Steve Palmer's free DP World Tour Championship predictions & golf betting tips

Ladbrokes are offering new customers £25 in free bets when they bet £5 on Steve Palmer's golf tips.

You can grab your free bets here. We’ve included instructions on how to grab your offer later on in this article.

When to bet on the DP World Tour Championship

By 4.30am on Thursday

Where can I watch the DP World Tour Championship

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 7am on Thursday

Steve Palmer's DP World Tour Championship predictions

Matt Wallace
3.5pts each-way 18-1 bet365

Rasmus Hojgaard
3pts each-way 22-1 bet365

Untitled Document

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £25 In Free Bets When You Bet £5 On Football

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

Bet £5 on golf with Ladbrokes and get up to £25 in FREE BETS

Steve Palmer's DP World Tour Championship preview

Rory McIlroy is on the brink of a sixth Race to Dubai title, gradually becoming the most prolific champion in the history of his home circuit, and 4-1 is on offer about the little master sealing RTD glory with a third DP World Tour Championship victory on Sunday.

Seve Ballesteros was European number one six times, then Colin Montgomerie set the bar even higher with eight Order of Merit triumphs. Only one man can stop 35-year-old McIlroy matching Ballesteros this week.

Thriston Lawrence is the sole other potential winner of the RTD but the South African has a mountain to climb. Lawrence must win the DPWTC to stand any chance of overhauling McIlroy, who would still claim the RTD crown as long as he finished 11th or better.

McIlroy is the only course winner in field and his Earth Course record is magnificent, with two victories and eight top-five finishes. He finished 22nd last year but was testing a new driver. He has also won the Dubai Desert Classic four times. It is tempting to support the favourite, but he has been working on swing changes since the Dunhill Links, which brings an element of jeopardy, and he can be resisted at short odds for the DP World Tour Championship.

Swing changes can take time to bed in. The early signs were promising in Abu Dhabi last week, particularly with driver in hand, but players are best avoided at short prices while tinkering with technique.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Matt Wallace 18-1

Third place in the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday banked another healthy cheque for Matt Wallace, who was awesome from tee to green, and he can build on that effort with a DP World Tour Championship triumph.

Wallace suffered a cold putter for the first three rounds at Yas Links last week, but got his rock rolling well on Sunday, closing with two eagles, five birdies and 11 pars for a sensational 63. The Londoner won the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre in September and he looks set to strongly threaten for a Ryder Cup debut in the months to come.

The Earth Course is ideal terrain for Wallace to show off his talent. He carded a spectacular third-round 60 in last year's DP World Tour Championship, making birdie at every hole on the back nine, before finishing the event in second place.

Wallace was also second at the Earth Course on his debut in 2018, boasting full form figures there of 2-28-29-2. He has two other second-place finishes to his name in Dubai on the DPWT and a sixth DPWT title may be coming on Sunday.

At the age of 34, Wallace has become a much more mature character, getting over setbacks quicker. He won on the PGA Tour last year, has full playing rights on both main tours, and can approach the DPWTC in confident, aggressive fashion.

Next best bet

Rasmus Hojgaard 22-1

A year can be a long time on planet golf and Rasmus Hojgaard will approach the DPWT finale this season in an entirely different mood to that which he carried 12 months ago.

Hojgaard was full of tension teeing up last year with a potential PGA Tour card up for grabs through the Race to Dubai Rankings. He opened with a 74, battled back, but found water with his approach to the final hole and ended up missing out on Stateside playing rights by one RTD position.

Hojgaard was determined to get the job done this season, starting the year with five consecutive events in the Middle East, posting form figures of 11-11-2-8-6. That solid spell of desert golf laid the foundation for an excellent campaign, followed by fourth place in the KLM Open, third in the British Masters, victory in the Irish Open in September, then fourth again in the Andalucia Masters.

With a PGA Tour card secured, Hojgaard can approach an ideal course in positive mood this week. He has finished seventh and 11th the last two years. Rasmus watched his twin brother Nicolai win at the Earth Course last year and back-to-back Hojgaard triumphs seem entirely feasible.

Course guide for the DP World Tour Championship

Course Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Prize money $10m ($3m to the winner)
Length 7,675 yards
Par 72 - four par-five holes, ten par-fours, four par-threes
Field 50 (no cut)
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Rory McIlroy (3), Tommy Fleetwood (9), Billy Horschel (15), Robert MacIntyre (16), Tyrrell Hatton (18)
Course records - 72 holes 263 Henrik Stenson (2013) 18 holes 60 Matt Wallace (2023)
Course winner taking part Rory McIlroy (twice)
When to bet By 4.30am on Thursday
When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 7am on Thursday
Time difference Dubai is four hours ahead of the UK and Ireland
Last week – Abu Dhabi Championship 1 P Waring (125-1), 2 T Hatton (13-2), T3 T Olesen (25-1), R McIlroy (5-1), M Wallace (28-1), T6 T Fleetwood (8-1), U Coussaud (250-1), T Lawrence (35-1), A Rozner (70-1)
Course type Desert
Course overview The Greg Norman-designed Earth Course was specifically built to be the venue for the European Tour's season finale. The Volvo Masters at Valderrama traditionally signalled the end of the European Tour campaign, but in 2009 the Race to Dubai started and the Jumeirah Golf Estates became home for the curtain-closer. The fairways are wide and there is little in the way of tree trouble. The 620-yard par-five 18th has a stream which splits the fairway in two, so much late drama can occur. The greens are large, undulating and quick, with plenty of run-off areas. The winning score has been between 14 and 25 under par in all 15 previous editions
The story of last year Nicolai Hojgaard produced a final-round masterclass to triumph by two shots and win his third DP World Tour title
Weather forecast Sunny and hot, with moderate afternoon breezes
Type of player suited to the challenge This long layout with wide fairways typically plays into the hands of the big-hitters
Key attribute Power

Steve Palmer's DP World Tour Championship key stat

Eleven of the last 12 winners of the DP World Tour Championship are Major champions.

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.

For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don't miss Palmer's extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.

As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer's unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.

Steve PalmerRacing Post Sport

Published on 13 November 2024inDP World Tour

Last updated 14:00, 12 November 2024

Copy