Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips: The Panel's High Five From Yas Links
The first of the two DP World Tour Play-Offs start on Thursday when more than a quarter of the world’s top 50 are competing in a 72-man field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Rory McIlroy (6/1), Tommy Fleetwood (7/1) and Tyrrell Hatton (8/1) all have excellent records in this tournament, so it’s understandable they are all single-digit figures on betting sites to win this week.
McIlroy has finished in the top three of this tournament in nine of his 13 appearances, yet has never won the trophy!
Fleetwood, though, has won it twice (2017 and 2018) and Hatton once (2021), but all of those victories came at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort before it switched to Yas Links three years ago.
Yas Links is a 7,425-yard par-72 course which can be troublesome when the wind blows owing to exposed fairways, a fair smattering of pot bunkers and fescue for those wayward off the tee.
Calm weather is expected this week, so scoring should be on the low side, just as it was last year when Paul Waring finished on -24, two shots clear of Hatton.
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and excellent putting on these large greens have featured prominently from winners over the last three years, so those stats make a good starting point for The Panel’s Abu Dhabi Championship betting tips.
Rory McIlroy's form at the @ADGolfChamps 🔥#ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/zk8PmkpP6G
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 4, 2025
Abu Dhabi Championship Tips: Rasmus Can Roar In Desert
Tempting as it is to side with the top three in the market, this tournament has generally not treated favourites kindly over the years, so The Panel are looking further down the field, starting with Rasmus Hojgaard at 22/1 with several golf betting sites.
The Ryder Cup star has an excellent record in this part of the world, even though he has only posted one top 20 in four appearances at this particular tournament.
The Dane is well positioned in 30th in the Race to Dubai Rankings, so should have few difficulties making it into the top 50 for next week’s trip to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at the Earth Course where he finished runner-up to McIlroy last year.
Hojgaard has been very consistent from tee to green this season, ranking 11th in the Strokes Gained standings, and his putter has also been in decent shape too.
He was well placed last year until he dropped three shots in the final four holes of his second round which affected his momentum and resulted in him finishing just outside the top 30.
His recent form, though, has been excellent, finishing runner-up at the Danish Golf Championship and the European Masters, followed by third place at the Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour.
Everything looks in place for a sixth title on the DP World Tour, even against a field as strong as this one.
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips 1: Rasmus Hojgaard 22/1 (Each-Way) - With William Hill (Six Places)
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Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips:
- Rasmus Hojgaard 22/1 (Each-Way) - With William Hill (Six Places)
- Shane Lowry 22/1 (Each-Way) - With Coral (Seven Places)
- Nicolai Hojgaard 30/1 (Each-Way) - With SpreadEx (Six Places)
- Jayden Schaper 55/1 (Each-Way) - With BoyleSports (Six Places)
- Rafa Cabrera Bello Top 20 - 7/2 With SpreadEx
Abu Dhabi Championship Predictions: Lowry Loves Links
At the same price of 22/1, Shane Lowry looks worth a whirl to repeat his 2019 success at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Six years ago, the affable Irishman held a three-shot overnight lead heading into the final round, but found himself four shots behind Richard Sterene with seven to play.
Three birdies during that stretch gave Lowry a one-shot victory over the South African, and there is a chance he can join Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer and Fleetwood in becoming a multiple winner of this tournament on Sunday.
Yas Links from above 🚁#ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/YuSs8TTzRE
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 4, 2025
Only Matt Fitzpatrick, McIlroy and Hatton have been stronger from tee to green than Lowry on the DP World Tour this season and, of course, he has proved his love of links golf in the past by winning the Irish Open as an amateur (2009) and The Open at Royal Portrush six years ago.
Putting has not been Lowry’s strong point this season, but his approach numbers are so good he may not need to rely too heavily on the flatstick.
Lowry showed he has recovered from his Ryder Cup celebrations by finishing third at the India Championship and The Panel suspect he can go even better this week.
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips 2: Shane Lowry 22/1 (Each-Way) - With Coral (Seven Places)
Abu Dhabi Championship Golf Odds: Twin Peaks For Desert Assault
Rasmus Hojgaard is already in the plan, but what about the prospects of his twin winning in the desert once again?
Two of Nicolai’s three titles on the tour have come in the United Arab Emirates, the first at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in 2022.
That success was dwarfed 21 months later when he won the DP World Tour Championship thanks to five birdies from the 13th in a final-round 64 for a two-shot victory over Matt Wallace, Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.
Hojgaard was outside the world’s top 100 until he finished fourth at the Scottish Open and although he missed three successive cuts at Crans, Wentworth and the Country Club of Jackson, the Dane bounced back with a decent showing at the Baycurrent Classic (T14) four weeks ago in his last outing.
He has not been as strong as his brother from tee to green and with the putter this season but his numbers are still more than acceptable and his record at this course in the last two years (10th and 13th) suggests that he likes Yas Links.
It’s a shame his odds have dipped from 40/1 to 30/1 with some betting apps since writing this preview, but he still looks a contender for another title tilt in a part of the world where he tends to thrive.
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips 3: Nicolai Hojgaard 30/1 (Each-Way) - With SpreadEx (Six Places)
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips: Schaper Of Things To Come
Unfortunately, Jayden Schaper’s price has also shortened from 66/1 to 55/1, although The Panel prefer seven places with Ladbrokes which is offering 50/1.
Schaper scraped into the top 40 at last year’s Abu Dhabi Championship with his best-of-the-week 67, but at least he is familiar with the course.
The 24-year-old South African started to motor after finishing fifth at the Qatar Masters in February and he has since enjoyed seven other top 10s, including three in last four appearances at the French and Spanish Opens, plus the India Championship.
Strong from tee to green, Schaper could be better with the putter, but like Nicolai Hojgaard, his approach numbers could get him out of jail when the pressure is on.
Schaper has yet to win a title at elite level, but he has been knocking on the door in a breakout year and it would not be a surprise if he threatened such top-class company this week.
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips 4: Jayden Schaper 55/1 (Each-Way) - With BoyleSports (Six Places)
Abu Dhabi Championship Top 20 Tips: Roll With Rafa
It’s been four years since Rafa Cabrera Bello last entered the winner’s circle at his native Spanish Open, and although he may not end the drought this week, he looks a livewire either in the top 10 or top 20 markets.
The four-time European Tour winner, who won the Dubai Desert Classic 13 years ago, is 70th in the rankings so needs a big week if he is to sneak into the top 50 for next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Encouragingly, Cabrera Bello has not finished outside the top 12 in his past five appearances in this tournament, two of which came at Yas Links.
Three years ago, the Spaniard finished one shot behind winner Thomas Pieters when the course made its tournament debut in windy conditions and he was 10th a year later in calmer weather.
Ranked 278th in the world, Cabrera Bello’s best days are probably behind him, but he finished 14th at the Genesis Championship in South Korea, seven weeks after he was third at the Irish Open, played on the links course at the K Club.
He is 9/1 with BoyleSports for a top-10 finish, but The Panel are playing a cautious game and taking the 7/2 with SpreadEx for a top 20 as the last of this week’s Abu Dhabi Championship betting tips.
Abu Dhabi Championship Betting Tips 5: Rafa Cabrera Bello Top 20 - 7/2 With SpreadEx
