This weekend, some of the best golfers in Europe and beyond will head to the United Arab Emirates for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship at Yas Links.
The tournament has been part of the tour since 2006 and is one of the Rolex Series, which means it has a boosted prize pot which naturally attracts more of the tour's bigger names such as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.
This will only be the third time that the event has been held at Yas Links, with all previous editions being played around Abu Dhabi Golf Club. With just two tournaments in the bag here, form around the course is difficult to gauge.
As the name suggests, this is a links golf course which seems ridiculous considering its location. However, the designers have done a superb job of making it play like a true links course with fast fairways and hard greens meaning that form around links courses certainly does count for something.
One major difference between this course and more ‘traditional' links courses in the United Kingdom is the weather. While the technology may be available to do so, there will be no replication of the wet and windy conditions that are commonplace around British links courses.
Ahead of the first tee times tomorrow, here are our Abu Dhabi Golf Championship betting tips.
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship betting tips
Tyrell Hatton (Eight places) – 6/1
Tyrell Hatton is playing once again in the DP World Tour which is bound to cause some controversy given that he is still an official member of LIV Golf. However, after appealing his suspension from the DP World Tour, he is allowed to play and is very much one of the top contenders this week.
Hatton won on his most recent outing on the DP World Tour last month, when he won his third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The 33-year-old showed that week why he is considered one of the best links golfers on the planet which makes him a dangerous entity in Abu Dhabi, particularly as he has finished inside the top seven in his two previous performances at Yas Links.
Beyond his links form, Hatton has plenty of momentum on his side ahead of tomorrow as he finished inside the top five in four of the final LIV events of the season.
Min Woo Lee (Eight places) – 18/1
Min Woo Lee had a brilliant week around Yas Links last year, finishing as the runner-up to Victor Perez by just one stroke. Given that Perez hasn't qualified to take part this week, the Australian will feel like he has every chance of going one better this time around.
Woo Lee has a game that looks ideal for this golf course. To win around Yas Links you quite simply need to be elite around and on the greens as it ranks first for putting difficulty on the DP World Tour. Putting is the best part of the Australian's game and he ranks in fourth place for strokes gained via putting on the DP World Tour this season.
The greens around Yas Links are severely sloped and huge so avoiding three putts will be key for the eventual winner. Min Woo Lee ranks second for three-putt avoidance this year with the only man above him, Tony Finau, not playing this week.
Thorbjorn Olesen (Eight places) – 22/1
There are plenty of things going for Thorbjorn Olesen this week which makes him brilliant value at 22/1. His record in this part of the world is generally very good, and his most recent win came in the United Arab Emirates at the Ras al Khaimah Championship in January.
Secondly, Olesen has the game to succeed around Yas Links as he is ranked second on the DP World Tour this year for strokes gained with the putter. Thirdly, he has form coming into the tournament with four top-12 finishes in his last five starts.
One final point worth making is that Olesn is based in the United Arab Emirates which means he won't be suffering from any jet lag compared to the vast majority of other players in the field.
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship singles
- Tyrell Hatton E/W (Eight places) – 6/1 @ Betfred
- Min Woo Lee E/W (Eight places) – 18/1 @ Betfred
- Thorbjorn Olesen E/W (Eight places)– 22/1 @ Betfred
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters.
