Golf betting tips: Final-round preview and best bets for the Singapore Classic
Ben Coley's 140/1 tip shares the lead in Singapore, but can he get the job done? Our golf expert previews the final round.
Golf betting tips: Singapore Classic
3pts Richard Mansell to win the Singapore Classic at 9/2 (General)
1pt Sami Valimaki to win the Singapore Classic at 11/1 (General)
Last week gave us a stark demonstration of how difficult it is to win when you're not used to winning and Sunday promises much of the same in another mid-tier DP World Tour event.
It's unlikely anything quite so dramatic as Daniel Gavins' 30-foot double-bogey/winning putt materialises in Singapore, but round three saw contenders take turns in stumbling and whatever does happen, a bogey-free 65 from one of the leaders to seal a commanding victory is way down the list of possibilities.
That's a shame, as we're on Jeunghun Wang at 140/1 (125/1 generally) pre-tournament, and after a storming back-nine he shares the lead with playing partner Alejandro del Rey, the pair again set to play together in what will now be the final three-ball.
Rewind six or seven years and Wang, who reached the world's top 50 and was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in his early twenties, would have been a full point shorter and maybe more from this share of the lead.
He's the proven class act, all aspects of his game are firing, he's playing under conditions and at a course he knows better than most, and he has – or had – proven himself reliable under the gun.
Now, aged 27, he's playing on a medical extension after fulfilling his military service obligations, returning last summer after a year and a half away. Wang makes no secret of how little he got out of the experience and it remains to be seen what, if any, the lasting effects are. Some of his compatriots have never been the same since doing theirs.
Clearly, all signs so far are positive and he deserves to be favourite. That said I doubt he knows what to expect in the final round and I certainly don't. First, 10th, 20th... I don't think any would come as a big surprise, so we go into the round with hope – of unbroken sleep, and of a nice outcome whether that's a win or the place money.
As for cover shots, it has to be RICHARD MANSELL first of all.
One shot behind after a best-of-the-day 65, Mansell will feel like this is a perfect opportunity to outmuscle the other two members of the final three-ball. Last time he was in a similar situation he was teeing it up with Ryan Fox and Alex Noren at the OId Course. This should feel like a walk in the park compared to that massive challenge.
Mansell is one of the best maidens on the circuit, he's the best ball-striker of this trio for all the promise of pocket-rocket del Rey, and his putting has improved with each start so far this year. Everything has come together perfectly and unlike almost every other player towards the top of this leaderboard, he gained valuable experience contending for bigger titles than this throughout 2022.
Of those away from the final group, many will feel Tom McKibbin is the one. He's scored in bursts this week and his power is a nice weapon to have, one which all but guarantees a couple of cracks at par-fives and several wedge approaches on a rain-softened course which is far less demanding than had been threatened.
The worry is that he was missing both left and right towards the end of round three and I prefer Nathan Kimsey and SAMI VALIMAKI, with the latter's winning experience and recent near-miss in South Africa both tipping the scales in his favour.
It was around this time three years ago that Valimaki won in Oman and he looks to be back in that kind of form having shown promise on virtually every start this season. He crept into things with a good finish on Saturday despite failing to birdie the 18th hole, and double-figure prices about the deadliest putter on the board make plenty of appeal ahead of what will be a bit of a shootout.
Valimaki made his move despite playing the par-fives in one-over. He has scope to improve again and remind us all of the talents he demonstrated throughout a fantastic rookie campaign.
Pre-tournament positions dictate things to some degree but even without one, I'd ultimately be looking to take on the top two in the betting on this occasion. Wang is just about the man to beat but Mansell is very close behind in every sense.
Posted at 1430 GMT on 11/02/23
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