PGA First Look: WGC-HSBC Champions
The PGA First Look is complete with a course preview, odds, salaries, Official World Golf Rankings, and course history.
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WGC-HSBC Champions Preview
Justin Thomas defended his title at the CIMB Classic with a monster round on Sunday. We have now seen Ryan Moore and Thomas both win that event in back-to-back seasons. The PGA Tour stays in Asia this week for the WGC-HSBC Champions. This is another no-cut event that features a strong field. With everyone guaranteed to play all four rounds (barring a WD), we can employ a riskier approach when building lineups once again. Our goal is no longer to get all of our golfers through the cut, it is to get as much exposure to high finishes as we can.
Sheshan International Golf Course (West) has held this event in 11 of the last 12 editions. The lone exception was in 2012, so make sure to exclude that year from your data when looking at course history. This is a Par 72 course that measures 7,266 yards. Tiger Woods once called this course the ‘crowning jewel of Asian golf.’ This is one of the more unique golf courses in the world, as it is set amid 1,000-year old gingko trees. We have seen a mix of short and long hitters excel here; the key is being accurate with your long irons. With four par fives and four long par fours, there are a ton of iron shots over 200 yards. I’m giving an big boost to current form and course history this week.
Cut Rule: This is a no-cut event.
Recent Winners of this Event: Russell Knox (2015), Bubba Watson (2014), Dustin Johnson (2013), Jonathan Byrd (2011)
Key Statistics
1) Strokes Gained Tee to Green
2) Strokes Gained Putting
3) Birdie or Better %
4) Par 5 Scoring
5) Approaches from 175-225 Yards
Salaries, Odds, and Course History (2011-2015)
| Golfer | Salary | OWGR | Odds | + / – | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | $12,100 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 500 | 6 | 4 |
| Dustin Johnson | $11,900 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 500 | 1 | 500 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | $10,000 | 10 | 20 | 0 | WD | 41 | WD | 500 |
| Henrik Stenson | $9,800 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 500 |
| Paul Casey | $9,600 | 13 | 22 | 0 | 23 | 500 | 20 | 4 |
| Adam Scott | $9,400 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 70 | 12 | 500 | 11 |
| Justin Thomas | $9,300 | 21 | 26 | 0 | 27 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Sergio Garcia | $9,100 | 14 | 31 | 0 | 11 | 28 | 4 | 500 |
| Patrick Reed | $9,000 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 500 | 500 |
| Ryan Moore | $8,900 | 33 | 40 | -4 | 500 | 28 | 50 | 500 |
| Bubba Watson | $8,800 | 8 | 35 | 1 | 35 | 1 | 8 | 500 |
| Martin Kaymer | $8,700 | 48 | 35 | 1 | 30 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| Russell Knox | $8,600 | 20 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Brooks Koepka | $8,500 | 23 | 38 | 2 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Rickie Fowler | $8,400 | 11 | 42 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 55 | 500 |
| Francesco Molinari | $8,300 | 40 | 46 | -1 | 500 | 500 | 21 | 23 |
| Charl Schwartzel | $8,200 | 27 | 51 | -4 | 35 | 64 | 500 | 4 |
| Thomas Pieters | $8,100 | 41 | 49 | -1 | 23 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Danny Willett | $8,000 | 9 | 57 | -5 | 3 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Alexander Noren | $8,000 | 18 | 49 | 0 | 54 | 500 | 500 | 49 |
| Matt Kuchar | $7,900 | 19 | 47 | 3 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Scott Piercy | $7,900 | 32 | 66 | -8 | 35 | 500 | 21 | 500 |
| Ross Fisher | $7,800 | 82 | 56 | 1 | 3 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Daniel Berger | $7,800 | 38 | 65 | -5 | 11 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Emiliano Grillo | $7,800 | 26 | 62 | -3 | 35 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Bernd Wiesberger | $7,700 | 47 | 46 | 10 | 17 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Si Woo Kim | $7,700 | 51 | 69 | -5 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Lee Westwood | $7,700 | 46 | 82 | -13 | 51 | 20 | 55 | 13 |
| Rafael Cabrera-Bello | $7,600 | 31 | 59 | 4 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Byeong-Hun An | $7,600 | 39 | 76 | -7 | 19 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Roberto Castro | $7,600 | 67 | 99 | -15 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Kevin Chappell | $7,500 | 28 | 68 | 2 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Branden Grace | $7,500 | 16 | 70 | 0 | 5 | 500 | 39 | 500 |
| Andrew Johnston | $7,500 | 83 | 115 | -17 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | $7,400 | 24 | 57 | 12 | 44 | 14 | 15 | 7 |
| Jimmy Walker | $7,400 | 17 | 63 | 8 | 500 | 35 | 46 | 500 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | $7,400 | 34 | 71 | 2 | 54 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Alexander Levy | $7,300 | 98 | 80 | 1 | 500 | 14 | 500 | 500 |
| Sean O’Hair | $7,300 | 80 | 168 | -17 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Richard Bland | $7,300 | 111 | 149 | -16 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Kevin Na | $7,200 | 36 | 75 | 6 | 57 | 20 | 500 | 500 |
| J.B. Holmes | $7,200 | 25 | 81 | 3 | 500 | 28 | 500 | 500 |
| Richard Sterne | $7,200 | 152 | 106 | -4 | 500 | 500 | 39 | 500 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | $7,100 | 53 | 91 | 2 | 7 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Scott Hend | $7,100 | 64 | 87 | 4 | 19 | 500 | 21 | 500 |
| Thongchai Jaidee | $7,100 | 52 | 146 | -9 | 11 | 41 | 46 | 29 |
| Gregory Bourdy | $7,000 | 122 | 239 | -11 | 500 | 500 | 21 | 500 |
| Hao-Tong Li | $7,000 | 183 | 246 | -14 | 7 | 35 | 39 | 500 |
| Shih-chang Chan | $7,000 | 179 | 321 | -18 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Kevin Kisner | $6,900 | 37 | 74 | 16 | 2 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Bill Haas | $6,900 | 43 | 94 | 7 | 500 | 48 | 21 | 42 |
| Soren Kjeldsen | $6,800 | 50 | 108 | 6 | 46 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Chris Wood | $6,800 | 35 | 117 | 2 | 51 | 500 | 39 | 500 |
| Wen-Chong Liang | $6,800 | 297 | 679 | -19 | 58 | 48 | 15 | 62 |
| Gary Woodland | $6,700 | 54 | 88 | 14 | 23 | 56 | 500 | 500 |
| Shane Lowry | $6,700 | 44 | 108 | 8 | 68 | 34 | 500 | 500 |
| Soomin Lee | $6,700 | 133 | 350 | -12 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Jhonattan Vegas | $6,600 | 75 | 143 | 6 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 10 |
| Dean Burmester | $6,600 | 181 | 586 | -11 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Jacques Blaauw | $6,600 | 324 | 679 | -13 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Younghan Song | $6,500 | 93 | 261 | -1 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| George Coetzee | $6,500 | 163 | 189 | 4 | 500 | 12 | 74 | 500 |
| Joost Luiten | $6,400 | 65 | 113 | 15 | 500 | 28 | 500 | 500 |
| Matthew Millar | $6,400 | 405 | 638 | -7 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Jason Kokrak | $6,300 | 90 | 129 | 14 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Hui-Lin Zhang | $6,300 | 679 | 1107 | -13 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Marcus Fraser | $6,200 | 103 | 311 | 3 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Miguel Tabuena | $6,200 | 142 | 464 | -1 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Rikard Karlberg | $6,100 | 87 | 304 | 6 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Zecheng Dou | $6,100 | 197 | 875 | -7 | 51 | 69 | 500 | 500 |
| Hideto Tanihara | $6,000 | 71 | 188 | 15 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Jordan Zunic | $6,000 | 522 | 714 | -2 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Kyung-tae Kim | $5,900 | 55 | 239 | 15 | 27 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Bradley Dredge | $5,900 | 88 | 239 | 15 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Jeunghun Wang | $5,800 | 89 | 346 | 9 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Xin-Jun Zhang | $5,800 | 449 | 938 | -2 | 46 | 500 | 500 | 13 |
| Wu Ashun | $5,700 | 171 | 732 | 3 | 58 | 14 | 68 | 49 |
| Nathan Holman | $5,700 | 257 | 804 | 2 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
Color Coding
Course history in BLUE indicates a top ten finish.
Course history in GREEN indicates a top 25 finish.
Course history in YELLOW indicates a finish outside of the top 25.
Legend
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| + / – | The difference between a golfer’s salary and odds rank. This can help you spot underpriced golfers. |
| OWGR | Official World Golf Ranking |
| Cuts | Cut record of each golfer at this course in the last five seasons. |
| 2011 – 2015 Columns | Course history at this event in the last five seasons. |