WGC season kicks off this week in Shanghai at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Unlike many of the cash grab, no-cut WGC events here in the states, plenty of big names are missing from this week’s event. Nonetheless, it’s a big week on the fall Tour schedule and here is who we like:
DMoney
The “Asian Swing” continues this week, meaning you will have some late nights/early mornings ahead of you again this week if you want to turn in to the season’s first WGC event. Plenty of big names are skipping this week too, paving the way for someone off the radar to cash in big with a WGC win and the check, and perks, that comes with it. That’s why I am going slightly out of the box and picking Russell Knox this week. Since his breakout season in 2016 where he won twice on Tour (including this event), he has essentially been forgotten about here in the U.S. His track record at this event is pretty stellar too. He followed up his 2016 victory with a T9 finish the next year. So, I’m going off the radar this week and riding Knox.
TSS
Finally, we’re to the last of the tournaments that will air in the middle of the night that no one is watching here in America. I don’t mind the Asian swing because it exposes the world’s best players to a whole new crop of golfers, but damnit, I’d like to watch some Sunday afternoon golf again.
Anyway, this WGC field is loaded … of course … and with a new world number one, you’d figure after winning two majors and a tournament last week he’d be the favorite this week, however that’s not the case as Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose are both still ahead of him in odds.
Like D, I’m going to pick someone different though, I’m going with Xander Schauffele this week. Why? The kid is good. Simple as that.