It’s the start of the Middle East swing and we’ve found some solid bets this week in our Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship 2012 Golf Betting Preview.

It’s the first event of the year for many of the world’s top players including Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and defending champion Martin Kaymer. The course measures just under 7000 metres and is relatively exposed to the wind, it is however in pristine condition every year and this results in fairly low scoring. It is forecast to be sunny and dry this week, but with temperatures only reaching around 25 degrees celcius on the weekend.

Martin Kaymer is back to defend his title in which he has dominated the last four years…Tiger Woods is hoping to continue where he left off in 2011 after winning the Chevron, Rory McIlroy will also be looking to get his year off to a good start as too will Lee Westwood. We’ve selected five players this week staking 10 units in total so let’s take a look at our picks in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Betting Preview.

Luke Donald for a place @ 3/1 (World Sports Betting) – He will be looking for another fast start as he defends his Race to Dubai crown, which he won in the desert of Dubai in December 2011. Another reason to back the world number 1 this week is that he finished T11th on his only previous appearance in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and has finished in the top ten in 12 of his last 15 outings on The European Tour…how can you not back him!

Lee Westwood for a place @ 3/1 (World Sports Betting) – The world number 2 passed the 400 European Tour career appearance mark in Dubai at the end of last season. He will be hoping to begin 2012 with a victory in the Desert. Lee finished T2nd behind Martin Kaymer at the 2008 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship when the German won his first title. Keep your eyes on Westwood this week, he loves desert golf…

Martin Kaymer each way @ 13/2 (Sportsbet) – How can you not back Kaymer after having won this event 3 out of the last four years and the year he didn’t win…he finished 2nd! He has a serious love affair with Abu Dhabi and will be looking to continue his run. The course plays into his hands by being fairly long and being open to the elements, he loves these greens as well averaging 27.3 putts in his 12 rounds in Abu Dhabi. This is his first event of the 2012 season so I’m fancying him to have a good start.

Rory McIlroy each way @ 13/2 (Sportsbet) – This guy is incredible, he ticks all the right boxes and comes off a exceptionally solid 2011 season posting eight top 5′s and 2 wins on the European Tour. He finished 2nd to Kaymer last year at the Abu Dhabi Championship and he is always in the mix in the final round of any tournament….anywhere in the world. Kaymer and him are a little short in the betting market, but for good reason so if you can get 7/1 or even 8/1 grab it with both hands!

Charl Schwartzel for a place @ 6.25/1 (World Sports Betting) – I think Schwartzel needed his first two events of the new season to get into the swing of things and after last week’s performance around an exceptionally difficult course he will be ready for action. He is an incredible ball striker who hits it a long way and on his day he’ll be “scraping paint off flagsticks” with his approach shots…he’s the only player in our selections who has played at all this season so that is a slight advantage and if he can get some confidence with the putter he’ll be in contention for the title not just a top 5 finish.

Summary for Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship 2012

• Luke Donald for a place @ 3/1 – 2 units
• Lee Westwood for a place @ 3/1 – 2 units
• Martin Kaymer each way @ 13/2 – 2 units total
• Rory McIlroy each way @ 13/2 – 2 units total
• Charl Schwartzel for a place @ 6.25/1 – 2 units

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