Golf Events / Editor / 06 March 2007 /

David Howell has so far chosen to his ease his way into 2007 gently but the European Ryder Cup star will bid to get his new season into full swing this week at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters.

While other household European names have thrown themselves into the New Year, Howell has opted for a more low-key beginning after a hectic 2006 season.

After being troubled by a niggling back injury for much of last year, the 31-year-old has been keen to ensure he is 100 per cent fit and his batteries fully recharged before he steps up his playing schedule.

But, having satisfied himself that his back has made a full recovery, Howell will head the bumper field of 204 players at the Singapore Masters - which is being played for the sixth successive year at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club.

Despite his lack of competitive play - this is only his fourth event of the year - Howell is one of the early market leaders and can be backed at 18 to win his first tournament of the year and 4.8 to finish in the first five.

Ryder Cup team-mate, Lee Westwood, is favourite at 14 with his good friend, Darren Clarke, trading at 25 respectively, ahead of 2005 winner, Nick Dougherty (27), Asian tournament specialist, Simon Dyson, and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee (both 28).

With four of the last five winners of the Singapore Masters tasting victory on the European Tour for the first time, selecting the winner this week could be difficult for Betfair backers.

And the tournament will be played under a new format this year, with Laguna National's two courses being used for the opening two rounds before the final two rounds are held over the more traditional Masters lay-out.

While the courses are some of the flattest on tour, they provide their own dangers with water on 12 out of the 18 holes and tree-lined fairways ensuring players must hit the ball straight if they are to score well.

With his clean hitting and exceptional short game, Howell looks sure to be a danger this week and will be keen to achieve his first good finish of the week in his third appearance in the event.

But Westwood and Clarke will also be eager to make their mark after low-key starts to 2007.

Westwood's form in South Africa at the end of last year seemed to suggest he would be a player to look out for this year but things have not panned out that way so far.

But the Worksop-based star has vast experience of playing in Asia and has won on the continent before. He is priced at 5 to place in the first five.

Clarke, his close friend and partner in the Ryder Cup and Royal Trophy, will be getting his first taste of golf in Singapore this week but is a player with a point to make.

Having slipped out of the world's top 50 for the first time in several years following the tragic death of his wife last year, the Ulsterman is desperate to regain his place and get back in a positive frame of mind ahead of next month's US Masters.

With his recent record in Asia, Dyson will be a popular selection among backers but bear in mind that this is not his favourite event on the continent and, in four starts since 2002, he is yet to finish better than joint 40th place. He is available at 6.6 to place in the first five.

Jaidee and Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, 29 to win this week, will also have their followers while Dougherty will be hoping that a return to one of his favourite courses will inspire him to better things.

The 2005 champion failed by just one stroke to defend his title last year, eventually being beaten by local favourite Mardan Mamat (110 to repeat his success this year), but is 28-under-par for his last eight rounds in Singapore and will take positive thoughts into this week with him.

It could pay to follow in-form Swede, Peter Hanson, who can be backed at 34 to win, while it will be interesting to see how Shingo Katayama, winner of the last three Japanese Order of Merit titles, fares on his first appearance in the event. He is trading at around 10 points longer than Hanson and 10.5 to come in the top five.

Jyoti Randhawa has performed well in the tournament in the past with two top-tens in the last three years and is attractively priced at 46, while South Africa, Anton Haig, 66 to win, comes into the event full of confidence after his win last week at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Oliver Wilson, one of the players to lose out to Haig in the play-off, could go one better this week at odds of 80 while it may also be worth paying attention to the likes of Ross Fisher (55), Raphael Jacquelin and Robert-Jan Derksen (both 55) and Gaurev Ghei (85).

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