Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Golf Betting Tips
Rory McIlroy returns to action at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Champions this week looking to get his hands on the title for the first time. The Irishman has an amazing record in the Middle East with 10 successive top 10 finishes and is a four-time winner in Dubai, having won the World Tour Championship and Dubai Desert Classic on two occasions each.
Tournament favourite Dustin Johnson won on his last start in Hawaii and finished runner-up in this event last year. He’ll be hard to beat but is plenty short enough at around 6/1. Similarly, McIlroy has been absent since October due to a rib injury and there may be better value to be found further down the field.
Tommy Fleetwood kick-started a stellar season when winning this event 12 months ago on his way to being crowned European Number One after topping the Race to Dubai standings. His breakthrough season included a win in the HNA Open de France, second at the WGC-Mexico Championship and fourth place at the US Open.
Voted Players Player of the Year, the 27 year-old Englishman was consistent throughout with 11 top 10 finishes in 24 appearances and can can continue his upward trend with a high finish in Abu Dhabi.
Branden Grace is another consistent performer who arrives in the Middle East in good form. The eight-time European Tour winner finished second at the BMW SA Open last week and has two top-five finishes in this tournament.
The South African has proved he has what it takes against the top players, enjoying four top-five career finishes in the majors. Last season he won the Nedbank Challenge in November and finished sixth in the Open Championship.
He’s long off the tee and, with the putter working well, is expected be in contention on Sunday.
Bernd Wiesberger has always looked capable of landing a big purse and bagged himself over €450,000 when victorious at the Shenzen International last season. The Austrian has twice finished in the top ten in the Race to Dubai and while not renowned as a quick starter is recognised as one of the most consistent performers on the European Tour.
Wiesberger will arrive on high after winning his singles match on the final day of the EurAsia Cup and his imperious long game is well suited to the Abu Dhabi track.
The Course
At 7,583 yards, this is the fifth longest golf course on the European Tour and plays into the hands of those who hit it long and straight. The guardians of the course have added a number of bunkers in an attempt to curtail the advantage of the biggest hitters so the likes of Rory McIlroy may be forced to lay up on some holes.