Abu Dhabi Championship tips
There is so much more to play for than just lifting the huge trophy when the Abu Dhabi Championship gets underway on Thursday at Yas Links (3.17am, Sky Sports Golf).
As well as the $9 million prize fund, $1.5m of which goes to the winner, there are 10 PGA Tour cards on the line and Rory McIlroy could win the Race to Dubai for a sixth time and the third time in a row.
The Northern Irishman just needs a top-two finish to move into an unassailable lead going into next week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and equal Seve Ballesteros’ record as a six-time European champion.
He might not have to win, depending on where his nearest rivals Thriston Lawrence and Ramus Hojgaard finish, but he would love to wrap things up with a week to spare.
McIlroy has finished runner-up in Abu Dhabi three times and been third on four other occasions, but this relative success all came at the old home of the tournament – the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Since moving to Yas Links two years ago, the former world number one has finished 12th at the first attempt and missed last year’s tournament.
Punters will be asking if he can he find the form he previously showed in Abu Dhabi, and betting sites are worried he might, with McIlroy a best-price of 5/1.
It’s worth knowing that outsiders often do well at this tournament; Victor Perez was 55/1 ahead of last year’s win and Thomas Pieters was 50/1 before the start of the 2022 tournament. Neither man will be teeing it up this time around.
Other names to look out for are last year’s joint runners-ups, Sebastian Soderberg and Min Woo Lee who finished one shot behind Perez. You can get 25/1 on Lee to win on several gambling sites and Soderberg at 90/1.
There are some dangerous contenders lurking in the weeds, but it seems like McIlroy is due a win.
He’s had his fair share of near misses this year, most recently at the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship and has been a winner in the UAE this year, clinching the Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy sits just ahead of Tyrrell Hatton (6/1) and Tommy Fleetwood (9/1) at the top of the market on golf betting sites, and the English duo have a history of getting across the line in Abu Dhabi.
Hatton and Fleetwood have both won this tournament before, but their success also came at the previous host course, with Fleetwood winning in 2017 and 2018 and Hatton in 2021.
Fleetwood will be hoping he has an advantage living just a few hours away in Dubai and has already tasted success in the UAE this year, winning the Dubai Invitational in January.
The Englishman is in decent touch too. Since missing the cut at the Open, he’s posted six top-20 finishes in his last seven starts, including back-to-back third place finishes in his most recent appearances.
You can get 4.22/1 on McIlroy, Hatton and Fleetwood all finishing in the top 10 on certain betting apps, including bet365.
Abu Dhabi Championship prediction: Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood Both Top 5 Finish (Inc. Ties) – 11/2 William Hill
Abu Dhabi Championship betting offers
Golf bettors looking to earn free bets by wagering on the Abu Dhabi Championship can do so with 10bet’s rewards club.
By opting in to the promotion on 10bet and wagering a minimum of £40 on golf in the month of November, bettors can receive a free £5 bet.
All qualifying bets must be placed at odds of evens or greater and the free bets can be spent on any event at 10bet’s sportsbook.
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