The PGA Tour travels to Malaysia this week for the seventh annual CIMB Classic and the field is strong for an event this time of year. The CIMB Group has done a fantastic job of recruiting world class players and this year’s field is the strongest it’s seen in its brief history.
Patrick Reed +1400 and Adam Scott +1100 are the highest ranked players in the field. Joining them are Paul Casey +1250, Ryan Moore +1500, Russell Knox +3300, Emiliano Grillo +3300, Hideki Matsuyama +1300 and defending champion Justin Thomas +1800.
Brash American Patrick Reed is a flat out stud! He had a huge season, recording 11 top 10’s in 28 starts, including a win at The Barclays at Bethpage Black. Reed is one of four players in the field who competed in the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club, joining U.S. Team member Ryan Moore and European Team members Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Reed beat Rory McIlroy 1-up in their singles match on Sunday, improving his record to 6-1-2 and setting the pace for a dominating U.S. team in the final round. Captain’s Pick Ryan Moore defeated Lee Westwood, sealing victory and regaining the Ryder Cup for team United States.
Don’t count out Russell Knox +3300 of Scotland. He will be playing in his second CIMB Classic and joins Adam Scott as the only multiple winners on the PGA TOUR in 2015-16. Knox won The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions the week after last year’s CIMB Classic and added the Travelers Championship in August. Scott was able to win in back- to-back weeks last season, winning The Honda Classic and the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.
The CIMB Group has done a fantastic job of recruiting world class players and this year’s field is the strongest it’s seen in its brief history.
“Each year, the CIMB Classic plays host to a stellar cast of some of the world’s best in golf, from the latest top-ranked players, to champions past and present,” said Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, Group Chief Executive, CIMB Group. “This year’s listing features nine of the top-13 of the final FedExCup rankings, one of the best lineups in our tournament history. We are extremely excited, and fans can definitely look forward to a great show this week.”
The Course: TPC Kuala Lumpur - West Course measures 7,005 yards and plays to a par 72. Formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, the 36-hole property became the TPC Network's newest member during the summer. The West layout has hosted world class events in the past, serving as host venue for the European Tour's Malaysian Open for seven years before that run ended in 2015. The LPGA also makes the club's East course an annual stop, with Jessica Korda set to defend her title at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at the end of the month. The scores will be low and it will take at least 20-under par to win. Last year Justin Thomas won at 26-under par.
Current CIMB Classic Golf Odds at BookMaker Sportsbook:
Adam Scott +1100
Hideki Matsuyama +1200
Patrick Reed +1200
Paul Casey +1250
Ryan Moore +1500
Sergio Garcia +1600
Justin Thomas +1800
Kevin Na +1850
Brendan Steele +2500
Gary Woodland +2750
Daniel Berger +2800
Kevin Chappell +3000
Byeong Hun An +3000
Emiliano Grillo +3100
Rafa Cabrera-Bello +3150
Russell Knox +3300 VALUE
Scott Piercy +3450
Branden Grace +3550
Anirban Lahiri +4000
Si Woo Kim +4200
Tony Finau +4500
Kevin Kisner +4750
Scott Hend +5000
Brian Harman +5000
Charles Howell III +5740
Danny Lee +6500 VALUE
Jhonattan Vegas +7000
Keegan Bradley +7250
Marc Leishman +7450
Ryo Ishikawa +7500 VALUE
Alex Cejka +8000
Billy Hurley III +8000
Ian Poulter +8250
James Hahn +8500
Jamie Lovemark +9000
Patrick Rodgers +9500
David Hearn +10000
David Lingmerth +10000
Harold Varner III +10000
Hudson Swafford +10000
Smylie Kaufman +10500
Aaron Baddeley +11000
Cameron Tringale +12500
Chez Reavie +12500
Daniel Summerhays +13000
John Senden +13500
K.J. Choi +13250
Kyle Reifers +13500
Jon Curran +14000
Marcus Fraser +14500
Robert Streb +15000
FIELD - Any Other Player +175
TV Coverage: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. ET - Golf Channel. Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-3 a.m. - GC.
ODDS ANALYSIS
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA +1200
People forget he is still only 24 years old. It seems like he’s been around for a long time, but his best years are ahead of him. His ball-striking is top five in the world, his short game needs some work, particularly his putting. He needs to stay patient and not get to down on himself when things don’t go his way. He finished sixth here a year ago and is not afraid to take it deep which you will have to do this week in order to contend. Matsuyama is a play in all formats this week in Malaysia!
RYO ISHIKAWA +7500
After a 36-week absence from the PGA TOUR, he will return to action this week. After missing the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Ishikawa shut it down to deal with a spinal issue - lumbar discopathy. He's made five rehab starts since, on the Japan Golf Tour, missing the cut in the first but finishing 1-T2-3-T7 in his last four starts.
Something tells me a Japanese player wins this week., lol.
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