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European Tour: Maybank Championship Preview

Golfer admires shot

The European Tour makes a James Bond manoeuvre this week, switching from Kenya to Malaysia in a true continental shift. This will only be the fourth edition of the Maybank Championship, though it really is essentially a newly remodelled Malaysia Open. 

European Tour 2019 | Maybank Championship
The Palm Course, Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
Thursday 21 March – 24 March 2019

The Malaysia Open was a co-sanctioned event between the European and Asian Tour since 1999. Sponsorship issues led to the fairly dramatic discontinuance of the event in 2015. Maybank picked up the slack and now we have the Maybank Championship. The first edition was played at Royal Selangor Golf Club, though this year’s edition sees Saujana Golf and Country Club host this event for the third consecutive time.

This will be the third renewal of this event at this course. Furthermore, Saujana was a regular haunt for the now-defunct Malaysia Open. Affectionately known as the Cobra, the Palm Course is one of two courses at this venue. Designed by Ron Fream and opened in 1986, this course is designed on the remains of an old palm plantation. Palm trees abound in a course that is defined by generous Bermuda fairways. The real test of the Cobra comes in the form of fiendishly tricky Tif Eagle Bermuda greens. They are uncharacteristically small and grainy, running at about 10.5 on the stimp. All stats seem to suggest that scrambling and putting prowess will far outweigh what is done from the tee-box. 

Though hardly what one would call a stellar field, this week’s roster has a far greater sense of depth to it than recent weeks. Joost Luiten and Thomas Pieters make for a fairly understandable set of front runners. One can’t look past last year’s runner-up in this event: Jorge Campillo. Kurt Kitayama looks attractive down the betting scales while the likes of Alexander Bjork and Ryan Fox lend some class to proceedings. Adri Arnaus is fast developing a cult following on the tour while Gaganjeet Bhullar has looked in pretty decent shape of late. 

Past Winners
2018: Shubhankar Sharma (-21)
2017: Fabrizio Zanotti (-19)
2016: Marcus Fraser (-15)* Royal Selangor 

Malaysian Open Results 
2009: Anthony Kang (-17)
2007: Peter Hedblom (-8)
2005: Thongchai Jaidee (-21)
2004: Thongchai Jaidee (-14)
2001: Vijay Singh (-14)*playoff
1999: Gerry Norquist (-8)

Betting Favourites (To Win)
Joost Luiten (14/1)
Thomas Pieters (16/12)
Jorge Campillo (18/1)
Ryan Fox (18/1)
Mike Lorenzo Vera (22/1)

Value Bets

Gaganjeet Bhullar – To Win (55/1), To Place (12/1)
Bhullar is the first of two Indian golfers I have selected with this trip to Malaysia. Bhullar has been playing some great golf of late, finishing just two shots off the pace last week in Kenya. He is a 9-time worldwide winner, having last tasted victory at the Fiji International in August on grainy greens that resemble the Cobra. He has an early tee-time on Thursday, which could prove beneficial given the likelihood of afternoon storms. In his last three starts he has ranked 6th, 4th and 3rd in a key stat this week: scrambling. He is a highly competent putter who should thrive in these tough putting conditions. 

Shubhankar Sharma – To Win- (75/1), To Place (16/1)
The Indian will be extremely disappointed with his season thus far, especially in the context of his exploits around this time last year. He won this event and the Joburg Open, leading many to believe his star was on the rise. This season he has three missed cuts out of seven events. I just think the defending champ represents great value at 75/1. He has some recent form, having finished runner-up at the Indian PGTI Players Championship just over a month ago. His other finish around Saujana was a 9th place. 

The Man to Beat

Jorge Campillo – To Win (18/1), To Place (39/10)
Jorge Campillo has to represent the best value of the upper crust this week, with a combination of wicked course form and simply sensational current momentum. He finished 2nd here last year to Sharma – see above. But of more import is his brilliant recent form. He has finished runner-up in his last two stars in Oman and Qatar. He sits 15th for GIR and 28th for Par 4 coring. A reasonable 40th for shots gained putting is also an encouraging stat. Campillo looks a class act and could seal the deal this week. 

Written by Damien Kayat for Hollywoodbets. 

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