Singapore Open Each-Way Tips: 33/1 Brandon Robinson Thompson can sling his way to success

• Brandon Robinson Thompson likes to go low

• Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat has excellent course form

• Joakim Lagergren is a sneaky outsider

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The first two editions of the Porsche Singapore Classic on the Classic Course at Laguna National have produced eerily similar performances from the winners.

In 2023 it was the South African Ockie Strydom who prevailed and then last year it was Sweden's Jesper Svensson.

Both made the weekend without looking like genuine contenders thanks to one round of 68 strokes and another that failed to break 70.

Both carded a 67 on Saturday to sneak just outside the top 10 (Strydom T11 and four back, Svensson T13 and five back).

And both then thrashed brilliant rounds of 63 on Sunday to pounce when the pre-round leaders faltered.

It was also the case that both renewals had 54-hole leaders who, in marked contrast the eventual winners, couldn't break 70 on Sunday.

In 2023 Alejandro Del Rey and Jeunghun Wang laboured to 71s, last year it was the Aussie David Micheluzzi who suffered with a 73.

It's possible that The Royal GC, venue for the Bahrain Championship, is not a bad pointer for this week.

Strydom has done almost nothing on the DP World Tour since his win in this event but he was fourth at Bahrain last year while Svensson finished second ahead of him (and shortly before his win).

Moreover, Paul Casey, who won at The Royal GC back in 2011, was sixth in this event last year.

Robert MacIntyre travels from Florida which is a little off-putting despite a fine performance at TPC Sawgrass. Paul Casey is second favourite and has good recent form in Asia (including across Singapore at Sentosa) but his price looks about right.

If there is to be a repeat of the Sunday morning dramatics here's hoping one of this trio is doing the chasing down.

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Main Bet: Brandon Robinson Thompson 1pt each-way @ 33/1

I first bumped into the Isle of Wight golfer Brandon Robinson Thompson during the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool.

I'd noticed he was being followed by a group of friends, other pros, family, old US college team-mates and a growing number of locals.

They went by the name of The Sauce Army and were great fun. There was even a rumour that there was someone famous among them (admittedly a not uncommon Chinese whisper at the Open).

"I think that's my mate who is 6'6" with dreads," Robinson Thompson told me. "I can confirm he is not an NFL superstar although a lot of people think he might be!"

What struck me that week was a strong game, a confident demeanour and (he told me) a fondness for Ireland. I took note and backed him a week later when he won the Irish Challenge (put that fondness in the notebook for September).

He needed another year on the second tier for him to earn graduation but he's looked at home on the DP World Tour.

He thrashed a first round 61 in Bahrain to lead by three before finishing eighth, a week later he was third in Qatar (this time the halfway leader), and he was seventh last time out in the Joburg Open, closing with a 65.

He also posted a 65 when sixth in the Czech Masters last summer at PGA National Oaks and Svensson was third there (and half a dozen names were in the top 20 who have also finished top 20 at Laguna).

He's very well-travelled. He's played on the Europro and Clutch Tours in the UK, on mini tours in the US, on the LatinoAmericas Tour, in the middle east on the MENA Tour, and in Asia via the Challenge Tour. He's also a winner with seven trophies lifted in the last three years. A top grade one might not be far away.

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Next Best: Kiradech Aphibarnrat 1pt each-way @ 80/1

That the big Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat posted a final round 64 (his second 64 of the week) to join Svensson in the play-off last year was hinted at 12 months earlier.

That year he only finished T49 but he ranked sixth for Strokes Gained Tee to Green courtesy of sixth for Approach and third for Around the Greens.

The difference 12 months ago was an improvement in his putting (making nearly a stroke a round on the field rather than giving nearly two away).

His form, as it was last year, is patchy but he was fifth in the Australian Open before Christmas and eighth at Al Hamra in late January.

What's more, his putter has been behaving in that he's not giving those strokes away.

If he can marry that with continued tee to green excellence he can contend again.

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Final Bet: Joakim Lagergren 1pt each-way @ 200/1

The Swede Joakim Lagergren didn't feel sorry for himself when forced to return to the Challenge Tour last year.

He dug deep, accepted the cost of lost form, and after finishing second at Galgorm Castle (a favourite venue of his) he landed two victories in August which helped him graduate back to the main tour.

And the last couple of outings have shown promise.

Last time out he was T13 in the Kenya Open which was all the more impressive after he got off to a slow start with a 73.

Meanwhile, at the start of February, he was eighth at the Royal in the Bahrain Championship.

Two years ago he got off to a smart start at Laguna National, carding a first round 65 that had him one shot off the lead.

He drifted back to T38 but he's in better form right now.

There's a good chance that at least one round this week will need to be low and Lagergren has a low 60s score in him. He would often peg one at Dom Pedro in the Portugal Masters, a 63 helped him to his one DP World Tour title in Sicily and he carded a 61 at Galgorm last summer.

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Now read Steve Rawlings' preview of the Singapore Classic.

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