The Asian golf world is abuzz as the DP World Tour joins the PGA Tour in hosting a golf tournament in Asia.
Moved from its original Spring placement, the Genesis Championship played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea is now set to put a cap on the DP World Tour’s 2024 regular season.
Playing as the final stop in the regular season and with just two weeks until the kick-off of the DP World Tour Play-offs, many golfers will be eyeing to get themselves within the end-of-the-season field.
This week’s Genesis Championship serves as just the second playing of the event as well as the 2023 edition was the first time this event was staged.
This week’s event is also co-sanctioned with the Korean Tour as part of the DP World Tour’s efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two tours.
The Field
Following the conclusion of this week’s Genesis Championship, just the top 70 golfers within the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings will advance to the first of two playoff legs.
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will host the first of two playoff legs and will feature the top 70 golfers of the DP World Tour’s season long standings. From there, the top 50 golfers advance to the DP World Tour Championship.
As it sits, Richard Mansell (66th,) Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (67th,) Alejandro Del Rey (68th,) Sean Crocker (69th) and Adrien Saddier (70th) are the first five golfers within the cut line. All but Crocker will be teeing it up this week.
Tony Finau (71st,) Andrea Pavan (72nd,) Brandon Stone (73rd,) Gavin Green (74th) and David Micheluzzi (75th) are the first five golfers out. All but Finau will be playing this week.
As this event is the only event on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to be held in South Korea, many of the nation’s best will be in attendance this week. That includes the likes of Tom Kim and Byeong-Hun An who open as the two odds-on-favorites to win.
We’ll see a large KPGA representation this week as well. The KPGA’s best will get to put their skills to the test against some of the world’s best as well.
Other notable names teeing it up this week include Sebastian Soderberg, Yannik Paul, Nicolai Hojgaard, Johannes Veerman and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Pablo Larrazabal is the defending champion of this event as he held off Marcus Helligkilde by two strokes to win the inaugural playing. He’ll be back this week to defend his title.
The Course
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea plays as a Par 72 at 7,470 yards.
The course is described as a unique urban golf course that offers views of modern high-rise buildings along with the peaceful natural scenery of the west coast.
The course is actually made up of two nine hole loops called the Urban and the Links. Although named the Links, the nine-hole stretch is far from a links style golf course.
It was opened in 2010 and in its short life has hosted events such as the Songdo Championship on the Champions Tour in both 2010 and 2011, the Presidents Cup in 2015, the International Crown on the LPGA Tour in 2018 and the Genesis Championship on the Korean Tour in 2017.
The course is rather wide open. The fairways are wide and forgiving.
It does play on the longer side at just shy of 7,500 yards and with the wide and generous fairways, expect those long off the tee to get a leg up.
The bentgrass greens are generous and with a combination of the ease off the tee, we can expect some low scores this week - weather permitting.
Water is in play on 11 of the holes this week and is much more prevalent on the back nine. However, with the width of the fairways they won’t offer much of a challenge. That is, unless the weather gets involved.
Added to the line of defense this week are an abundance of sand bunkers that golfers will have to navigate.
Larrazbal won last year’s inaugural playing at -12.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, there is essentially a zero-percent chance of precipitation across all four days this week. Temperatures will begin at 65-degrees on Thursday before settling at 69-or-70 degrees for Friday through sunday. Winds also appear to be a non-factor at this point, as Saturday is currently calling for the highest winds at just eight miles-per-hour. The rest of the week is calling for just six miles-per-hour winds. In all, a great four days for some golf.
Key Stats
Average Driving Distance
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT)
Sand Saves Percentage
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Birdie or Better Percentage
Bogey Avoidance
Par 5 Average Scoring
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)
Betting Card
Nicolai Hojgaard (+2200)
This is simply talent based. Outside of Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An, Hojgaard is one of the best overall golfers in this field. Across his last two events on the DP World Tour, he’s gone T20th at the Andalucia Masters and T18th at the FedEx Open de France. On the DP World Tour he is currently 12th in SG: APP, 14th in average driving distance, 61st in SG: OTT, 98th in bogey avoidance, 124th in par five average scoring, 131st in birdie or better percentage, 170th in SG: PUTT and 171st in sand saves percentage. Those numbers don’t do him justice as he spent this past season on the PGA Tour. Simply put, this number in this field can’t be passed on.
Johannes Veerman (+2500)
In his last two outings, Veerman has gone T14th at the Andalucia Masters and T8th at the FedEx Open de France. He also placed T23rd at the Betfred British Masters. He is currently 19th on Tour in birdie or better percentage, 27th in par five average scoring, 29th in SG: APP, 34th in bogey avoidance, 60th in SG: OTT, 63rd in average driving distance, 90th in SG: PUTT and 119th in sand saves percentage. Veerman currently sits 44th in the Race to Dubai and will look for a big week to comfortably place himself within the top 50 for the DP World Tour Championship.
Brandon Stone (+3500)
Stone has a lot to play for this week as he currently sits 73rd in the Race to Dubai standings. A big week is a must if he hopes to crack the top 70 to get into the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He is currently 32nd on Tour in average driving distance, 37th in SG: OTT, 53rd in bogey avoidance, 60th in birdie or better percentage, 77th in SG: APP, 89th in par five average scoring, 94th in SG: PUTT and 141st in sand saves percentage. Stone has also been playing some great golf as of late. He’s fresh off a T17th at last week’s Andalucia Masters and T10th at the FedEx Open de France. He also placed T26th at the Amgen Irish Open, T27th at the Omega European Masters and T12th at the Betfred British Masters.
Haotong Li (+6600)
I’m in love with Li this week. He is currently ninth on Tour in SG: APP, 12th in birdie or better percentage, 20th in both average driving distance and SG: PUTT, 62nd in SG: OTT, 66th in par five average scoring, 81st in bogey avoidance and 145th in sand saves percentage. Li placed T49th in his last appearance at the FedEx Open de France but also placed T7th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is one of the best fields we’ve seen all season on the DP World Tour. Li is also currently 81st in the Race to Dubai and without a win this week, he’ll likely be missing out of the DP World Tour Playoffs in two weeks time.
Casey Jarvis (+7500)
In his last two outings, Jarvis placed T36th at the Andalucia Masters and T27th at the FedEx Open de France. He also recently placed T26th at the Amgen Irish Open and T8th at the Omega European Masters. He is currently 16th on Tour in birdie or better percentage, 38th in sand saves percentage, 42nd in SG: OTT, 50th in SG: APP, 64th in par five average scoring, 90th in average driving distance, 116th in SG: PUTT and 137th in bogey avoidance. He is also currently 77th in the Race to Dubai and much like Li, he’ll likely need a victory if he hopes to crack the top 70.
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