The opening slate of Middle East events opening the European Tour season continues this week with the third edition of the Saudi International. This event is proof that money talks with a number of high-profile PGA Tour players taking an appearance fee to peg it up at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. OWGR No. 1 Dustin Johnson headlines the field and tops the odds board with fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Patrick Reed opening among the top five favorites. In all 13 major champions will compete for the $3.5 million prize pool. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds and to place your wager.
Odds to Win Saudi International at BookMaker.eu
Dustin Johnson +500
Bryson DeChambeau +800
Tyrrell Hatton +1200
Tony Finau +1400
Patrick Reed +1600
Viktor Hovland +1600
Paul Casey +2200
Tommy Fleetwood +2200
Sergio Garcia +2500
Abraham Ancer +2800
Robert MacIntyre +3300
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4000
Matt Wallace +4000
Adri Arnaus +5000
Andy Sullivan +5000
Bernd Wiesberger +5000
Jason Kokrak +5000
Justin Rose +5000
Kevin Na +5000
Lee Westwood +5000
Lucas Herbert +5000
Martin Kaymer +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Thomas Pieters +6500
Antoine Rozner +6500
Matthias Schwab +6500
Phil Mickelson +6500
Rafael Cabrera Bello +6500
Rasmus Hojgaard +6500
Thomas Detry +6500
Victor Perez +6500
Brandon Stone +8000
Danny Willett +8000
David Lipsky +8000
Ian Poulter +8000
Jason Scrivener +8000
Laurie Canter +8000
Odds Analysis
Laurie Canter +8000
With so much talent at the top of the odds list it’s hard to stray beyond the favorites. One player who offers a lot of value, though, is Canter. He won’t be awed by the strong field having finished among the top five at the DP World Tour Championship in December, and he continued a strong run of form with a T4 in Dubai last week. A lot of strong players are getting overlooked from a value standpoint with all the names at the top of the list, but it could pay to look beyond the favorites.
Tommy Fleetwood +2200
Fleetwood has always performed well in this part of the world and I don’t expect anything to change this week. The first two stops on the Middle East swing yielded a T7 in Abu Dhabi and a T17 last week in Dubai despite scoring 1-over on the final 36 holes. The Englishman can match the players ahead of him on the odds board, and he may have an advantage having played in this region a lot more than the favorites. I’m not opposed to dropping a few bills on Fleetwood at his current price.
Viktor Hovland +1600
One of several PGA Tour regulars making the trip, Hovland has added incentive with the hope of qualifying for the European Ryder Cup squad. If he handles the Euro Tour as well as he does the PGA side he’s a lock. He finished co-runner-up last week at the Farmers one start after winning the Mayakoba Classic giving him five top-15 finishes in seven starts on the PGA Tour this season. In December he finished T3 at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai giving him some knowledge of the area, which will help his chances.
Shane Lowry +5000
A previous winner in the desert and a player familiar with the obstacles that the Royal Greens layout presents, Lowry is another sneaky good value pick. His metrics were solid last week, though they only resulted in a T27 finish in Dubai. A closing 75 was disappointing but Lowry should be motivated to perform better on a layout that yielded him three red numbers and a T13 last year. Lowry is also fighting to secure a spot on the Ryder Cup squad adding to his chances of a positive showing.
Bernd Wiesberger +5000
I was hesitant to back Wiesberger considering he missed the cut both times he played here. He has been consistent and we’ve yet to see the player who won three times on the Euro circuit in 2019, though he still exists. Ironically the last time Wiesberger missed a cut was here 12 months ago. Since then he’s collected three top-10s with the most recent a T6 last week in Dubai.
Course: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club – 7,010-yards, par-70
The course is still young after opening in April 2018. At just over 7,000 yards it’s a short track with par reduced from the normal 72 to 70 for the Tour pros. The 569-yard fourth and the 607-yard 18th are the only par 5s, so making birdies or better on those two over the course of the week will be critical in determining a champion. There are a few man-made water hazards with several lakes coming into play on five holes and a few holes play along the coast of the Red Sea. Designers worked in a gently rolling effect, but the layout is for the most part typical of Middle Eastern courses. Situated on the coast of the Red Sea wind gusts are always a factor.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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