We’ve come to the end of the European Tour season. After the first two Final Series events we’re left with just four men who can finish top of the Race to Dubai with victory at the DP World Tour Championship.
Often times the Race to Dubai is sewn up by the time the players get to the Earth Course at Jumeirah. So the fact that each of Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Alex Noren and Rory McIlroy are all in with a shot adds a great deal of excitement to a tournament which is already world class. This promises to be a great spectacle and an equally appealing betting prospect.
Who Will Win The DP World Tour Championship?
When it comes to profiling a winner for the DP World Tour Championship we should be looking for world class players who can hit the ball a long way off the tee. The Earth Course measures 7,675 yards from the back tees and the fairways are pretty generous so power is much more important than accuracy off the tee. As if to ram home the point, Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson – two of the biggest hitters on the European Tour – have won the last four renewals between them. With both men right in the mix for the overall prize we could have a simply stunning showdown in store.
Power is important but it’s not the only key to victory. McIlroy showed last season that it can pay to be patient. It looked as though the win was slipping away from him and into the hands of Andy Sullivan a year ago but he picked his time to attack and reeled off a stream of birdies on the back nine. The course has a very tricky finish, so the eventual Race to Dubai champion was wise to have shots in hand for that closing stretch.
McIlroy is well fancied to repeat his victory 12 months on. There’s no doubting the Northern Irishman’s suitability for the Earth Course but he looks too keenly priced for us, following a short break. Instead, have a bet on Henrik Stenson at 6/1 with Bet365 – almost double the odds of McIlroy.
Stenson couldn’t quite get it going at the Nedbank Golf Challenge last week but he still displayed some wonderful ball striking in South Africa. The big Swede struggled a bit with his clubbing due to the effects of altitude and the swirling winds. Without those concerns in Dubai, Stenson can take dead aim at the flags and end a stunning season with another high.
Betting Tip – Henrik Stenson at 6/1 with Bet365
Each Way Tips and Other Bets
Thomas Pieters is surely going to travel to the Earth Course in with a shot of winning the Race to Dubai in the next couple of years. The young Belgian is a bona fide star of European golf but at 22nd in the rankings, he’s not going to win the big prize this time around. He could, however, win the tournament at 40/1 with Betfred. Pieters certainly fits the bill in terms of being a power hitter, he just needs to improve after a so-so period. We fancy that was an inevitable comedown following his Ryder Cup heroics though and 40/1 looks very big here.
Further down the betting, the odds of 125/1 that Ladbrokes are offering on Scott Hend also look way too big. He’s had a very good season and is one of the very best drivers around so back him for small stakes each way.