The first leg of the European Desert Swing gets underway this week in United Arab Emirates for the 12th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
The tournament has again attracted a formidable field despite the late withdrawal of Rory McIlroy. Seven Major Champions, 79 European Tour winners, four European Tour Number Ones and two former World Number Ones.
Heading the lineup are defending champion Rickie Fowler +1300, Dustin Johnson +600 and Henrik Stenson +725. All three players are making their season debut and Johnson is making his first start ever at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Classic.
Other notable players that could win this week include Alex Noren +2250, last year’s runner-up Thomas Pieters +2550, Tyrrell Hatton +2850, Rafa Cabrera-Bello +2500 and three-time winner Martin Kaymer +3000.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Golf Odds courtesy of BookMaker Sportsbook:
Dustin Johnson +600
Henrik Stenson +725
Rickie Fowler +1300
Byeong Hun An +3000
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2850
Thomas Pieters +2550
Martin Kaymer +3000
Rafa Cabrera-Bello +2500
Tyrrell Hatton +2850
Branden Grace +2850
Joost Luiten +4000
Alex Noren +2250
Bernd Wiesberger +3050
Danny Willett +2850
Ross Fisher +7550
Lee Westwood +8000
Tommy Fleetwood +7250
Andy Sullivan +6000
Thorbjorn Olesen +6050
Chris Wood +8050
Ian Poulter +11250
Jordan L Smith +10250
Nicolas Colsaerts +10250
Peter Hanson +11500
Thongchai Jaidee +10750
Jeunghun Wang +10250
Alejandro Canizares +12550
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +11250
FIELD - Any other player +195
ODDS ANALYSIS
CHALK: Henrik Stenson +725 lived near the course for many years and has played the venue probably more than anyone in the field. His local course knowledge will go a long ways this week and propel the Swede to another top five finish, if not a win.
LONG SHOT: Thomas Pieters +2550 isn’t really much of a long shot but his past performance at this tournament deserve your attention. Abu Dhabi Golf Course has been the stage for Pieters to show off his skills. He first made us take notice when he tied for fourth as a rookie and last year the Belgian finished runner-up by a single shot to Rickie Fowler. Since his rookie year, Pieters has won three times on the European Tour and also ended his Ryder Cup debut as the tournament’s leading points scorer. This venue is a perfect fit for his big hitting and smooth putting and the last two editions have shown us he’s a guy who can hit the ground running when the calendar turns to a new year.
FLIER: Thorbjorn Olesen +6050 is 5-for-5 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Classic with T2 in 2013 and T8 in 2012. He also has top threes in the Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters so it’s a good place to invest in him. He loves playing in the desert and his results make him a play in all formats this week.
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is scheduled for January 19-22, 2017. The Golf Channel will televise it live.
