What once was the worlds largest open tin mine © The MINES Resort & Golf Club
Nick Watney 14/1 © www.tourprogolfclubs.com
While the European Tour is in China, the PGA Tour turns up in Kuala Lumpur and it’s certainly a case of workers of the world unite!!
Like Yas Links in Abu Dhabi this is another course that truly inspires. This track is the vision of Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, a Malaysian business tycoon, who sported the potential of turning the worlds largest open cast tin mine into what is now a stunning golf course, and wildlife refuge.
Enlisting the expertise of golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, who transformed the barren wasteland, once rich in precious minerals, into a wonder that is a manifestation of aesthetic beauty to become The MINES Resort & Golf Club.
The par-71, 6,966-yard course offers picturesque views across the 1,000 acres resort, which includes a 150-acre lake, while the wild tree-lined fairways offer definition to go with its well-contoured greens. After its completion in 1993 the course was left for a year to bed in before it opened for play. Since that time the course has hosted the World Cup of Golf, the Kuala Lumpur Open and is a regular venue for Asian Tour events.
Jeff-Overton 28/1 © Keith Allison
My tips to Win:
As it’s a limited field I am going to go with two to win bets, two each-way bets and an outside bet this week. First up is Nick Watney 14/1 who has made the Top 25 in every other tournament he’s teed it up in this year, throw in a win and five Top 10 finishes and he is my favourite to win here this week.
I have tip Jeff Overton 28/1 for the last two weeks and he didn’t play that badly at last weeks McGladrey Classic firing three rounds in the 60s, but Jeff finished in second place last year at this tournament and with his recent form I am going to stick with him again this week.
My each-way tips:
Another player who played well at this event last year was John Senden 28/1 who tied for seventh place. The Queenslander has had five Top 10 finishes this season and after a couple of weeks away, I am sure John will want to go a couple of places better this year.
Jbe Kruger 150/1
Jimmy Walker 33/1 has had six Top 10 finishes so far this season and his last tournament the Frys.com Open saw him once again finish in the Top 5, his second of the year. Jimmy played well here last year opening with a first round 66, but it was his third round 71 that put paid to any chance of winning.
My Outside tip:
I must admit I was surprised to see Jbe Kruger 150/1 playing here this week, even more surprised to see this year’s Avantha Master champion at these odds in such a limited field. Jbe has gone off the boil slightly since that win but its more a case of consistency than bad golf, he shot 65, 77, 68 in his final three rounds at this year’s Malaysian Open and it was that one round that put him out of the tournament, but as you can see he’s not far off challenging and has to be worth a few quid at these odds.
For updated betting odds during the tournament go to planetgolfreview.com
Robert Trent Jones Jr turned this barren mine into a stunning golf course © The Mines Resort & Golf Club
