The new PGA Tour season begins its Asian swing this week when a selected field heads to Malaysia to play out the CIMB Classic, the second tournament of the campaign and one which can often do wonders for the career of the player who wins it.
Pat Perez was that player last year when he powered his way to the title and he is back to defend the title and looking to be the third player in succession to win this tournament in successive years. A decent field will be out to stop him.
Recent Winners
2017 – Pat Perez
2016 – Justin Thomas
2015 – Justin Thomas
2014 – Ryan Moore
2013 – Ryan Moore
2012 – Nick Watney
2011 – Bo Van Pelt
2010 – Ben Crane
The Course
TPC Kuala Lumpur hosts the tournament this week and while the layout of the course is the same as previous years the grasses in use have changed. In saying that I always think this track is all about the atmospheric conditions and with the humidity around the scene at this time of year and the perennial threat of rain I’m expecting a soft course with the ball flying a good distance which all adds up to world class players sending darts into reasonable sized greens which will be receptive.
The course is a par 72 but it only measures 7,005 yards and even if it plays its full yardage with the rain around it still isn’t going to be a particularly difficult test for the star golfers on show this week. Therefore expect another low scoring week of golf.
The Field
There is a much stronger field on show this week than last so Kevin Tway will have his work cut out to win in successive events. Former champions Justin Thomas and Ryan Moore tee it up alongside the defending champion Pat Perez.
Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, Paul Casey and Billy Horschel all tee it up this week while from further afield Cameron Smith, Byeong-Hun An, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen are all here as are Asians such as Anirban Lahiri, Si Woo Kim and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Market Leaders
Justin Thomas is the natural favourite this week but you won’t get too rich backing the twice former champion. He is 5/1 to regain the title and if his form at the Ryder Cup is anything to go by he has every chance of doing just that. That said though it has been a long year and any average or indifferent round in what is likely to be a low scoring week could be costly. I think he’s the most likely winner in fairness but his price is definitely not for me.
We have a trio of second favourites this week in the form of Xander Schauffele, Billy Horschel and the loser of the play-off last week but twice winner here Ryan Moore. Moore would be the obvious member of the 16/1 set although this place should set up well for Schauffele. Horschel has the game to go well around here but I also think he is better in tournaments where scoring is a little higher.
Paul Casey had a good Ryder Cup and he arrives in Malaysia as a 20/1 shot to follow that up with a winning week. He won on the Tour last year and I would imagine he’ll be a regular winner from here on in but I’m not convinced it will be this week given the heavy schedule he has been playing over the last couple of months.
Gary Woodland and Marc Leishman are 22/1 to win this week. With the Presidents’ Cup being in Australia next year I’m expecting big things from many Australian golfers this season so Leishman should be respected while Woodland was one of the best ball strikers on the tour last year and will fancy his chances of going well. It is 25/1 bar.
[the_ad_group id=”3624″]
Main Bets
I had Cameron Smith down on my radar for this tournament from the minute I saw him show some good form in the play-offs at the end of last season. Smith opened up the FedEx final series with a pair of third placed finishes in relatively low scoring events and he has a couple of top five finishes here, the latest of which came last year. As I mentioned above I am keeping plenty of Australian golfers onside this season and with Smith quite vocal about enjoying golf in hot and humid conditions this could well be his breakthrough week.
Brandt Snedeker probably boarded the plane to Malaysia wondering how the Safeway Open trophy wasn’t accompanying him on the flight but I’m expecting that to have only added fuel to his fire for this week. For probably 63 holes he was a comfortable standout player which continued his good recent form which began with him winning the Wyndham Championship a couple of months ago where he shot 59 on his way to success. He has four top 10s in eight starts and could have had two wins in that time. His second win can come this week.
Outsiders
Anirban Lahiri has let me down more times than a second hand car around this place but just like the car which I keep getting in and I’m going to get on the back of the Indian once again here convinced that he will pick up a second win around here at some point. He won the European Tour event here in 2015 and should have won here two years ago on the PGA Tour when he messed up from so far in front the rest needed binoculars to see him. He was third then and in the top 10 last year and at 66/1 I’ll play him again this week.
I noted with interest that the course has been transformed to bermuda grasses which is exactly what Si-Woo Kim won the Players Championship on last year. To be fair Kim hasn’t really done himself justice since then but he was tenth here two years ago and if a return to a familiar grass inspires him with the putter there is no doubt he has the quality in his game to take this field down. At 66/1 he’s another who I expect to go well.
Tips
Back C.Smith to win CIMB Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with BetVictor (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back B.Snedeker to win CIMB Classic (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with 888sport (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back A.Lahiri to win CIMB Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back S-W.Kim to win CIMB Classic (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 71.00 with Unibet (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018
