WGC-HSBC Champions: betting preview, best bets, free tips, course guide

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China.

When to bet by

12.45am Wednesday night/Thursday morning

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 2am Thursday morning

Best bets

Paul Casey
3pts each-way 22-1 Betfair, BoyleSports, Paddy Power
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Xander Schauffele
2pts each-way 14-1 Betfair, Paddy Power
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Sergio Garcia
1pt 55-1 each-way Betfred
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Keegan Bradley
1pt 66-1 each-way Betfair, BoyleSports, Paddy Power
Back this tip with Paddy Power

Only three of the world’s top ten players are in attendance for the final World Golf Championships event of 2019, the HSBC Champions, and that has resulted in Rory McIlroy being installed as a red-hot favourite for this week’s Shanghai showpiece.

McIlroy warmed up with a third-placed finish behind Tiger Woods at the Zozo Championship last week and, while he has never won at Sheshan International, the course clearly plays to his considerable strengths.

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele have all tasted glory at this bombers paradise and PGA Tour Player of the Year McIlroy has placed in the top six in five of his seven Sheshan appearances.

That’s factored into his price, however, and there are several high-quality opponents who look capable of halting his bid for a first Shanghai crown.

Joe Champion's top tip

Paul Casey 22-1

While McIlroy is the man they all have to beat, few players have been in better form over the last few months than Paul Casey and the confident Englishman is ready to add a WGC to his title collection.

Casey has struggled to convert winning opportunities in the past, going four years without a title win between 2014 and 2018, but he won on the PGA Tour at the 2018 Valspar Championship and followed up by defending his title this year.

The 42-year-old confirmed his renewed appetite for a battle when he won the European Open in September. He has since placed 11th in similarly strong company at Wentworth and ranked third in greens in regulation as he finished 17th at the Zozo.

A Sheshan regular, Casey is an elite ball-striker who has failed to finish outside the top 20 on only one of his 11 completed starts at the course – he withdrew with an injury in the 2009 tournament when in a respectable position – and his record in Asia is excellent.

Twice a winner in China at the TCL Classic and the China Open in 2005, the Cheltenham man was also a champion on the Korean Tour in 2011 and is a threat to all having regained his winning mentality over the last 18 months.

Next best bet

Xander Schauffele 14-1

Xander Schauffele began the final round of the 2018 HSBC Champions three shots behind fellow American Tony Finau but the Californian drew level with his compatriot with birdies at the 17th and 18th holes before emerging triumphant from a playoff.

Schauffele has frequently proven himself to be the man for the big occasion. A winner of the Tour Championship in 2018, the 26-year-old has recorded top-ten finishes in five Major championships from 11 starts and proved his mettle to land this title last year.

He is yet to defend a trophy successfully but this low-scoring test – the average winning total has been 16-under-par over the last five seasons – is a perfect fit for the power-packed star who clearly relishes the chance to compete among the best in the business.

Already assured of a place in the US Presidents Cup team, Schauffele was runner-up behind McIlroy at the Tour Championship and returned to PGA Tour action when tenth in Japan, a spin that should have him spot on for a bold defence.

Other selections

Sergio Garcia 55-1

Keegan Bradley 66-1

Like his Ryder Cup teammate Casey, Sergio Garcia has won titles all over the world without tasting WGC glory but the fiery Spaniard could right that wrong in China.

Garcia did win this title in 2008, a year before this tournament was awarded WGC status, and he has produced plenty of other strong showings in Shanghai. The 39-year-old finished fourth in his first Sheshan appearance for four years in 2013 and was also ninth the last time he teed it up at the HSBC in 2016.

A six-time champion on the Asian Tour, Garcia won the KLM Open at the beginning of September and finished seventh behind Jon Rahm at his national open at the beginning of this month.

The 2017 Masters champ took his time to acclimatise when 60th at the CJ Cup but finished with encouraging rounds of 67 and 69 over the weekend at the Zozo.

Keegan Bradley is a less frequent winner but the 2011 US PGA Champion has a habit of picking up big titles on occasion and looked in decent nick when 13th in Japan – where he fired a second-round 63.

Bradley, who also triumphed in elite company at the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitiational and the 2018 BMW, finished 16th and 11th at Sheshan in 2011 and 2013 and produced one of his best peformances of the 2018-19 season when sixth there last year.

Players to note

Hideki Matsuyama
The Japanese superstar was runner-up behind Tiger Woods last week and third at the CJ Cup the week before. Has all the tools to repeat his 2016 Shanghai success but may be deflated after home heartache.

Tony Finau
The Utah giant was just touched off in a playoff 12 months ago and it would be no surprise to see him involved again, for all that his price is short enough for a player who has not won anywhere for over three years.

Justin Rose
Won this title in 2017 when Dustin Johnson surrendered a six-shot lead at the start of the final round. His ultra-consistent long game has been absent in recent events.

Sungjae Im
The Korean has been superb all year without winning on the US Tour. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks through at the top level but this is his first spin at Sheshan International.

Bernd Wiesberger
The Austrian powerhouse has been in superb form since returning from injury, winning in Denmark, Scotland and Italy, but golfers who almost exclusively play on the European Tour have a rotten record in WGCs.

Xinjun Zhang
The Chinese player starred on the Korn Ferry Tour last season, winning twice and finishing second in the points list. Finished seventh at the Safeway and fourth in Houston last time out and has performed with credit at this track in the past.

Sheshan International course guide

Course Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China
Prize money €10.25m (€1.7m to the winner)
Length 7,261 yards Par 72 Field 78

Course records – 72 holes 264 Dustin Johnson (2013)
18 holes 62 Martin Kaymer (2013), Danny Willett (2015)

Course winners taking part Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele

When to bet By 12.45am Thursday morning

Where to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 2am Thursday morning

Time difference China is eight hours ahead of the UK and Ireland

Last week – Zozo Championship 1 T Woods (33-1), 2 H Matsuyama (18-1), 3 R McIlroy (8-1), S Im (35-1), 5 G Woodland (28-1); Portugal Masters 1 Steven Brown (150-1), 2 J Walters (125-1), 3 B Stone (100-1), 4 A Saddier (200-1), 5 C Paisley (35-1)

Course overview Sheshan International staged the inaugural HSBC Champions in 2005, then every year until 2012, when the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills took a brief turn. Sheshan International returned as host venue in 2013 when Dustin Johnson set a new scoring record.

Sheshan’s fairways are tree-lined and water comes into play on 11 holes. The undulating greens have plenty of false-fronts which make approach shots difficult to judge.

The rough was thickened up for 2014, reducing the winning score from 24 under par (2013) to 11 under, but Russell Knox carded a 20-under-par total four years ago and Hideki Matsuyama went even lower in 2016.

The short par-four 16th is a late eagle opportunity. There are four par-fives (the second, eighth, 14th and 18th). The eighth measures 603 yards and is no pushover, while the 18th is a 538-yarder which has water down the entire right side, as well as over the back of the green. All the par-threes are at least 200 yards.

The story of last year Tony Finau led after two rounds in Shanghai but 66-1 shot Xander Schauffele fired weekend scores of 69 and 68 - featuring fourth-round birdies at the 17th and 18th - to reel in the Utah giant. Schauffele would take the title with a birdie at the first playoff hole.

Weather forecast Sunny weather is expected throughout with comfortable temperatures and minimal wind.

Type of player suited to challenge Phil Mickelson (twice), Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele are on the recent roll of honour at Sheshan, highlighting that big-hitters can take control at this layout. Victory for short-hitting Knox in 2015 appears the exception to the rule.

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