
The DP World Tour heads to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in South Korea for the 2024 edition of the Genesis Open. Damien Kayat previews.
2024 DP World Tour
Genesis Championship
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
24 – 27 November 2024
Julian Guerrier captured his maiden title at last week’s Andalucía Masters, outlasting Jorge Campillo in a marathon nine-hole playoff. The playoff was the joint longest in DP World Tour history, matching Raphael Jacquelin’s triumph at the 2013 Spanish Open and Jose Maria Olazabal’s victory at the 1989 Dutch Open.
It just so happens that Jaquelin happens to be Guerrier’s current coach! That must be one of the most incredible sporting-related coincidences I have ever seen.
Genesis Championship
The tour moves to Korea this week for a brand-new event: the Genesis Championship. This is a co-sanctioned event, with 90 DP World Tour players and 30 KPGA players in attendance.
This tournament is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster, forged together from the rubble of two events: the Korean Tour’s Genesis Championship and the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship.
This week’s venue was the host course for both of those defunct events: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea is a visually fascinating hybrid, showing off some glorious modern architecture amidst the stunning natural splendour of Incheon.
It’s made up of two nine-hole Bentgrass courses (the Urban and the Links). It was opened in 2010, hosting the Songdo Championship on the Champions Tour. Most people will remember it as the host course for the 2015 President’s Cup – won by USA.
It is nearly 7,500 yards and should theoretically open itself up to the big hitters. Having said that, finding greens proved to be the most important stat last season.
But it’s really hard to extrapolate anything from one renewal (there is no data from the previous Genesis Championship). I would hesitate to back any of the South Korean contingent: only one local finished inside the top nine at last year’s Korea Championship.
Contenders
This is the last counting event in the regular season, with the top 114 players earning their DP World Tour cards at the conclusion of the tournament. The top 70 will earn their place in the upcoming DP World Tour playoffs (which will feature just two events).
The Korean pair of Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An make for logical favourites. They are established PGA Tour professionals who will get plenty of support from the locals.
Nicolai Hojgaard won last year’s DP World Tour Championship but he currently sits in a disappointing 78th position. He desperately needs a result this week to give himself any chance of retaining that Dubai title.
Elsewhere, the likes of Yannik Paul and Guido Migliozzi stand out in what is a pretty underwhelming field.
Past Winners
N/A
To Win Outright:
Tom Kim 13/2 | Byeong-Hun An 7/1 | Nicolai Hojgaard 20/1 | Yannik Paul 22/1 | Sebastian Soderberg 25/1
Value Bets
Gavin Green – To Win 35/1 | To Place 15/2
Powerhouse Gavin Green has what it takes to come to terms with this 7,500-yard monster. The Malaysian currently sits 74th in the Race to Dubai standings and has plenty to play for this week.
He has also been shining with the irons of late, ranking 2nd on approach in his T13 finish at Le Golf National (he finished just six shots off the lead).
He drove it uncharacteristically poorly last week, missing the cut at the Andalucia Masters. That was really down to two reloads for the tee- this week affords much more space in that department.
He finished in a tie for 14th last year and his irons seem to be in much better working condition this time around.
Haotong Li – To Win 50/1 | To Place 11/1
Enigmatic Chinese star Haotong Li currently sits 81st in the Race to Dubai standings and needs a belter of a week to reach the season-ending playoffs. Li has the ability to finish first or last in any given weekend.
He enjoyed a shocking 2023 campaign but somehow managed to make the cut here, shooting a Friday 66 en route to a 71st-place finish.
To put that into context, that was only one of two cuts he made the entire year. He arrives in better form this time around, finishing 7th at the Dunhill Links before a 49th at the Open de France.
He has won five times in Asia and will love the fact that this is so forgiving from the tee.
The Man to Beat – Byeong-Hun An – To Win 7/1 | To Place 15/10
I think An has what it takes to shine in front of his home fans this week. The Korean enjoyed a really solid season on the PGA Tour, picking up five top-ten finishes, ultimately finishing T21 at the Tour Championship.
He has looked strong in his most recent outings, finishing with top-21 finishes in his last three events (all of which came in elite fields). He finished in a tie for 13th at the Open Championship and his tremendous iron play should stand him in good stead this week.
He is also a much longer hitter now and he should be able to gain plenty of strokes off the tee.
