The PGA Tour will move to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club for the CIMB Classic this week. It will be the second event of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season following Brendan Steele’s comeback win at the Safeway Open last week and the action will begin early in one of the few events that will be held outside of the United States. A number of the big names are off this week, so we’ll see a wide open field where anyone can really win. There is no Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson or Rory McIlroy. Paul Casey will be the favorite this weekend along with Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Adam Scott. There are a total of eight players that are inside of 20/1 to win this event.
Event Details
Event: CIMB Classic
Category: European
Date: October 20-23
Location: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Justin Thomas picked up his first-career win at this event a year ago when he fired a course-record 11-under in the second round and held on for a one-stroke victory in the end. Three of the last five winners at this event have finished with a final score at 22-under or lower so expect another birdie fest this weekend. This course tends to play pretty easy with lots of low scores.
Past Five Winners
2015: Justin Thomas -26
2014: Ryan Moore -17
2013: Ryan Moore -14 (Playoff)
2012: Nick Watney -22
2011: Bo Van Pelt -23
What To Know About The Course
The fact that the last three CIMB Classic’s have been held at the same course means that those with experience here should have a significant edge over outsiders. Driving Distance always matters but it won’t be nearly as important as Driving Accuracy with a field that should dominate from that perspective. The ridiculously low scores from the winners over the years indicate that this should be another birdie fest and it could come down to which golfers are able to sink their putts with the most consistency.
The Field
The field for this tournament is limited to just 78 players including 10 spots for the top Asian Tour players but there will still be 10 of the top-30 in the Official World Golf Rankings on hand. Thomas will look to defend his crown after winning this event a year ago along with last year’s runner-up Adam Scott, Paul Casey, Patrick Reed and two-time champ Ryan Moore. Casey is the sports betting favorite at +1200 odds while Reed and Hideki Matsuyama are both listed at +1400 odds. Moore, Scott, Thomas and Sergio Garcia are all expected to be in the mix as well with each of those players among the top-10 sports betting favorites for this week’s event.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Ryan Moore over Justin Thomas
Thomas is the defending champion at this tournament but we are going to use that against him when it comes to finding added value in a head-to-head matchup with Moore. Thomas’ win here last year has boosted his stock for this week but he will be in tough to beat out a player that has dominated this tournament in the past for the second year in a row. Moore won this event in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014 and he enters this event in excellent form after a pair of top-10 finishes in the FedEx Cup playoff events. Moore should deliver another strong performance this weekend as he looks to regain his crown at the CIMB Classic.
Top-Five Pick: Paul Casey
No golfer on the PGA Tour is hotter than Casey right now. The veteran Englishman has finished in the top-five in four straight events dating back to the FedEx Cup playoffs including a T-3rd at the Safeway Open and there is no reason to expect a letdown this week. Casey is one of the better players in this week’s field and his outstanding form of late makes him a strong pick to finish inside the top-five again this week.
Top 10 Odds To Win The CIMB Classic
Paul Casey +1015
Hideki Matsuyama +1050
Patrick Reed +1050
Adam Scott +1050
Ryan Moore +1250
Justin Thomas +1250
Kevin Na +1650
Sergio Garcia +1850
Gary Woodland +2050
Daniel Berger +2250
Kevin Chappell +2550
