Kaymer Favoured Over the World’s #1 in Abu Dhabi

Martin Kaymer won the 2010 PGA Championship and that seems to be enough for the bookies to put him ahead of Lee Westwood heading to round one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The golf world’s newest major champion hasn’t played since the end of November ending his season with a 13th place finish at the Dubai World Championship.

He averaged a 15th place finish over the final five events of the year with his worst finish a 30th and his best being a win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrew’s fabled Old Course.

Kaymer averaged 295 yards off the tee last season and with a track of almost 7600 yards on the menu this week expect the young German to be a factor, as he’ll most certainly being taking advantage of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s four par-5’s.

It could be all these factors combined coaxed bookmakers to slot him just ahead of Lee Westwood at (8-1).

Westwood goes off at (9-1) and it still seems a strange twist that the man ranked at the top of the golf world would be playing second fiddle to anyone, but that’s the case heading to round one in Abu Dhabi.

The choice is made even more puzzling considering, other than the fact Kaymer did win, Westwood had three top-3 finishes in his last five events of 2010 and seems to be knocking on the door every week.

The Englishman does have a well-documented problem with closing the deal and this could hurt him in the eyes of bettors regardless of his ranking.

Third on the board is young Northern Irish sensation Rory McIlroy who is coming off what was easily his best year as a professional.

He too is coming in having finished 2010 in red hot fashion as McIlroy put up three straight top-6’sto end the year making him, undoubtedly, a real contender this week.

There's an old saying, 'Beware of the ailing golfer. And whenever he's complaining, we know we're in trouble’  - Phil Mickelson