Since The Start Of February
The DP World Tour returns today for the first competition of the Asian Swing at the Hainan Classic in China.
Having made its tour bow 12 months earlier, a 2nd course has been presented, along with amateur gamers, but efficiency off the tee should still be a huge asset for those aiming to construct 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 sneak peek
Top suggestion
Angel Ayora 9-1
Just one player in the world's leading 100, South Africa's Thriston Lawrence, will be at today's Hainan Classic, however Angel Ayora is hovering just below that mark and he might take his chance after a series of strong performances.
The Spaniard looks a class above this sort of company and while he has yet to break his DP World Tour duck, his consistency suggests it is only 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 form at this level, and figures of 5-8-9-18 in his last four competitions recommend he is knocking on the door.
Ayora did not play at in 2015 when Marco Penge triumphed, however the statistics suggest he could be a good fit.
Penge was third in stroke-gained off the tee and 8th on approach, so with Ayora ranked 5th and ninth in those metrics this year, the resemblances are clear.
He hit a 64 in his opening round last time at the Joburg Open, where his 18th may be seen as a minor frustration, however he looks fully equipped to bounce back.
With his method abilities perhaps being more important on the 2nd course, the Vintage, supplying a higher test of accuracy, don't be amazed if he comes forward and finally overcomes the line.
Next finest bet
Nathan Kimsey 22-1
Nathan Kimsey is another player who heads into fight in great type, although his transformation has been more marked given that he recuperated from a pretty dismal 2025.
However, he got his act together to survive qualifying school and has been making the many of his opportunities.
Since the beginning of February, he has ended up ninth in Bahrain, 5th in Kenya, ninth at the South African Open and 12th in Joburg, so self-confidence must not be an issue.
He makes his location debut however the gamer who is ranked 13th in the strokes-gained off-the-tee charts could discover the assessment to his taste.
Other selection
Grant Forrest 30-1
Grant Forrest is one gamer who has experience of this tournament, albeit when all four rounds were used the Blackstone Course, having ended up 23rd last year and he ought to be confident that he can build on that.
The 32-year-old from Livingston won August's Nexo Championship and could work out reasonably fresh.
He was 15th in Qatar in early February, having actually 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 data on his way to triumph in 2015
♦ Just one Chinese player finished in the leading 30 in 2025
♦ Five of the leading 8 finishes in 2015 were also 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
Prize cash $2.55 m ($ 433,500 to the winner).
Length Blackstone - 7,637 lawns, Vintage - 7,331 yards.
Par Both 72 - 4 par-fives, 10 par-fours, 4 par-threes.
Field 120 The cut Top half receive last 2 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 summary This is the second time Mission Hills has hosted the Hainan Classic and while all four rounds were used the Blackstone Course in 2015, the Vintage Course will be utilized also this time, so each of the 120 players will play both courses in the opening two days. This change has made it possible for amateur gamers to be involved and decreased the professional field to 120. The Blackstone has large fairways and is the considerably longer of the 2, while the Vintage represents a various difficulty with lots of doglegs and blind shots to be negotiated on the tree-lined track that is greatly bunkered.
Story of in 2015 Marco Penge kept his cool with a closing 67 to declare his first DP World Tour success by a three-shot margin.
Weather projection All four days are anticipated to be dry with temperatures peaking at about 30C.
Type of player matched to the difficulty Penge drove and putted well to come out on the top last year and length off the tee is normally a crucial skill on Chinese courses. The Vintage is a bit more fiddly, but will just need to be browsed as soon as.
Key quality Power.
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