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Though it’s only in its eighth year of existence, a look at past CIMB Classics reveal three recurring themes: precision, putting and red numbers. Boasting champs like Justin Thomas, Ryan Moore and Bo Van Pelt, TPC Kuala Lumpur is a venue that favors accuracy. That sentiment doesn’t strictly apply to second shots: because it’s a relatively short course, Kuala Lumpur uses undulating, rippling fairways and sporadic bunkering as defenses off the tee. Though the rough is not necessarily punishing, keeping it on flat surfaces is imperative in order to go low.
And make no mistake, one has to go low to be in the mix. Thomas, who has won consecutive CIMB Classic titles, has posted scores of 262 and 265 (par is 72) in victory. To reach these low figures, players have to convert their chances on the dance floors, greens that are surprisingly quick for a resort property.
The CIMB Classic is not your average tour event. The field is comprised of just 78 players, with 10 spots going to the top money winners on the Asian Tour, along with eight sponsor exemptions (five of which went to PGA Tour players). These parameters narrow down the list of contenders considerably, a reason why many notable names appear in the professor’s picks.
“Not surprisingly the Model places defending champ Thomas and runner-up Hideki Matsuyama high on the probability of winning,” Riccio says. “It also puts last week’s winner Brendan Steele and Tour Championship winner Xander Schauffele on its list of ten picks.”
Tapping into the attributes listed above, Professor Lou’s Model rides strong approach hitters. “All but Schauffele could be regarded as top iron players,” he says. “Strokes Gained Off the Tee doesn’t seem to be nearly as important in this event, although there are some long hitters in the picks.” Some of these second-shot savants including Wesley Bryan, Kevin Na, Adam Hadwin and Jason Dufner.
Our expert has similar picks in Thomas and Matsuyama. The latter will be one to watch, as the 25-year-old Japanese star is coming off a dreadful FedEx Cup and Presidents Cup run. Nevertheless, with a week off and on a course with past success, look for Matsuyama to turn around his recent woes.
Euro stars Thomas Pieters and Rafa Cabrera Bello have the short games and ability to go low that should play well in Malaysia. Same could be said for Ian Poulter, who turned in a respectable finish at the CIMB last year. Also keep an eye on Gary Woodland. Though he’s more known for his distance than touch, he does have two runner-up finishes in this event.
Check out the projections from the professor and expert, and play with the tool below to make your own picks for the 2017 CIMB Classic!
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