Since The Beginning Of February
The DP World Tour returns this week for the first tournament of the Asian Swing at the Hainan Classic in China.
Having made its trip bow 12 months back, a second course has actually been introduced, as well as amateur players, however proficiency off the tee should still be a big asset for those seeking to develop on strong starts to the year.
Ian Wilkerson's Hainan Classic predictions
Angel Ayora
3pts each-way 9-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Nathan Kimsey
1pt each-way 22-1 bet365
Grant Forrest
1pt each-way 30-1 bet365, BoyleSports
Ian Wilkerson's Hainan Classic preview
Top pointer
Angel Ayora 9-1
Just one player in the world's leading 100, South Africa's Thriston Lawrence, will be at this week's Hainan Classic, however Angel Ayora is hovering simply listed below that mark and he might take his opportunity after a series of strong performances.
The Spaniard looks a class above this sort of business and while he has yet to break his DP World Tour duck, his consistency recommends it is just a matter of time.
He was seventh at the Italian Open in June, and in his next 24 competitions, he has 11 top-ten finishes, which is standout type at this level, and figures of 5-8-9-18 in his last 4 tournaments suggest he is knocking on the door.
Ayora did not dip into Mission Hills in 2015 when Marco Penge triumphed, however the statistics recommend he could be a great fit.
Penge was third in stroke-gained off the tee and eighth on technique, so with Ayora ranked fifth and ninth in those metrics this year, the similarities are clear.
He struck a 64 in his opening round last time at the Joburg Open, where his 18th might be viewed as a small disappointment, however he looks fully equipped to recuperate.
With his method abilities perhaps being better on the 2nd course, the Vintage, providing a greater test of precision, do not be surprised if he comes forward and finally gets over the line.
Next finest bet
Nathan Kimsey 22-1
Nathan Kimsey is another gamer who heads into battle in fine kind, although his improvement has actually been more significant since he recuperated from a quite disappointing 2025.
However, he got his act together to get through certifying school and has actually been making the most of his chances.
Since the beginning of February, he has actually ended up ninth in Bahrain, 5th in Kenya, ninth at the South African Open and 12th in Joburg, so confidence should not be an issue.
He makes his place launching but the player who is ranked 13th in the strokes-gained off-the-tee charts might find the examination to his liking.
Other choice
Grant Forrest 30-1
Grant Forrest is one player who has of this tournament, albeit when all 4 rounds were played on the Blackstone Course, having actually finished 23rd last year and he should be confident that he can develop on that.
The 32-year-old from Livingston won August's Nexo Championship and could work out fairly fresh.
He was 15th in Qatar in early February, having been seventh the week before in Bahrain, so his game seems in an excellent place.
Key statistics for Hainan Classic
♦ Marco Penge headed the greens-in-regulation statistics on his method to success last year
♦ Just one Chinese player finished in the leading 30 in 2025
♦ Five of the leading eight finishes last year were likewise in the leading eight for strokes-gained putting, including the winner
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Course guide for the Hainan Classic
Course Blackstone and Vintage Courses, Mission Hills, Hainan, China
Cash prize $2.55 m ($ 433,500 to the winner).
Length Blackstone - 7,637 lawns, Vintage - 7,331 backyards.
Par Both 72 - four par-fives, ten par-fours, 4 par-threes.
Field 120 The cut Top half receive last two rounds.
Highest-ranked gamers in field (world ranking in brackets) Thriston Lawrence (89 ), Angel Ayora (101 ), Andy Sullivan (110 ), Nacho Elvira (121 ), Dan Bradbury (125 ).
Course records - 18 holes - Blackstone 65 Marco Penge, Bowen Xiao, Conor Purcell (2025 ).
When to bet By 11.20 pm on Wednesday.
Time distinction Hainan is eight hours ahead of the UK and Ireland.
Course type Both parkland.
Course introduction This is the 2nd time Mission Hills has actually hosted the Hainan Classic and while all 4 rounds were played on the Blackstone Course in 2015, the Vintage Course will be used as well this time, so each of the 120 players will play both courses in the opening two days. This change has actually made it possible for amateur players to be involved and minimized the expert field to 120. The Blackstone has wide fairways and is the substantially longer of the 2, while the Vintage represents a various challenge with a lot of doglegs and blind shots to be worked out on the tree-lined track that is heavily bunkered.
Story of last year Marco Penge kept his cool with a closing 67 to declare his very first DP World Tour success by a three-shot margin.
Weather projection All 4 days are anticipated to be dry with temperature levels peaking at about 30C.
Type of gamer fit to the challenge Penge drove and putted well to come out on the top last year and length off the tee is typically an essential skill on Chinese courses. The Vintage is a bit more fiddly, but will only need to be navigated once.
Key characteristic Power.
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