Golf Tips: World Wide Technology Championship and Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship

World Wide Technology Championship tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: Hot putting Canadian fancied at 59/1

Steve Rawlings: Like last week's Mexico Open, this is quite simply a putting competition so there's always a chance that someone in the field will change their putter, their grip, their entire set-up, or they'll just get out on the right side of the bed for three or four days and we'll all be left scratching our heads again.

If that happens all we can do is shrug our shoulders and move on, but it makes sense to concentrate on those that putted well on the paspalum greens at Vidanta Vallarta last week and that puts Mackenzie Hughes into the frame.

The 35-year-old Canadian, who finished seventh here on debut back in 2023 (missed the cut last year on his only other previous appearance), ranked fourth for Strokes Gained: Putting and seventh for Putting Average when finishing tied for fourth behind Novak last week and he looks fairly priced at 60.0.

Each-Way Tips: Back Brown to seize golden chance

Dave Tindall: At the start of 2026, Brown shot a 12-under 60 to take the halfway lead at The American Express (second with a round to go before fading). That bodes well for a birdie-fest like this one while some of his other big finishes are also relevant.

A third in March's Puerto Rico Open came on Paspalum while that was also the grass used for his runners-up finish at the Korn Ferry Tour's Tulum Championship in Mexico a month later.

Brown has since shown his liking for Paspalum again with 11th at the Corales Puntacana and 19th in the Mexico Open on Sunday. With accuracy important this week, it stands out that Brown was 1st for DA last week. He was also 8th for DD so that's an ideal combination off the tee.

He also ranked 1st for Greens In Regulation at Vidanta Vallarta so if he can putt like he did at The Korn Ferry Tour Championship (3rd Putting Average) on his previous start, Brown has a golden chance of becoming a PGA Tour winner before the age of 20.

First Round Leader Tips: Birdie machine can go low in round one

Dave Tindall: Stephan Jaeger is another birdie machine with a recent first-round lead.

The German is 10th for Birdie or Better Conversion and he'll enjoy having four par 5s to go at as he's a monster on the long holes (5th for Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders).

As for being a fast starter, Jaeger has two FRLs in his last 13 starts and during that run he's also held R1 positions of second, third, fourth and sixth.

On his El Cardonal debut, Jaeger was third at halfway after rounds of 66-65 so he has some pre-cut course form here too.

The 37-year-old tees off from the 10th at 11:49.

Course and current form stats

Course Form Pick: The defending champion is rated a leading contender again this year and it is easy to see why. His T4 at last week's Mexico Open got him back on track after a tricky patch and reminded fans that he has an affinity with playing in this country.

Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: Back Reed to deliver in the desert again

Steve Rawlings: Patrick Reed has ordinary course form figures reading MC-49 and he hasn't been in great form since he withdrew during the second round of the BMW PGA Championship after injuring his wrist.

He missed the cut in the Open de Espana before finishing tied for 23^rd in India but that was a fair effort given he sat tied for 98^th after the opening round.

Prior to his withdrawal at Wentworth, Reed advertised his links credentials with a second-place finish to Shane Lowry in the Irish Open and he's often played very well in the desert.

Reed won the Dubai Desert Classic in January before finishing second in Bahrain and first in Qatar, and both those last two results were on paspalum greens.

Big Price Golf Tips: Winther fancied to go well in Abu Dhabi

Steve Rawlings: Since his victory in his homeland in August, Jeff Winther has only ordinary form figures reading MC-23-15-10-MC-26 but he's been playing better than the numbers suggest of late.

He sat second at the halfway stage of the Open de France before fading to finish 10^th three starts ago and although he missed the 54-hole cut, he was inside the top 10 after two rounds of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship next time out.

He finished only 26^th in the Open de Espana last time out but again, he was nicely placed at halfway, sitting tied for sixth.

He won the Danish Golf Championship thanks to his excellent approach play (ranked first for Greens In Regulation and only 40^th for Putting Average) but he's been putting nicely of late and that will be a big help here in what often transpires to be a putting contest.

Ranking ninth, 14^th and seventh for Putting Average on the last three occasions he's made the cut, he returns to a venue he's shown an aptitude for previously with the right club in the bag behaving itself.

Winther finished sixth here on debut back in 2022 and that's far from the first time that he's shown a liking for paspalum greens.

In addition to his top-six finish here, he's finished inside the top three at Al Mouj in Oman, Doha in Qatar, and Meloneras in the Canary Islands - three courses that all have paspalum greens.

Course and current form stats

Course Form Pick: The Englishman is this week's defending champion and he arrives in good form. He was T20 last time out in India but, on his previous outing, finished T2 at the BMW PGA Championship. Between last year's win here and the 2026 edition, he has, of course, won the US PGA Championship.

Get in-play golf betting updates this weekend from The Punter