Korea Championship preview and betting tips: Robert MacIntyre ready to kickstart season
- Martin Colwell
- 25 April 2023
The DP World Tour stays in Asia this week, as it heads to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club at Incheon for the Korea Championship. Tipstrr golf pundit Martin Colwell takes a look at the leading contenders.
The Nicklaus design team carved the 7,470-yard par-72 course out of reclaimed land, close to the sea, where it has exposed fairways and plenty of water hazards.
Bunkering set-ups are always challenging on Nicklaus courses, and it is particularly difficult to score on this course if conditions are tricky, and wind and rain are with both expected to play a part at some point during the tournament.
The three market leaders are Robert MacIntyre, Rasmus Hojgaard and Jordan Smith, all available at around the 16-18/1 mark.
MacIntyre has been playing his best golf of the season over the past few weeks, with the work he did during the recent break beginning to pay off, and he looks primed to go well this week.
Suggested bet: Robert MacIntyre each-way in the Korea Championship
Smith is also in decent form, and the course sets up well for his favourite club (the driver), but even so he does struggle to win and therefore does not represent top value at that price.
Hojgaard is undoubtedly a talent and is still very young, but has failed to make the progress his twin brother has made during their short time on the tour, and he has a poor record in Asia.
A few points further adrift in the betting, Adrian Meronk has been playing on the USPGA Tour and showing up well. This tournament is a big drop-in class from that and if he can acclimatise, he must surely do well.
Suggested bet: Adrian Meronk each-way in the Korea Championship
At around the same odds is the in form German Yannik Paul, who is now making the most of his undoubted talent and is looking to progress up the world rankings.
Others to consider
I am not keen on the home country golfers, the best of whom are playing on the USPGA Tour. The second rank Japanese golfers struggled last week to compete with the tour regulars, and it's likely that the same will happen this week with the Korean competitors.
Of the others, Wil Besseling was contending on this tour twelve months ago. His form has not been good in 2023, but he has a preference for courses when he can use his driver a lot, so this should suit his game.
Gavin Green is Malaysian and has been playing on this tour and on various Asian tours for a long while now. He is often in contention but struggles to get over the line. He is also streaky in terms of finding good form.
However, he is available at 50/1 or more at present and in a weakened field he represents value if he has his game in good order.
Suggested bet: Gavin Green each-way in the Korea Championship
