The 2019 European PGA Tour goes through the gears this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where 15 of the world’s top 50 players are in action.
Dustin Johnson tied for second place in 2016 and the current world number three is joined by fellow American Brooks Koepka in Abu Dhabi. Koepka is one place above Johnson in the rankings and a two-times Major winner last year. US players Chris Di Marco and Rickie Fowler have won this in the past and Johnson is only a best 6/1 with 888sport this week with his compatriot priced up at 11/1, the same odds as Tommy Fleetwood (also 888sport).
Fleetwood is seeking a hat-trick victories in this $7million tournament, first staged in 2006. That would equal the record of Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who won the event three times between 2008 and 2011. Fleetwood was, of course, runner-up to Koepka in last year’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills and he’s clearly very much at home on the flat, narrow fairways of the 7,600-yard UAE course on which low scores are the norm.
| Year | Winner | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Tommy Fleetwood | England | 266 (-22) |
| 2017 | Tommy Fleetwood | England | 271 (-17) |
| 2016 | Rickie Fowler | United States | 272 (-16) |
| 2015 | Gary Stahl | France | 276 (?19) |
| 2014 | Pablo Larrazábal | Spain | 274 (?14) |
| 2013 | Jamie Donaldson | Wales | 274 (?14) |
| 2012 | Robert Rock | England | 275 (?13) |
| 2011 | Martin Kaymer (3) | Germany | 264 (?24) |
| 2011 | Martin Kaymer (3) | Germany | 264 (?24) |
| Abu Dhabi Golf Championship | |||
| 2010 | Martin Kaymer (2) | Germany | 267 (?21) |
| 2009 | Paul Casey (2) | England | 267 (?21) |
| 2008 | Martin Kaymer (1) | Germany | 273 (?15) |
| 2007 | Paul Casey (1) | England | 271 (?17) |
| 2006 | Chris DiMarco | United States | 268 (?20) |
This is a course that suits big-hitters but care must be taken as there are plenty of water hazards to catch out the over-ambitious and it’s very easy to bounce a ball into the rough from off the tee. The greens also seem to get faster year on year.
Last year’s runner-up ROSS FISHER is 50/1 with Betfred and makes plenty of appeal again for each-way purposes as he’s been thereabouts in Abu Dhabi in the last four years, though has not won on the European Tour since 2014. Could it be this year that the 38-year-old from Ascot finally gets his hands on the Falcon Trophy?
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Current Best Odds
Dustin Johnson 6/1
Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka 11/1
Henrik Stenson 18/1
Louis Oosthuizen 20/1
Tyrrell Hatton and Thomas Pieters 22/1
Matt Wallace, Rafael Cabrera Bello and Thorbjorn Olesen 33/1
Branden Grace and Haotong Li 35/1
Lee Westwood and Byeong Hun An 45/1
Ross Fisher, Lucas Bjerregaard, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Detry and Tom Lewis 50/1
Shane Lowry 60/1
Ian Poulter and Kiradech Aphibarnrat 66/1
Joost Luiten 70/1
Alexander Bjork and Eddie Pepperell 80/1
Jordan Smith, Andrea Pavan and Andy Sullivan 90/1
100/1 and Upwards Others
(Odds correct at 1.00pm January 15)
