The first of five coveted Rolex Series tournaments, the European Tour heads over to the Middle East for the prestigious Abu Dhabi Championship. Yas Island will play host, and it heralds the start of a new era for the event.
It will be fascinating to see how this one plays out, especially with the likes of world No.2 and reigning Open champion Collin Morikawa competing, while Rory McIlroy will be firmly under the microscope.
We’ve handpicked three juicy looking tips that we think should take advantage of this week.
Rory McIlroy to win his first European Tour event @ 8/1 with William Hill
McIlroy has confirmed he will be participating at the first two European Tour events in the Middle East this year, and as always, the 32-year-old attracts significant interest wherever he plays.
Although he has failed in 11 previous attempts to win the Abu Dhabi Championship, a good performance will set him up nicely for the Dubai Desert Classic, where he is a two-time winner. He has finished runner-up on three occasions at the Abu Dhabi Championship. But during the offseason, he has made tweaks to his game, and he always generates a lot of flight with the ball from his tee shots and approaches into the green.
With McIlroy, it’s a case of stringing together four impeccable rounds of golf, and not leaving out there. Anyway, you can get an enticing price of 8/1 with William Hill for McIlroy to be crowned champion.
Viktor Hovland to lead after Round 1 @ 20/1 with Unibet
Viktor Hovland finished off 2021 in style with victories at the OHL Classic and the Hero World Challenge, and now he will be hoping to make an impression in Abu Dhabi.
The young Norwegian golfer is a rising star, and he has all the attributes to be a future world No.1. Hovland has been a model of consistency, and he will be making just his second appearance at the Abu Dhabi Championship, after finishing in T23 on his debut in 2020.
Yas Island offers up plenty of birdie opportunities, and more often than not, Hovland has ice running through his veins. You can back him to get off to a good start and lead after Round 1, as he is valued at a tasty looking 20/1 with Unibet to do so.
- Get 20/1 on Viktor Hovland to be First Round Leader cta_button_2
Tommy Fleetwood to finish as the best-placed Englishman @ 5/2 with bet365
Tommy Fleetwood has been a bit quiet in recent times, but his talent is undoubted. His only highlight last year was a runner-up finish at the Italian Open, and he hasn’t won a title since 2019.
However, when he’s on song, Fleetwood is a joy to watch. Tyrrell Hatton may be the Abu Dhabi Championship reigning champion, but bet365 fancy Fleetwood to finish as the highest placed Englishman, and you can get odds of 5/1 for him to achieve that.
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