Fantasy Golf Tournament Preview- UBS Hong Kong Open (European Tour Package)

The European Tour doesn’t have time for breaks, so we officially begin the 2018 season this week in Hong Kong where Sam Brazel will defend his title. DraftKings has given us some more of the same lackluster GPP’s this week with the $4 20 max being $20,000 in prizes ($1,000 to first) and the $33 ($12,500 – $1,500 to first), but at least we still have some golf to sweat over American Thanksgiving. The course is short, coming in just under 7,000 yards so naturally this will bring the short hitters closer to the pack this week and also explains why we’ve seen a lot of shorter hitters winning the event. Ball striking is still the king stat, so of course we’ll lean heavily on our usual group of ball strikers in the field. Many players have said that hitting greens in regulation is a huge part of playing well, so that’s listed as my #1 stat this week. Like the PGA Tour’s swing season, this event has been one to catapult young (and old players) to their first victory. Three players have claimed the title in Hong Kong as their first European Tour win. Brazel’s win last year came out of the blue and required a final hole birdie to secure the win, but I don’t think he’s got what it takes to defend here, so you won’t be seeing his name below. If you’re looking for a corollary course, look at Crans-Montana (Omega Euro Masters) as a comp.

TOURNAMENT BACKGROUND
o The Course
• Hong Kong Golf Club
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,700 yards
• Greens: Bermuda
o Location: New Territories, Hong Kong
o Past Champions:
• 2016: Sam Brazel -13 over Rafa Cabrera-Bello
• 2015: Justin Rose -17 over Lucas Bjerregaard
• 2014: Scott Hend -13 in a playoff over Angelo Que
• 2013: Miguel Angel Jimenez -12 in a playoff over Stuart Manley & Prom Meesawat
• 2012: Miguel Angel Jimenez -15 over Fredrik Andersson Hed

KEY STATS TO TARGET
o Strong Emphasis – Greens in Regulation, Driving Distance, Ball Striking
o Important – Course History, Current Form, P4 Scoring, Driving Accuracy

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