Written by @Matt_Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
The Championship at Laguna National | Thursday 01 May – Sunday 04 May | Laguna National Golf and Country Club
The European Tour heads to Laguna National Golf and Country Club in Singapore this week and a last minute change in venue, from South Korea to Singapore, has resulted in a weak field assembling for this one. The 7,207 yard track is always a challenge and players are going to have to contend with tight, tree lined fairways, thick rough, numerous water hazards and well positioned bunkers if they are to compete here. The fact that Bernd Wiesberger leads the betting gives some indication of the quality of the field but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as there are a lot of players with a serious chance who can be backed at big prices. Previous winners on the course have been those who are accurate off the tee rather than the bombers and this year should be the same, so look for players who rank highly in the total driving and GIR% stats. The ability to play in a tough climate will also be important as Singapore is incredibly humid right now and thunderstorms are a real possibility. So who has it in them to win here? Let’s have a look.
To Win Outright
Bernd Wiesberger 14/1
Rafael Cabrera Bello 18/1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 20/1
Anirban Lahiri 22/1
Ross Fisher 28/1
VALUE BETS
Anders Hansen (25/1 a win, 11/2 a place)
Anders Hansen has been showing a bit of form lately and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes at the top of the leaderboard in Singapore this week. A final round of 63 last week in China put him on my radar and saw him finish in fifth, and he seems to have overcome the injury that has plagued him since the end of last year. An accurate driver who nearly always hits the fairway, this course definitely suits his game as evidenced by his solid course form. Each way on Hansen is the way to go this week.
Simon Dyson (40/1 a win, 88/10 a place)
Much like Hansen, Dyson was impressive last week where he finished T8 against a better field than he faces here. A talented golfer who has a fair amount of experience in Asia, he won’t struggle with the heat or humidity at all. He also loves the course and a T3 in 2007 was his best finish here. Against a weak field, 40/1 is a huge price so each way looks the bet.
Tommy Fleetwood (28/1 a win, 62/10 a place)
Fleetwood has had a bit of a slump in form of late but looked to be back to his best in China last week and could prove to be a real contender here. A final round 68 there saw him finish runner-up in what was his best finish of the year thus far. He’ll be eager to continue that form here and there’s no reason he can’t against this field. 28/1 is a great price, get on.
TOP BET: Gregory Bourdy (28/1 a win, 62/10 a place)
On the stats, Gregory Bourdy looks the pick of the litter this week in Singapore. He’s hit a bit of form at the moment and his 19th place finish last week was his third Top 20 in a row. If he had been better on the greens that finish could have been higher as his driving and iron play were spectacular, as they have been for the past two months. If he can avoid the bogeys that plagued him in China he’ll improve even more and there’s no reason he can’t go the distance here. Each way on Bourdy is the bet for me.
