The details
Venue: Saujana G&CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: March 21-24, 2019
Course stats: Par 72, 7,135 yards
Course summary: A former palm oil plantation, the Palm course is one for a patient player – particularly if the mercury is rising. Greens are small and sloping and, while it is far from the longest course, you need to exhibit strong ball striking to get round intact.
Purse: $3 million
Defending champion: Shubhankar Sharma (-21)
Weather forecast: Hot with temperatures regularly hitting 33 and 34 degrees through the week. Thunderstorms are possible on Sunday.
TV coverage
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event, 3.30am and 7.30am
Friday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event, 3.30am and 7.30am
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 2.30am; Sky Sports Main Event, 4.15am
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event, 2.30am
Maybank Championship betting tips: Each-way betting tips
It hasn’t been the greatest of starts to the season for Shubhankar Sharma, who burst onto the world stage when winning here last year and at the Joburg Open.
With three missed cuts on the card in seven events, his highest finish of this year is tied 29th at the Dubai Desert Classic.
That said, he was runner up in the Indian PGTI Players Championship just over a month ago and so, if conditions suit, he could put together a decent week.
If that happens, you’d like to think it would come at Saujana – where he has finished ninth and a winner in two starts on the course.
You’re taking a little bit of a chance with form being a worry but, at 70/1, it’s one that might be worth doing.
Asian Tour staple Panuphol Pittayarat could also be worth a punt at 150/1 for place hunters. The world no. 209 has been putting together some consistent numbers over the past few weeks on the Asian Tour, including top 10s at the Indonesian Masters and the Singapore Open.
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He also made the knockout stages at the World Super 6 in Australia before falling to Kristoffer Reitan in his second match. He has finished ninth and 23 in two Maybank appearances.
You’ve had the each-way shouts, now turn the page to see who Steve reckons might win the Maybank Championship…
Maybank Championship betting tips: Top selections
It’s hard not to see Jorge Campillo as a standout at 18/1 given what the Spaniard has been doing on the European Tour over the past couple of weeks.
Consecutive podium finishes in the Oman Open and Qatar Masters means he comes back to Malaysia in great form. He probably would have won this 12 months ago had it not been for Sharma’s final round heroics.
That second place, though, was a significant upgrade on 55th the first time he played the course. He’ll put in another strong challenge if he replicates any of the displays he has shown over the past few weeks.
Fabrizio Zanotti also enjoyed a nice couple of weeks in the desert – tying for second in Oman and posting a score just outside the top 10 in Qatar.
He could only finish 60th here 12 months ago but may have been affected by the distractions of being defending champion.
The Maybank was the Paraguyan’s second European Tour win, in 2017, when he stormed to the title with a stunning final round 63.
It’s no surprise the Palm course should suit his eye. A track that rewards accuracy, rather than length, it means 25/1 seems a nice enough price.
Ryan Fox (22/1) is a player with a similar profile to Campillo and Zanotti. The New Zealander is already off the mark in 2019 – having claimed the World Super 6.
Just outside the top 10 in the New Zealand Open last time out, he only trailed Sharma and Campillo here last year.
There’s huge incentive for him to perform, with a spot at the top table tantalisingly within the reach of a player who is now on the fringes of the world’s best 64.
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