World-class Xander Schauffele can make mockery of his massive price

Starts 1.50am on Wednesday night
Live on Sky Sports Golf from 3am

The so-called Bash Brothers compete alongside each other for the first time since their Ryder Cup horrors – Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson headline the WGC-HSBC Champions field in China and will hog the spotlight.

Koepka, courtesy of victory in the CJ Cup in Korea on Sunday, has just taken top spot in the world rankings from Johnson. The pair were reportedly feuding before and after the Ryder Cup, and the battle for world number one status just adds extra spice. It could inspire or inhibit them when they go eyeball to eyeball.

Johnson, who has been dealing with relationship problems which many report as the source of his recent issues with Koepka, has not been seen since the Ryder Cup. He was HSBC champion in 2013, but blew a six-shot final-round lead in the same event last year. Defending champ Justin Rose leads the European challenge.

Palmer's top tip
Xander Schauffele 66-1
The HSBC Champions is a WGC event, but in this age of FedEx Cup playoffs and 50-weeks-a-year golf, it does not hold sufficient prestige to attract all of the world's best. A late October gathering in China is clearly unappealing to some of the high-profile absentees, while many of those who have made the trip may be on auto-pilot after an intense few months.

Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Marc Leishman, Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are 11 members of the world's top 30 who are staying at home and enjoying a breather this week.

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The HSBC appears a tournament for punters to concentrate on players who have a point to prove at the end of a long year – those who will bring a WGC level of motivation to an event which is probably more winnable than it looks on paper. Four top-class operators who seem likely to give 100 per cent on a track which suits them are recommended at juicy prices.

Xander Schauffele was overlooked by US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk for a wildcard berth, a harsh omission considering the achievements of the 2017 US Tour Rookie of the Year. Schauffele, well suited to Le Golf National, followed up his Tour Championship triumph by finishing second in the Players Championship and the Open. This calm character thrives in the best company.

Schauffele would love to show Furyk what he missed out on by beating up the HSBC field. The two-time US Tour champ has quickly shown a liking for performing in Asia, finishing third in the CIMB Classic last year and second in the Dunlop Phoenix Open. He tied for 46th in a field of 78 on his HSBC debut, handicapped by lack of course experience at an established venue, but he should come on greatly for that run.

Schauffele has the long-game quality to tame Sheshan International, a layout where powerful sorts who relentlessly churn out greens in regulation tend to succeed, and he is well acclimatised from competing in Asia over the last fortnight. His 25th spot in the CIMB Classic was a steady return to action, and 48th in the CJ Cup, although disappointing, was a story of progression and improvement each day (76, 73, 71, 65), meaning he may have found his A-game in time for Shanghai.

Schauffele finished third in the BMW Championship last month – in a field superior to this one – and the improving youngster, who turns 25 on Thursday, is far too deep in the HSBC betting.

Next best
Rafa Cabrera-Bello 40-1
Another player spurred on by a Ryder Cup snub is Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who was unfortunate that Cup stalwarts Garcia, Stenson and Ian Poulter required wildcard picks.

Although Thomas Pieters took most of the European plaudits from the 2016 Ryder Cup, Cabrera-Bello went through three matches undefeated, thumping Jimmy Walker in the singles to round off a tremendous debut for a team who lost 17-11.

Cabrera-Bello is good enough to become a Cup regular and the HSBC provides an excellent opportunity for him to advertise that fact.

Over the last two years, perhaps as a result of that gutsy Ryder Cup effort, Cabrera-Bello has started banking massive cheques in high-class company. Last year he finished fourth in the Players Championship, then fourth in the Open and this year he was third in the WGC-Mexico Championship and tenth in the US PGA.

The 34-year-old, who was third in the 2016 WGC-Match Play, has form in Asia, where he won the 2012 Dubai Desert Classic. In March, 2007, the Spaniard played in his first European Tour event in China, becoming ultra-comfortable in that part of the world.

He has finished eighth in the China Open and the BMW Masters, while he has been runner-up in the Hong Kong Open the last two years. Two spins at Sheshan have yielded progressive form of 19th and fifth and he has arrived full of self-belief this time.

There was clearly some rust in Cabrera-Bello's system at the CIMB, where he tied for 50th, but he closed with a 66 and carried that form to the CJ Cup, where a pair of weekend 65s hauled him up to third. Nobody scored better than RCB at the weekend and the three-time European Tour champ, who already has a US Tour card safely in his pocket, can threaten the most prestigious title of his increasingly lucrative career.

Other selections
Thomas Pieters 100-1
Adam Scott 50-1
Pieters was a colossus in the 2016 Ryder Cup, scoring four points on a thrashed side, and the 26-year-old Belgian has not made the anticipated impact since. Missing the Paris rematch will have stung this class act, who seems to play his best golf in the biggest events.

Pieters underlined that his A-game is strong enough to win Majors with sixth place in the US PGA in August and generally over the last four months he has been looking more like the player who quickly won three European Tour titles before finishing fourth on his Masters debut.

Punters should ignore his final-round 79 in the Dunhill Links, which left Pieters last of the Sunday qualifiers – he can spectacularly lose interest when his chance of winning has gone, especially in poor weather. A share of 30th in the CIMB was a tidy warm-up in which he closed with a 66 and this super-talented powerhouse is well capable of Sheshan fireworks.

Complete a four-pronged attack with former world number one Adam Scott, who seems determined to regain a place in the elite and has been enjoying a resurgence on the greens with a switch back to a longer putter. In a bid to improve US Tour performance, Scott has axed the Australasian Tour events from his schedule this year, and the HSBC is probably his last tournament of 2018.

That total focus on Sheshan makes Scott extremely dangerous. He has won four times on the European Tour in Asia, including the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic in China, and has posted four top-15 finishes at Sheshan. Third place in the US PGA in August was hugely encouraging for the 2013 Masters champion and a final-round 63 for tenth spot in the CJ Cup on Sunday sent the Aussie ace to China in high spirits.

Others to note
Haotong Li
The pride of China has found form on the European Tour – fifth in the Dunhill Links, ninth in the British Masters – and must be respected. His Sheshan record is not great, though, and the pressure of winning a US Tour card on home turf may prove too much.

Jon Rahm
The Spanish beast, fresh from defeating Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup singles, can approach his second visit to Sheshan with great confidence. He should improve considerably on last year's share of 36th place.

Cameron Smith
The Aussie youngster paid the price for negative putting in the CJ Cup last week, sharing seventh place having struck his ball well. He is comfortable in Asia, but was 64th in his only Sheshan spin.

Ian Poulter
The Ryder Cup star gave Koepka plenty to think about in the early stages of the CJ Cup final round before being overpowered and overwhelmed. A similarly plucky but ultimately unsuccessful performance can be expected at Sheshan. His HSBC victory came at a different course.

Lucas Bjerregaard
The in-form Dane has been making merry on the European Tour and is perhaps playing well enough to overcome this upgrade. He has quickly posted seven top-15 finishes in China on the European Tour, but is making his Sheshan debut.

Francesco Molinari
The Open champion was Sheshan victor in 2010 when ranked 30th in the world. His confidence is much greater eight years on, but he seemed desperate for the close-season during a lacklustre effort at Walton Heath last time out.

Staking plan
X Schauffele
1.5pts each-way 66-1 Sky Bet
R Cabrera-Bello
1.5pts each-way 40-1 bet365
T Pieters
1pt each-way 100-1 Betfred
A Scott
1pt each-way 50-1 general

WGC-HSBC Champions lowdown

Course Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China

Prize money €8.7m (€1.5m 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 Francesco Molinari, Dustin Johnson, Russell Knox, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose

When to bet By 1.50am on Wednesday night

Where to watch Live on Sky Sports from 3am Thursday

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

Last week – Andalucia Masters 1 S Garcia (9-2), 2 S Lowry (12-1), 3 M Korhonen (50-1), 4 A Chesters (80-1), T5 M Kieffer (125-1), L Westwood (20-1), G Fernandez-Castano (150-1)

CJ Cup 1 B Koepka (10-1), 2 G Woodland (35-1), T3 R Palmer (200-1), R Cabrera-Bello (60-1), T5 J Day (14-1), S Piercy (125-1), T7 P Perez (110-1), C Reavie (150-1), C Smith (28-1)

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 three years ago and Hideki Matsuyama went even lower in 2016. The 288-yard 16th hole 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 Justin Rose started the final round eight shots behind the world number one, Dustin Johnson, but the Englishman went birdie crazy while the American failed to make any. Rose carded a 67 to triumph, while Johnson slumped to a 77 to finish tied second.

Weather forecast Sunny and pleasant throughout, and breezy for the most part, particularly on Friday.

Type of player suited to challenge Phil Mickelson (twice), Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Rose 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.

Key attribute Power

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