With no All Black rugby to get in the way this weekend, you’ve got the option of watching Lydia Ko in the Sime Darby LPGA, or the world’s top male golfers in the WGC HSBC Champions – or both perhaps. There’s live viewing on SS3 and SS4 from 3.30pm each day.
 
Sime Darby LPGA
 
Nothing subtle about the draw for the first two rounds at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club: the organisers have put Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn and Brooke Henderson in the same grouping, which should make for great viewing. Lydia will also have the challenge of getting used to a new caddy – on this occasion she is using one from the club’s local pool, while she and her team no doubt ponder longer term arrangements.
  

WGC HSBC Champions

Nearly all of the world’s top players are in Shanghai, although Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson have chosen not to travel to China. Try picking a winner from Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson, Alexander Noren and Thomas Pieters – and that’s by no means an exhaustive list…..

I’d go for those who played in the Ryder Cup, so perhaps Rory and Sergio will be somewhere near the top come Sunday evening.

 

European Challenge Tour

The latest event has started a day earlier than normal, and Ryan Fox is off to another good start with a five under 67, just two shots off the lead. He starts his second round at 8.50pm this evening our time in the Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge in the UAE, with temperatures likely to be around 40°. One thing’s for sure – there won’t be any rain delays in this tournament!

 

PGA Tour

The WGC HSBC Champions is a co-sanctioned event, and as is normal when a WGC tournament is scheduled, there’s also another PGA event in the USA, this week the Sandersons Farms QB Challenge at the Country Club of Jackson, Missouri, for a purse of $US 4.2 million. Tim Wilkinson gets his first start of the 2017 season in this, and Steven Alker is also playing. Danny Lee has chosen to sit this one out.

Also taking a week off from the Japan Tour is Michael Hendry. Looks like he has decided his main target is to maintain his 1# position on the PGA Tour of Australasia, so he will be looking to stay fresh for the Australian Open and PGA Championship in particular.

 

Champions Tour

Grant Waite enters the Charles Schwab Cup playoff series in the Powershares QQQ Championship at the Sherwood Country Club in California. He needs a good result to lift him into the top 54 who will progress to the next tournament. Not an easy ask with a field featuring all the stars of Seniors golf, including a couple of handfuls of former Major Champions, plus the likes of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Colin Montgomerie. Good luck Grant, go well!