with the best of them.

And if Thitikul is able to keep the ball in the fairway off the tee — she ranks 90th in Driving Accuracy (72.8 percent) on tour — I think she'll be right there come Sunday's back nine.

If you're looking for an alternative player or two, Henderson and Maguire provide just as much value as anyone else. Don't sleep on Ko either. She's going to win another major soon and you don't want to be on the sideline when that happens.