Sports betting fans get a little treat every four years when the quadrennial Games of the Olympiad are held giving sportsbook users the ability to bet on Olympic events. While most athletes compete in tournaments around the year there is something entirely different about representing your country on an international stage. Some might argue that the stakes are raised as athletes are playing out of patriotism, not monetary compensation.
The US has no shortage of extraordinary Olympians, Michael Phelps, Simon Biles, and Serena Williams are some of the most noteworthy. These athletes compete in totally different sports thanks to the variety of events the Olympics hold. Everything from basketball, to 10 meter air rifle, and even golf is held at the Summer Olympics. This year three young athletes will be representing the US in the women’s golf competition. Lexi Thompson, Gerina Piller, and Stacey Lewis are the golfers who will be representing the US in Rio. Let’s check in on the sports betting odds and see what kind of chances they paint for the US Olympic Women’s Golf team, as well as their biggest competition.
Lexi Thompson (US) +1225
Stacey Lewis (US) +1225
Gerina Piller (US) +2550
Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) +655
Lydia Ko (New Zealand) +280
Lexi Thompson is no stranger to golf having turned professional at age 15. Three years before that she set a record for becoming the youngest golfer in history to qualify for the US Women’s Open. Thompson wouldn’t wait much longer to break another record, at age 16 she became the youngest golfer to win an LPGA tournament in the history of the sport. The Olympian went on to win her first major championship in 2014 when she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She is currently ranked as the 4th best golfer in the world. If you’re going to favor the US when you bet on sports in Olympic events then Thompson is one of the better picks for the women’s golf tournament.
Gerina Piller first started playing professionally in 2007 after a storied collegiate career at the University of Texas El Paso. Her professional career is highlighted by her second place finish at the LPGA tour in 2010. She is currently ranked 29th in the world and has the worst odds on the US squad.
Stacey Lewis has two major championships under her belt. She won the Kraft Nabisco Championship back in 2011 as well as the Women’s British Open in the year 2013. Her golfing career has seen her been ranked #1 overall for a period of 25 weeks (4 at first and then 21 consecutive). Lewis is currently ranked 3rd overall in the world for women’s golf.
Lydia Ko is the fiercest competition facing the US team in Rio. Ko became youngest golfer of either sex to be ranked #1 overall at age 17. At age 18 she became the youngest woman to win a major championship. Her golfing career is littered with records and titles. She is currently ranked #1 in the world and the odds are telling of what kind of expectations are riding on the young New Zealander.