Abu Dhabi Championship Tips

There’s a lot more at stake than just lifting the huge trophy when the Abu Dhabi Championship gets underway on Thursday at Yas Links (3.17am, Sky Sports Golf).

In addition to the $9 million prize pool, of which $1.5 million goes to the winner, 10 PGA Tour cards are at stake and Rory McIlroy could win the Race to Dubai for the sixth time and third time in a row.

The Northern Irishman just needs a top-two finish to take an unassailable lead ahead of next week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and equal Seve Ballesteros’ record as a six-time European champion.

He may not need to win, depending on the standings of his closest rivals Thriston Lawrence and Ramus Hojgaard, but he would love to finish with a week to spare.

McIlroy has finished second in Abu Dhabi on three occasions and third on four other occasions, but that relative success has all come at the tournament’s former home, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Since arriving at Yas Links two years ago, the former world number one has finished 12th at first attempt and missed out on last year’s tournament.

Punters will be asking him if he can rediscover the form he previously showed in Abu Dhabi, and betting sites We’re worried, with McIlroy a best price of 5/1.

You should know that underdogs often do well in this tournament; Victor Perez was 55/1 before last year’s victory and Thomas Pieters was 50/1 before the start of the 2022 tournament. Neither man will participate this time around.

Other names to watch are last year’s finalists Sebastian Soderberg and Min Woo Lee, who finished one shot behind Perez. You can get 25/1 on Lee to win on several gambling sites and Soderberg at 90/1.

There are dangerous contenders lurking in the weeds, but it looks like McIlroy has to win.

He has had his share of near misses this year, most recently at the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship and was a winner in the UAE this year, winning the Dubai Desert Classic.

McIlroy is just ahead of Tyrrell Hatton (6/1) and Tommy Fleetwood (9/1) at the top of the market on golf betting sites, and the English duo is no stranger to crossing the finish line in Abu Dhabi.

Both Hatton and Fleetwood have won this tournament before, but their success also came in the previous host race, with Fleetwood winning in 2017 and 2018 and Hatton winning in 2021.

Fleetwood hopes to have an advantage living just a few hours from Dubai and has already enjoyed success in the UAE this year, winning the Dubai Invitational in January.

The Englishman is also in good form. Since missing the cut at the Open, he has six top-20 finishes in his last seven starts, including consecutive third-place finishes in his most recent appearances.

You can get 4.22/1 on McIlroy, Hatton and Fleetwood all finishing in the top 10 on some betting appsincluding bet365.

Abu Dhabi Championship Prediction: Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood both finish in Top 5 (including ties) – 11/2 William Hill

Abu Dhabi Championship betting offers

Golf bettors looking to win free bets by betting on the Abu Dhabi Championship can do so with 10bet’s rewards club.

By taking part in the promotion at 10bet and betting a minimum of £40 on golf during the month of November, punters can receive a £5 free bet.

All qualifying bets must be placed at odds of equal or higher and free bets can be spent on any event at 10bet sportsbook.

Responsible gaming

Gambling can be addictive and punters are encouraged to think before betting, never play more than they can afford to lose and never chase losses.

The same goes if you play on a sports betting site, casino sitespoker sites or any other type of gaming medium.

Whether you play with established bookmakers or new betting sitesyou will have the opportunity to use their responsible gaming tools to help you keep your gambling under control. These include deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and waiting periods.

If you would like to seek help for gambling-related problems, there are several charities and healthcare providers offering support and information:

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