Tuesday 27 October 2015 15:21, UK
Ben Coley previews the CIMB Classic where Harris English and defending champion Ryan Moore feature among five selections.
Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club is, in its own way, a poster for the modern world of golf. Despite being in Malaysia, it hosts not only a European Tour regular - the Malaysian Open, no less - but this week's PGA Tour stop, the CIMB Classic, and a event on the LPGA Tour. Quite a privilege.
Two years ago, Ryan Moore and Gary Woodland came back on Monday morning to finish off the tournament and even in getting the job done in the regulation four days 12 months later, Moore led a field which endured a stop-start tournament on a course where lift, clean and place was absolutely necessary. Patience will again be important.
In spite of the negatives, the West Course is a little gem which is very popular. Whether the layout's reputation is the reason Henrik Stenson makes his debut over the Turkish Open or there's something more to it, the Swede headlines a strong field.
Moore is back to bid for a third straight win in the event and I just have to have him in my staking plan despite a disappointing display when put up in Las Vegas a week ago. It's a saver and nothing more, but he's yet to be beaten in two visits to a course which is tailor-made for him and in a field half the size of the Shriners has to be given the benefit of the doubt.
I'll back him win-only because there are genuine concerns around the impact of travel, luck of the draw, the pressure of bidding not just for a defence but for a hat-trick, and the overall state of his game after a definite backward step on his own doorstep. But if Moore wins again there would be nobody who could claim surprise and I really don't think 22/1 is an accurate reflection of his chance.
If Moore does let someone in this time, Stenson is a prime candidate. Yes, it's been a year of near-misses and yes, his efforts in contention have not always been convincing. But he's the best player in the field, playing the best golf and there's absolutely no reason this layout won't play right into his hands.
Still, the each-way terms on offer in this no-cut tournament are excellent so a better policy is to look beyond the head of the market, with Harris English the most tempting proposition at 45/1 in a couple of places.
At 26-years old he's still on an upward trajectory and English has two wins in the bag - both at demanding golf courses in TPC Southwind and El Camaleon. Given that these two venues are in Tennessee and Mexico and that English himself is from Georgia, the humid conditions of Kuala Lumpur shouldn't catch him out.
English has been here once before, ranking second for greens hit and fifth in par-four scoring on his way to seventh place, and it's one of several performances which really mark him out as the right type of player for the test at hand.
He has made his last 13 cuts and, most encouragingly, he climbed from 105th in 2014 to 10th in 2015 in strokes-gained putting. English has putted these grainy greens well before and tends to perform well after a break - he's a regular factor after Christmas in the Sony Open - so with plenty in his favour rates my idea of the best bet.
As with English, Keegan Bradley returns to Malaysia having skipped this event in 2014 and he too is worth backing to find a return to peak form.
Bradley is something of a forgotten man on the PGA Tour and it's over three years since he won. But I've faith in his talent and while there are genuine concerns around his putting at the moment, he has the strength of mind to rise to the challenge and work out a way to get the ball in the hole.
While Kuala Lumpur isn't long, Bradley can get after the par-fives if he's striking the ball well and with rain in the forecast his power will remain an advantage. And the good news here is that there's never really been a problem with the long-game - Bradley has been one of the best drivers on Tour ever since his arrival in 2011.
Complete a four-and-a-bit-pronged attack with Kevin Kisner and Ben Crane.
Kisner got what proved to be a breakout season off to a fine start with an early top-five this time last year and while this will be his first start in the CIMB Classic, it's a golf course I expect to suit. While he was extremely poor in the TOUR Championship, a 25th in the Shriners last week represented a big step back in the right direction.
He struck it beautifully last week and ranked fifth in the all-around, his game is quite similar to Moore's and anyone who watched him closely last season will have no concerns about his ability to get the job done.
Finally, Crane simply looks a huge price given this limited, relatively shallow field at odds of around the 200/1 mark.
Crane won the CIMB Asia-Pacific Classic at The Mines in 2010 and followed it up with 20th and 14th-placed finishes. All 12 rounds at a course just half an hour away were sub-70 and while this is a different kind of test, it's clear that a return to Malaysia should be viewed as a positive.
Last week, Crane was disqualified having called a penalty on himself at the Shriners, but for which he'd have made the cut following a relatively promising top-35 finish in the Frys.com Open to start the year. Given his hit-and-miss profile this represents quite encouraging form and an ideal platform for a good week at the CIMB and although I couldn't be confident, a small bet at a huge price has definite scope.
