World No. 4 Justin Thomas leads the field for the CIMB Classic, which begins on Thursday in Malaysia. Thomas is coming off a fabulous season that saw him win five times and take the FedEx Cup title. Thomas is the two-time defending champion of this event and a deserving favorite at odds of +450. World No. 3 Hideki Matsuyama is the second choice in the betting at odds of +950. Let’s look at this event, odds and predictions.
CIMB Classic Odds
Justin Thomas +450
Hideki Matsuyama +950
Paul Casey +1150
Xander Schauffele +2050
Charl Schwartzel +2550
Brendan Steele +2550
Gary Woodland +2550
Ian Poulter +2850
Thomas Pieters +2850
Anirban Lahiri +2850
Branden Grace +3350
Kevin Na +3350
Graham Delaet +3350
Russell Knox +4050
Rafa Cabrera Bello +4050
Scott Piercy +4050
James Hahn +4050
Bud Cauley +4050
Pat Perez +4050
Chez Reavie +4050
Cameron Smith +4050
Emiliano Grillo +5050
Grayson Murray +5050
Jason Dufner +5050
Peter Uihlein +5050
Oliver Schniederjans +5050
Adam Hadwin +6650
Hao Tong Li +6650
Jamie Lovemark +6650
Kyle Stanley +6650
Keegan Bradley +6650
Gavin Green +6650
Luke List +6650
Si Woo Kim +8050
Scott Hend +8050
Charles Howell +8050
Hudson Swafford +8050
Jhonattan Vegas +8050
Harold Varner +8050
Lucas Glover +8050
Odds Analysis
Justin Thomas +450
There is every reason to like Thomas in this event. Despite the world rankings which have him listed at No. 4, he is currently the best player in the world. He has played great in this event in the past, winning the last two years and he also holds the 18-hole and 72-hole record. The only concern is that he has played seven of the last eight weeks, but he is young enough and talented enough that fatigue may not be an issue.
Hideki Matsuyama +950
The world rankings in golf are simply a fraud, as Matsuyama is not the third best golfer in the world right now. He simply played very poorly down the stretch and was no threat to win the FedEx Cup. Will the new season energize Matsuyama and get him back to playing great? It is hard to know but if he plays well he can challenge Thomas in this event.
Paul Casey +1150
You have to think Casey is going to win sooner rather than later, as he seems to be in contention all the time. He finished fifth in the TOUR Championship and for the season he ranked third in greens in regulation.
Xander Schauffele +2050
The concern with backing Schauffele is that he has a letdown after winning the TOUR Championship. He has six top 25 finishes this year, so he could contend, but I am looking elsewhere.
Anirban Lahiri +2850
Why not Lahiri to contend again this year? He nearly won this event last year but stumbled down the stretch. He has played well in Malaysia in his career and he has a lot of value at +2850.
James Hahn +4050
The first of my two longshots this week is Hahn. He loves playing in Malaysia, as he finished in the top ten in this event the last two years. He had three top ten finishes last season and could be a threat if Thomas and Matsuyama falter this week.
Scott Piercy +4050
Piercy returned to action last week and played well, finishing tied for 17th. He has been really good at the CIMB Classic of late with a tie for 7th and a tie for 10th. He shot a 10-under 62 two years ago in the opening round.
Course: TPC Kuala Lumpur (West) is a par 72 that measures 7,005 yards. It is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and has hosted a number of PGA and European Tour events. The course was redesigned in 2008 by Ted and Geoff Parslow.
Event Notes: This tournament has a field of just 78 players but 11 of the top 30 in last year’s FedExCup points standings are in the field. Nine of the International team players from the Presidents Cup are in the field, including Matsuyama. Last year it was Thomas closing with an 8-under par 64 to come from four shots back to defeat Anirban Lahiri. Thomas played his final 23 holes in 13-under par. Thomas is looking to become the first player to defend his title three straight years since Steve Stricker won the John Deere Classic from 2009-2011.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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