The 2017 European Tour came to a thrilling climax last weekend - congratulations Tommy Fleetwood! - but there's no rest for the wicked as we dart onto the 2018 edition, which kicks-off on Thursday with the 59th Hong Kong Open.
A number of the chief protagonists from last season’s Race to Dubai will be present at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, including the likes of Fleetwood, Justin Rose, and Sergio Garcia, while Matthew Fitzpatrick and Rafael Cabrera Bello also feature.
- Recap: Jon Rahm won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, while Tommy Fleetwood finished top of the Race to Dubai standings.
- Course: The short, narrow, and tricky Hong Kong Golf Club is located in Fanling and features holes from both the New and Eden courses (par 70, 6710 yards).
- TV Schedule: Coverage from 6am on Thursday & Friday, 4.30am on Saturday, and 4am on Sunday.
Below we have a look at the main talking points ahead of the Hong Kong Open.
2017 Big Guns Collide In Hong Kong
Tommy Fleetwood, fresh from his Race to Dubai triumph, has opted to throw himself into the new season with 2017’s No.1 European golfer bidding to become only the second player to ever retain this status the following campaign (Rory McIlroy: 2014 & 2015).
Fleetwood is a 14/1 shot to explode out of the blocks, however the price doesn’t represent much value given that he’s bound to be shattered from the thrilling and nerve-shredding events of last weekend.
Fleetwood is joined in Hong Kong by the man who nearly pipped him in the Race to Dubai standings: Justin Rose. The in-form Englishman returns to Hong Kong looking to make it two wins in three years at the tournament, having finished top-of-the-pile in 2015. Like Fleetwood, Rose is likely to be exhausted, however it’s impossible to look past his excellent showings of late, which have bagged the 9/2 favourite wins in Turkey and Shanghai.
US Masters champion Sergio Garcia also had the chance to snatch victory in the Race to Dubai but in the end had to settle for 4th spot overall, despite an impressive 4th place finish in Dubai. Spain have fared well at the Hong Kong Open - more of this coming up - and Garcia, who recently won the similar Valderrama, is available at 13/2 to add his name to the winners board.
Matthew Fitzpatrick Gunning For Glory
Matthew Fitzpatrick, who finished 3rd in 2015, has spoken about how the course suits his game, and the Englishman will be bidding to prove just that when he steps up to the tee on Thursday. At 10/1 Fitzpatrick may be a rather short price but he’s been in great form, accumulating an impressive eight top-15 finishes in each of his last eight showings.
British Masters champion Paul Dunne who is worth keeping an eye out for at 40/1 to back that success up with a victory in Fanling, while Cina native Haotong Li, 13th last week, is likely to be well backed at 33/1.
Defending Champion Sam Brazel A Long Shot To Conjure Up Another Shock Win
Sam Brazel, matched at 500/1 and ranked out at 480th in the world, conjured up a shock victory at the 2016 Hong Kong Open. Last year Brazel bagged his maiden European victory, holding his nerve to fend off the challenge from Rafa Cabrera Bello, and the defending champion is a 200/1 long shot to repeat the feat this time around. It’s perhaps worth mentioning that since that surprise victory the Aussie has failed to register a top-10 finish in 23 consecutive events on the tour.
Considering that Australian’s have counted for two of the last three winners, with Scott Hend coming out on top in a play-off back in 2014, an Aussie could well be worth backing. Hend is out at 90/1, while Marcus Fraser can be backed at 60/1 and Wade Ormsby at 66/1.
2004 - 🏆 2007 - 🏆 2012 - 🏆 2013 - 🏆
Miguel is going for a record 5th title this week.
Five Star Miguel Angel Jimenez?
One man who simply loves the tournament is Miguel Angel Jimenez who arrives in Hong Kong looking to claim is fifth victory, following four successes in 2005, 2008, 2012 and most recently in 2014. In the latter he became the oldest ever winner on the European Tour - aged 49 years and 337 days - which he’s since bettered, becoming the first 50-year-old to win following his success at the 2014 Open de Espana.
Jimenez will be looking to become the fourth player to win a European Tour event five times, with the cigar-puffing golf icon a 90/1 shot to make it a record five Hong Kong Open wins. Meanwhile, he’s 3/1 to finish in the top-20, 15/2 for a top-10 standing, and 40/1 to be the top European.
A Spaniard has been victorious in six of the 16 editions of the tournament since it was added to the European Tour schedule, with Jose Maria Olazabal (2002) and Jose Manuel Lara (2007) the other two champions. Meanwhile, Cabrera-Bello is priced at 20/ to come out on top last year after his near miss last year, which saw him lead after three rounds.
