Hong Kong Open 2015: Dates, Live Stream, TV Info, Latest Odds, Predictions
The 2015 UBS Hong Kong Open swings into action later this week at the Hong Kong Golf Club with a cool $2 million in the prize fund up for grabs.
All of the action tees off on Thursday and will run for four days. The players are already getting into the mood for a challenging week of golf, so let's take a look at where you can watch the action unfold before diving into some predictions.
Dates: Oct. 22-25.
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TV: Live on Sky Sports 4 and the Golf Channel for the duration of the tournament.
Live Stream: Available on Sky Go and Golf Live Extra (the Golf Channel).
Latest Betting Odds
| Outright Winner | Justin Rose (6-1) | Dustin Johnson (9-1) | Matthew Fitzpatrick (16-1) | James Stewart (2,000-1) |
| First Round Leader | Rose (11-1) | Johnson (14-1) | Fitzpatrick (25-1) | Stewart (300-1) |
| Top 5 Finish | Rose (11-8) | Johnson (9-4) | Fitzpatrick (7-2) | Stewart (150-1) |
James Stewart to Surprise All With Deep Surge
As a local, the 40-year-old James Stewart knows the rough and smooth of the course, having qualified as a Hong Kong PGA Order of Merit winner.
As relayed by Matthew Scott of the South China Morning Post, Stewart is the pick of the local bunch and is feeling confident in his own abilities: "When I was playing full-time I put too much pressure on myself and it mattered too much to me. Now when I play, I enjoy it a lot more, as the result doesn't really matter. If I play poorly, I just go back to the office the next day and if I play well it's a bonus."
That relaxed approach could play into his hands, particularly considering he once almost had a share of the lead at this very event back in 2001, as he was in joint-second place alongside Jose Maria Olazabal and Adam Scott.
At odds of 2,000-1, he is so far down the pecking order that he's definitely worth a punt. He'll certainly take confidence from the recent underdog performances of fellow European Tour competitors Matthew Fitzpatrick and Paul Dunne, no doubt.
Dustin Johnson's Recent Good Form to Continue
With his six-month absence from the world of golf behind him, Johnson has a tremendous opportunity to build on his ninth PGA Tour win at Doral earlier this year by claiming some cash and prestige in China.
As reported by Scott, Johnson has not lost his will to win and is anticipating he'll be among the leaders come the final day: "I’ve been playing well but would still like to play a bit better than I have in the weeks leading into Hong Kong. I’m coming there expecting to win – I expect to win every week that I play. So I’ll be expecting to at least have a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday."
Confidence is clearly high in the Johnson camp, and with his personal issues seemingly behind him, he has a real chance to begin fulfilling his potential, starting with a win in Fanling this week—or, at the very least, the chance to finish inside the top five (at 9-4).
Matthew Fitzpatrick Will Build on Promise
The world of golf is still reeling from the manner in which English rising star Fitzpatrick stormed from out of nowhere to win the British Masters in early October with a two-shot advantage at 15 under. Here's a look at his swing, highlighting just how good this guy really is:
His amateur career is now a distant memory, but he's crafted enough new ones already in his short professional calling to have faith in his own ability.
What's more, some giants of the game are backing him to contest the title in Hong Kong, as former major winner Justin Rose has sounded off with some positive words about the 21-year-old's style of play, per AFP (via Sport24): "He is going to probably be tough to beat on this golf course. He's an especially great putter, and keeps the ball in play off the tee."
BBC Sport's Iain Carter believes the youngster has what it takes to progress even further with yet more wins in the coming weeks and months, highlighting his coaches of Mike Walker and Pete Cowen as a major reason: "It [his coaching support] means the player is ideally equipped to build on his breakthrough victory. Fitzpatrick is one of a dozen first-time winners on the tour this year, which illustrates an ever deepening pool of talent."
At 25-1, he is already among the favourites to land the title, and with such good form in tow, it's easy to see why he will push the rest of the field all the way.
Odds via Oddschecker.
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