Abu Dhabi Championship Each-Way Tips: Follow the links to 100/1 Daniel Brown

• England's Daniel Brown can top a fine season

• Spain's Adrian Otaegui can contend

• Matthew Baldwin is an outsider with a chance

The history of recreating golfing linksland somewhere other than the Scottish seaside is about as long as the game's journey from those original layouts.

When the first course architects looked to venture inland, and south of the border to England, they were keen to identify heathland terrain that allowed them to pretty much replicate a linksy test.

In time, those designers crossed the Atlantic and were again keen to find sand-based turf.

There were other concerns as well, but developers eventually began to run out of land best suited for the sport.

Push forward 100 years and rich folk around the world like the idea of playing links golf in regions that, even 50 years ago, would have sounded like a cheese dream.

So it is that the Middle Eastern state of Abu Dhabi is home to Yas Links which this week hosts the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for a third time.

It is a course that feels confident in proclaiming itself "the first true links in the Middle East" and, whilst it has paspalum grass on the greens, it really does appear to have succeeded in its architectural aims.

David Jones, the Scottish golf writer and course expert known online as UK Golf Guy, is not a fellow to be fooled by golfing wide boys and the boasts they make about their courses.

So it it worth noting that after playing Yas Links he wrote, "This is links golf really on steroids," adding that it, "plays like a fantasy links golf course. The fairways run fast, the greens are hard but true and fair and it is perfectly possible to play bump and runs, or putt from a mile around the green. The only part of the set-up I would say doesn't play like a real links course are the bunkers."

The first two editions of the tournament played there would seem to back up that assessment.

The first winner Thomas Pieters has only an okay links record in the UK but he did win on the Dutch links at Kennemer, second winner (and column pick) Victor Perez has won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Open winner Shane Lowry has threatened to win here twice, Dundonald Links winner Rafa Cabrera Bello has twice contended, and links course winners Min Woo Lee, Padraig Harrington, Francesco Molinari and Alex Noren made the top six behind Perez.

Jones said that "it's pretty obvious" that this is a Kyle Philips design, explaining: "It is wide open, with some clever sculpting and the lines into the hole are more important than an unerring accuracy of the tee."

The top eight have good chances this week and should be suit but the prices look right - the each way column will go further down the market for the trio of picks.

Main Bet: Daniel Brown 1pt each-way @ 100/1

The Englishman's golf career has been transformed since this event was last played at the beginning, rather than end, of last season.

Then he was a new boy on the circuit but he was consistent and landed a win at Galgorm Castle in the summer.

This year he has not added to the trophy cabinet but he has regularly impressed - and frequently on the links or on versions of linksland.

It started with third place at Heritage La Reserve, a respected new Louis Oosthuizen links course in Mauritius. He later added fourth at St Francis Links in South Africa.

He carded 65 to start both the Scottish Open (when T61st) and a week later the Open (when tenth).

He was then fourth at Royal County Down.

It's a solid body of work in these types of conditions and he can contend again at three figures, especially off third place last time out in Spain.

Interestingly I asked him at Royal Troon about that fondness for seaside golf and he admitted he didn't much like it as an amateur but since joining the pro ranks that had all changed. Long may it continue (well, at least for the next week).

Next Best: Adrian Otaegui 1pt each-way @ 125/1

Among those players mentioned in the introduction many had won on modern links courses and that draws the eye towards the Spaniard Adrian Otaegui.

He was a winner at Fairmont St Andrews in 2020, finished third there in 2022 and was T38th in the middle when top 10 after 18 holes. He also racked up a top 20 at Dundonald Links in 2017.

He got off to a slow start in this event in 2023 (T86th after 18 holes) but then carded 68-67-71 on his way to T28th.

He's also finished second on another Kyle Philips design in the Netherlands (Bernardus) and that's something else contenders have had in common - they've played his other tracks to an elite level at some point.

He's already a winner this season and on paspalum grass too (in China).

Final Bet: Matthew Baldwin 1pt each-way @ 250/1

I was a little tempted by David Ravetto who won at the Philips-crafted PGA National in Prague this summer and has played nicely on fake links courses.

But Matthew Baldwin gets the huge price nod.

Jones added in his review of Yas Links: "Fans of The Grove and Kingsbarns (both Philips designs) will not be disappointed, more than anything it actually reminded me of Castle Stuart, another fun design with plenty of space off the tee."

Baldwin was fifth there back in 2012 during what was his first crack at the main tour.

After a time away he's back and has had a decent couple of years that peaked with victory at St Francis Links.

In recent times he was T12th at Philips' PGA National in Czechia and a very solid fourth at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship.

Winning might be a stretch but placing at a big price is within the grasp of this Southport dweller (his links savvy is strong therefore).

Now read Steve Rawlings on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

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