The DP World Tour resumes normal business with the first Rolex Series event of the calendar year for this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The field comprising 126 players will all be competing for a share of the $9M prize purse with the winner collecting the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship trophy and a winner's cheque for a cool $1.62M.
Thomas Pieters returns to defend his title when winning last year’s edition with one shot to spare over the chasing pack. His winning scorecard read 278, -10.
Yas Links as the name suggests is a links golf course although I’m a tad wary about anyone announcing a links golf course away from the British Isles sea shores, this is in a desert in the Middle East. However what I will say is that this is a truly stunning venue designed by Kyle Phillips and this week Yas Links will be playing 7,402 yards long, it’s an open layout par 72 with water features galore where the elements could play its part in proceedings.
Talking about the elements, the weather is forecast to be mostly nice and pleasant throughout. Thursday & Friday will be sunny and warm with some cloudy conditions with the weekend set up to be perfect with sunny warm weather with temperatures reaching 26C. Breezes will peak at around 18mph so could definitely cause some concern.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf & Sky Sports Main Event with live coverage starting at 3.30 am in the morning for the early birds .
So let’s move on with our first DP World Tour betting tips for 2023.
Robert MacIntyre 28/1 EW 1-6 places Unibet
For my first and main selection in Abu Dhabi I’m going to strongly advise a player who just loves links golf, it’s our very own Robert MacIntyre 28/1 EW 1-6 places Unibet.
The 26-year-old Scotsman from Oban is one of my favourites as you all know and it’s always nice to include him in my picks. Bob got off to an amazing start to the year last week at the Hero Cup where he went unbeaten in all his matches 3-1-0. That was in Abu Dhabi on a golf course just down the road from here so he’s had plenty of time to adapt to the time difference and conditions. Last year Bob scooped one title on the DP World Tour when bagging the Italian Open at the Marco Simone, the destination for this year's Ryder Cup. MacIntyre had eleven Top 20 finishes last year with four of those inside the Top 10.
He finished a very respectable 34th on the best links golf course in the world amongst the world's golfing elite up at St Andrew's at the 150th Open Championship. At the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he finished 20th playing on the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns so he is definitely more than suited to this kind of layout. Having already won the Cyprus Showdown in 2020 I just have a feeling Bob can kick start his 2023 in style and make it a hattrick of Ws when he claims the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links this coming Sunday.
Tommy Fleetwood 12/1 EW 1-6 places BetFred
For my next best pick I’m going to single out another who clearly enjoys links golf, Tommy Fleetwood 12/1 EW 1-6 places Betfred. Since 2017 the 31-year-old from Southport has a combined 13 under-par scorecard at The Open Championships with his best finish being runner-up at Royal Port Rush in 2019 but 4th place at The 150th Open Championship last year wasn’t too shabby either .
With six victories already on the DP World Tour and currently ranked 24th in the world, Tommy could be the one they all have to beat this week in Abu Dhabi. I tipped Fleetwood to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge just a few months back and he duly obliged on that occasion, incidentally, that was his only title last year but he did come close on a few other occasions across both the PGA & DP World Tours.
All in all, Tommy had fourteen Top 20 finishes in 2022 with nine of those being Top 10s and six inside the Top 5. Tommy Fleetwood will still be buzzing from leading out the GB team last week at the Hero Cup and it would come as no surprise if he ran away with this when he makes it a magnificent seven crowns with another W in the bag this weekend.
Antoine Rozner 50/1 1-5 places LiveScore Bet
For my final outright DP World Tour selection this week I’m going to point you all in the direction of Antoine Rozner 50/1 1-5 places LiveScore Bet.
This football-oriented website seems to overprice golfers from time to time and I’m always on the lookout for value, this could be a classic case. The 29-year-old Frenchman rounded off a terrific year for us in 2022 when winning the final tournament at the Mauritius Open. I tipped Rozner to win that event and it’s thanks to this man that we went over our tally of 14 outright winners for 2021 with 15 in 2022. For the Parisian to be as much as 50/1 in this field honestly baffles me especially after bagging yet another title just weeks ago .that’s three in total now in successive years.
Other notable finishes from last year include 5th at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain,4th at the European Masters & the one that could be a good clue 4th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. I’m hoping the firms have got it all wrong this week with Antoine Rozner and here’s a little secret, he’s as short as 33/1 with other firms so my advice is to snap up the 50/1 while it’s available safe in the knowledge that just a place will return a tidy profit.
Finally, it’s the match bet and for this week's Nap I’m going to advise that Victor Perez will easily get the better of the defector Lee Westwood over 72 holes so I’ll make it another SuperBanker Nap 10/11 Bet365.
- Robert MacIntyre 28/1 EW 1-6 places Unibet
- Tommy Fleetwood 12/1 EW 1-6 places BetFred
- Antoine Rozner 50/1 1-5 places LiveScore Bet
- Victor Perez to beat Lee Westwood over 72 holes – SuperBanker Nap 10/11 Bet365
Good Luck with your tips this year Caddy !!
Just checked on Bet 365 and Antoine Rozner is 55-1 , 1/4 odds 1-5 places !! :)
Thanks for the update mikeden , he was definitely only showing at 45/1 with bet365 yesterday but definitely not complaining unless they know something we don’t that’s a great price Good luck.🤞⛳️