The world’s top golfers will head this week to the famed West course in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 2016 staging of the CIMB Classic. A cool $7 million is at stake for the elite 78-man field with the champion grabbing not only 500 FedExCup points but also the $1.26 million top prize.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of the 2016 CIMB Classic and while you’re at it, you can check out our high-value sleeper picks for this golf tournament.
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Favorites – Patrick Reed (+1,200) and Adam Scott (+1,200)
It isn’t a complete surprise to see Patrick Reed and Adam Scott installed as favorites to win this week’s CIMB Classic. Reed and Scott are the two highest-ranked players in the field and they are playing some excellent golf of late. Scott posted four top-10s in last season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, including fourth-place finishes at the the Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, and BMW Championship. Scott loves playing in this Kuala Lumpur course as evidenced by his runner-up finish in this event last year.
Reed, on the other hand, is coming off a highly-successful 2015-16 season wherein he recorded 11 top-10s in 28 starts. He won the Barclays at Bethpage Black before leading the American charge at the Ryder Cup earlier this month. Reed has logged 12 career rounds at the CIMB Classic, tying for 26th in 2014 and for 10th just last year. With the form that they are both in right now, expect Reed and Scott to contend once again for the title this week.
High-Value Sleepers – Gary Woodland (+2,500) and Kevin Na (+2,000)
One golfer who loves playing here in Malaysia is Gary Woodland. The Kansas native was a runner-up in each of his first two appearances in the CIMB Classic. Woodland has been playing some solid golf of late as well, finishing in the top-25 in each of his last four starts (all FedEx Cup playoff events). Key to Woodland’s resurgence has been his superb play from tee to green. He was 12th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained in that particular department last season with an impressive 1.097 clip. That will be a key weapon for Woodland when dealing with the nooks and crannies of this challenging Kuala Lumpur course.
Another golfer who’s primed for a huge performance this week is Kevin Na. He has never finished outside of the top three in two career appearances here in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, Na has the lowest scoring average of anyone with at least eight career rounds in this course. That experience will be a major weapon for Na who’s hell-bent on ending his five-year title drought this week.
One long shot who can definitely make a run at the CIMB Classic title this week is Hudson Swafford. He finished tied for 24th in this event last year, shooting a 13-under-par total of 275. What makes Woodland such a threat in every golf tournament that he competes in is his tremendous power off the tee. He averaged 306.9 yards per drive last season, seventh-best in the PGA Tour. That powerful swing will come in handy for Swafford when tackling the long 7,005-yard, par-72 TPC Kuala Lumpur course.
Writer’s Prediction
Patrick Reed (+1,200) captures the CIMB Classic for the first time in his career.
