This week in golf: Fraser’s Hong Kong Open form irresistible
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The UBS Hong Kong Open has attracted a couple of America’s Ryder Cup stars to the European Tour this week, but while Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed soak up some limelight, there’s an understated Australian primed for a tilt at glory.
No stranger to Ryder Cup heroics himself, England’s Justin Rose heads the betting for this year’s edition at 6/1, followed by DJ at 7s and his compatriot Reed, who gets odds of 16/1 from Ladbrokes.
This power triangle is sure to attract financial support, though world number seven Rose actually missed the cut on his last appearance here in 2011, while Johnson and Reed are debuting at the event so course knowledge will be feather-light.
Instead the tried and tested horses-for-courses approach gets a healthy pat on the behind and that is where a far-less heralded golfer gets the nod instead.
Australian Marcus Fraser is currently ranked 58thth in the Race For Dubai standings, just inside the cut-off point of 60 players for the Tour finals which begin shortly, so he will have both eyes fixed on furthering that cause in China.
He couldn’t have selected a more amenable venue to cater for those needs either, or indeed to add to his two previous European Tour titles.
The straight-hitting Aussie has finished inside the top three twice in the past three visits to the Hong Kong Golf and Country Club, making it five top-15 finishes in seven appearances all told.
At odds of 25/1, each-way money seems like an elementary choice for punters with his game so clearly suited to this track, but even 2/1 on yet another finish inside the top 10 resonates.
PGA Tour – Shriners Hospital for Children Open
Meanwhile, over in the United States the second event in the new PGA Tour sees some of the big guns launch their FedEx Cup campaigns at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open.
With three wins in the past five months and two other top five placings worldwide, Rickie Fowler is one such stellar name and he finds himself flying solo at the sharp end of the market thanks to his impressive form sheet.
The flamboyant American is an 8/1 shot on his seasonal bow, but compatriot Kevin Na looks to be a fine choice to bounce back from his play-off heartbreak at Silverado prior to his trip to Desert Southwest.
Na’s game is clearly peaking despite that sudden-death disappointment and at with TPC Summerlin the scene of his only PGA Tour triumph to date, 20/1 looks chunky.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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