Steve Palmer's LIV Golf Hong Kong first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch LIV Golf Hong Kong

DAZN and LIV Golf Plus app, 4.15am Friday

Best bets

Fireballs to win team event
1pt each-way 11-1 bet365

Graeme McDowell top-ten finish
1pt 8-1 Hills

LIV Golf Hong Kong first-round preview

There have been team victories for Legion XIII, Smash and Crushers in the first three events on the 2024 LIV Golf schedule, but this week may be the turn of Fireballs to shine.

Fireballs are captained by Sergio Garcia, who should play a leading role in LIV Hong Kong at a course which plays to his strengths. Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig complete the side.

Garcia is competing at Hong Kong GC for the third time, having finished in the top 20 in his previous two appearances on the DP World Tour, while promising Spanish youngsters Chacarra and Puig got a taste for the venue in the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour just before Christmas.

Chacarra carded a round-one 63 in that event before fading away, while Puig finished in 15th place. Ancer is the only member of the team who is new to the course, but the accurate Mexican should fall in love with the test of precision which HKGC provides.

Six teams are ahead of Fireballs in the betting, which seems to underrate their chances. Team Torque are joint-favourites with bet365 despite the fact their entire line-up is teeing up at this unusual layout for the first time.

Graeme McDowell, never outside the top 25 in six appearances at HKGC in full-field events on the DPWT and Asian Tour, looks well worth backing at 8-1 for a top-ten finish.

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