Singapore Classic 2025 Tips: Six big each-way picks on DPWT

After a one-week break following Calum Hill’s victory in the Joburg Open, the DP World Tour returns to action for the beginning of its Asian Swing this week.

India is the destination next week, followed by back-to-back events in China after The Masters, but first it's to Singapore for the Porsche Singapore Classic at Laguna National Golf Resort’s Classic Course.

As always, here is Jamie Worsley's comprehensive preview and his Singapore Classic 2025 Tips. He's picked out six players ranging from 50/1 to 110/1!

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Singapore Classic debuted on the DP World Tour in 2023, which was the first time the tour had visited Singapore since the 2014 Championship at Laguna National. An event that was held at Laguna National’s other course, the Masters.

South Africa’s Ockie Strydom won that inaugural edition, as he rattled home with a superb closing 63 in round four to shoot -19 for the week and beat Sami Valimaki by a shot.

Strydom was succeeded by Sweden’s Jesper Svensson in 2024, who himself shot a final-round 63 to get himself into a playoff with Kiradech Aphibarnrat. He beat the Thai star on the third extra hole for his first victory on tour but unfortunately, he doesn’t return to defend this week due to commitments on the PGA Tour.

THE COURSE

Nicknamed “The Beast” and described as one of the toughest tests in East Asia, Laguna National’s Classic Course initially opened in 1993. However, it underwent a complete redesign at the hands of Andy Dye – nephew of renowned architect Pete Dye – in 2013, before further changes were made in 2017 with the aim of making the course easier for the average golfer.

This par 72 will again play to 7420yds, possessing 4x par 3s (147-231 yards), 10x par 4s (382-496 yards) and 4x par 5s (534-616 yards).

The Classic Course is a dramatic and striking course full of undulations and risk/reward holes. It is predominantly exposed, which makes it susceptible to wind and is heavily guarded by a wealth of sand – as huge waste bunkers frame most holes and 140+ regular bunkers litter the layout – and water, which is in-play on 12 holes.

The severely sloping fairways are very generous, ranking among the five easiest to find on the DP World Tour in the last two years. Although there is plenty of room out there, that abundance of water often comes into play aside them and players will be punished for waywardness off the tee.

Paspalum covers the putting surfaces, which begin quite small but increase greatly in size as the field make their way around the course. It can be difficult to get it close on them, with many positioned at an angle to the fairway, multi-tiered and possessing harsh contours. Whilst with steep run-offs around several and large, penal bunkering offering added protection, it’s no surprise to see it rank among the 10 toughest scrambling tests on tour.

The Classic Course has provided a solid test, averaging a winning score of -18 across the two renewals of this event but is yet to live up to its hardy reputation. This is largely due to the soft conditions we’ve seen so far, which has enabled players to take advantage of the gettable par 5s and some easily-attained chances on the par 4s.

There is trouble lurking on the par 3s, most notably the 184yd 17^th, which is home to an island green inspired by the 17^th at TPC Sawgrass. A hole that will be all the more anxiety-inducing if the weather plays its part this week.

THE WEATHER

The forecast is predicting a potentially turbulent week in Singapore, with a significant amount of rain scheduled to fall from Wednesday to Friday. This may well mean the event struggles to get going, with delays at the very least on the cards.

It does improve over the weekend and with the wind also dying down for those final two days, a very soft and receptive course could see some low scoring.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach

The soft conditions will take the fire out of the course, particularly those challenging greens and able to attack the pins, it should favour the strongest approach players in the field.

On a similarly receptive course last year, runner-up Kiradech Aphibarnrat led the field in approach, whilst 4^th-place finisher Andy Sullivan ranked 2^nd.

It was the same story back in 2023, as Ockie Strydom ranked 2^nd in approach on his way to victory.

• Driving Distance

Wide and soft fairways should play into the hands of the longer hitters in the field, which has been evident in each of the previous two renewals.

Last year’s winner, Jesper Svensson is a lengthy driver and ranked 10^th in driving distance when winning. Sam Bairstow in 3^rd ranked 3^rd in the same stat and 7^th-place finisher Alejandro Del Rey led the field.

The Spaniard also ranked 1^st in driving distance when he finished 3^rd the previous year, whilst other top-10 finishers such as Rhys Enoch, Zander Lombard, Grant Forrest, Antoine Rozner and Richard Mansell are all players who don’t lack for distance.

• SG: Putting (paspalum)

Being comfortable on paspalum surfaces is certainly a plus, which was proven by 1^st and 3^rd-place finishers last year, Jesper Svensson and Sam Bairstow ranking 8^th and 4^th on the greens respectively.

• Par 5 Scoring

Lastly, it’s important to take advantage of the scoring chances on the par 5s. Something that Jesper Svensson did in 2024, ranking 1^st in par 5 scoring.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSE)

Bahrain Championship (Royal Golf Club)

As an exposed course with large, sloping paspalum greens and generous, severely undulating fairways, the host of the Bahrain Championship, Royal Golf Club should be a helpful guide this week.

Notable correlating form:

Jesper Svensson:

Singapore (1^st) / Bahrain (2^nd)

Ockie Strydom:

Singapore (1^st) / Bahrain (4^th)

Marcel Schneider:

Singapore (3^rd) / Bahrain (8^th)

Zander Lombard:

Singapore (6^th) / Bahrain (2^nd)

Antoine Rozner:

Singapore (6^th) / Bahrain (12^th)

Abu Dhabi Championship (Yas Links)

Yas Links is another open, exposed and heavily contoured venue with one of the most demanding scrambling challenges on tour. Paspalum is again the grass of choice, both on the wide fairways and the huge, sloping greens.

Notable correlating form:

Paul Waring:

Singapore (6^th) / Abu Dhabi (1^st)

Antoine Rozner:

Singapore (6^th) / Abu Dhabi (6^th)

Shubhankar Sharma:

Singapore (7^th) / Abu Dhabi (2^nd, 7^th)

Qatar Masters (Doha Golf Club)

Doha Golf Club ticks many of the same boxes already mentioned. It’s a typically spacious Middle Eastern course framed by sandy waste areas and showcases large, undulating paspalum greens.

Notable correlating form:

Sami Valimaki:

Singapore (2^nd) / Qatar (1^st)

Jeunghun Wang:

Singapore (3^rd) / Qatar (1^st)

Sam Bairstow:

Singapore (3^rd) / Qatar (10^th, 13^th)

Andy Sullivan:

Singapore (4^th) / Qatar (9^th, 11^th)

Antoine Rozner:

Singapore (6^th) / Qatar (4^th, 6^th)

Ras Al Khaimah Championship (Al Hamra Golf Club)

The fairways at Al Hamra Golf Club are tighter than Laguna National’s Champion Course, but due to a lack of rough it is a layout where big hitters have enjoyed plenty of success. With further familiarity on offer from the paspalum putting surfaces, it can act as a strong comp.

Notable correlating form:

Alejandro Del Rey:

Singapore (3^rd, 7^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (1^st)

Matthieu Pavon:

Singapore (5^th, 6^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (3^rd)

Zander Lombard:

Singapore (6^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (2^nd, 3^rd)

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The open and exposed nature of links golf ties in well with this week’s host course. Fairways are generally wide in the Dunhill Links, whilst the large, undulating greens pose one of the toughest short-game tests on the DP World Tour.

Notable correlating form:

Kiradech Aphibarnrat:

Singapore (2^nd) / Dunhill Links (4^th)

Sami Valimaki:

Singapore (2^nd) / Dunhill Links (6^th)

Jeunghun Wang:

Singapore (3^rd) / Dunhill Links (5^th)

Paul Waring:

Singapore (6^th) / Dunhill Links (3^rd)

Antoine Rozner:

Singapore (6^th) / Dunhill Links (4^th, 10^th)

Grant Forrest:

Singapore (6^th) / Dunhill Links (10^th, 10^th)

Open de Espana (Club de Campo Villa de Madrid)

Lastly, the Open de Espana may be played on a more traditionally tree-lined course, but it’s an event in which lengthy and high-quality drivers have previously gone well. This has helped it develop noteworthy form ties with the Singapore Classic.

Notable correlating form:

Matthieu Pavon:

Singapore (5^th, 6^th) / Espana (1^st, 2^nd)

Zander Lombard:

Singapore (6^th) / Espana (2^nd, 4^th)

Grant Forrest:

Singapore (6^th) / Espana (3^rd, 3^rd)

Richard Mansell:

Singapore (6^th, 11^th) / Espana (6^th)

Shubhankar Sharma:

Singapore (7^th) / Espana (3^rd)

THE FIELD

Robert MacIntyre takes a detour from PGA Tour action to tee it up in Singapore this week and is the top-ranked player in the field at #14 in the world. He is joined by just two further players from the top 100: John Parry (#94) and Romain Langasque (#98).

Paul Casey is among the tournament invites and is joined by fellow LIV player, Tom McKibbin, who makes his first start on the tour since joining the breakaway circuit back in January.

Although we’re short of a defending champion, 2023 winner Ockie Strydom will tee it up. Meanwhile, Carl Yuan and Seungyul Noh take advantage of the special PGA Tour category for the first time this year, which is open to players finishing in positions 126-200 in the 2024 FedExCup.

Singapore Classic Odds

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Robert MacIntyre 8/1, Paul Casey 16/1, Tom McKibbin 16/1, Jordan Smith 28/1, Sam Bairstow 33/1

Robert MacIntyre is the deserving and clear favourite this week, though due to the uncertainty surrounded the conditions, he and everyone else at the very top of the betting is of no interest.

1 pt Brandon Robinson-Thompson each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 50/1

Brandon Robinson-Thompson has been continually impressive at the start of his first full season on the DP World Tour. Showing quality right through his game and possessing some attractive comp form in relation to this test, I fancy him to break through in Singapore.

Robinson-Thompson missed the cut on his 2025 debut in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship but has barely put a foot wrong since. He followed that with an 8^th-place finish in the Bahrain Championship, a 3^rd in Qatar and after his level slipped a touch in the Kenya Open, he returned to the top 10 on his latest start, finishing 7^th in the Joburg Open.

He's gaining strokes in every area, ranking 6^th in this field in total strokes gained this year; but he has excelled with the putter, ranking 24^th and has looked comfortable on paspalum surfaces each time he’s putt them. His approach play has been almost as strong, ranking 36^th and sitting inside the top 20 in driving distance, he has the stats that suggest this week’s course will be a suitable fit.

Robinson-Thompson’s top-10 finishes in Qatar and Bahrain strengthen that belief and he also finished 18^th on his only try in the Open de Espana last year, providing us with added encouragement.

1 pt Daniel Hillier each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 55/1

Daniel Hillier is among the best ball strikers on the DPWT and with the putter behaving much better in 2025, I’m confident he can upgrade his poor record in this event.

Hillier has made eight starts this season and recorded six top-25 finishes, missing just one cut. He went close to claiming a second tour title in the Dubai Desert Classic on his first start of the year, finishing 2^nd to Tyrrell Hatton and he was 12^th at home in the New Zealand Open on his latest appearance.

He ranks 5^th in approach and 12^th off-the-tee in this field this season, whilst as the 34^th-longest driver on tour he has the power to attack the layout. In addition, his current ranking of 59^th in putting is a major upgrade on his performances last year.

Hillier has missed the cut on both previous visits here, but I see no reason why he can’t turn that around. He’s finished 9^th in Spain and racking up further top 25s in Ras Al Khaimah, Qatar, Bahrain and the Dunhill Links, his comp form backs this opinion up.

1 pt Joe Dean each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 66/1

Joe Dean is one of the top 10 performers in this field in 2025. In possession of some eye-catching form in correlating events, he can gain that breakthrough victory that his form deserves.

Dean has made four starts this season and hasn’t missed a cut. His best result came when he finished 5^th in Ras Al Khaimah, which he has followed with finishes of 13^th in Bahrain and 28^th in Kenya on his two latest starts.

He excelled with the driver last year and that’s again been the case in 2025, as he ranks 22^nd off-the-tee and 26^th in driving distance. The irons have also looked decent, ranking 46^th in approach and having putted well in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, he may just take to the greens at Laguna National.

Dean hasn’t played here in the previous two years, but his 3^rd in last year’s Open de Espana bodes well and with those top-15 finishes in the Middle East this year solidifying his claims, I expect him to go well.

1 pt David Micheluzzi each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 66/1

After making a positive start to his year with a top 10 in Dubai, David Micheluzzi hasn’t looked quite as good over his subsequent four starts. That being said, this venue is more forgiving of his occasionally erratic long game and just about as competent as anyone on paspalum greens, it’s easy to understand why he was able to perform well on debut last year.

Micheluzzi finished 8^th in that year-opening event in Dubai, bookending his week with excellent rounds of 65. He’s failed to crack the top 25 in his next four starts, but he did putt well when finishing in the middle of the pack in Bahrain and Ras Al Khaimah, whilst he also looked solid when 29^th in the New Zealand Open on his latest start.

His long game is unreliable, but he did hit his irons well here last year, ranking inside the top 25 in approach. He’s longer than he is accurate off the tee and as the sixth-best putter in this field over the last 12 months, he has a game that suits this spacious venue.

Micheluzzi certainly showed this in 2024, as he entered the final round with a one-shot lead in the event. Although a disappointing 73 in round four saw him drop to 7^th, that experience should serve him well as he looks to transfer his impressive winning ability in Australia to the DPWT.

1 pt Dylan Frittelli each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 90/1

Dylan Frittelli’s long game looks in perfect shape to contend at Laguna National and having finally found something with the putter on his latest start, this proven PGA Tour winner looks an appealingly large price in this field.

Frittelli began the season with a promising 10^th-place finish in the Dubai Desert Classic and following some less impressive results over his next four starts, he returned to the top 10 two weeks ago at Houghton Golf Club, finishing 4^th in the Joburg Open.

He’s been one of the best ball strikers in the field this year, ranking 11^th off-the-tee, 12^th in approach and 33^rd in driving distance. His lack of form on the greens had been a concern, but he ranked 1^st in this area on his prior start and having recorded his last DPWT win on paspalum greens, I’m convinced he can maintain that improvement this week.

That latest win for Frittelli came in last year’s Bahrain Championship (a correlating event) and in possession of plenty of form in East Asia, including a runner-up finish in the 2017 China Open, he can claim a fourth tour title in Singapore.

0.75 pts Callum Tarren each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 110/1

Callum Tarren should be comfortable in this week’s climate, having spent much of the early part of his pro career in East Asia. As a long hitter who has been strong in approach and previously shown an ability on paspalum, this looks a great spot for him to grab a first pro win.

Tarren has been playing on the DPWT as part of that special PGA Tour category this year and has taken advantage of the opportunities, recording two top-15 finishes. These came when 8^th in Bahrain and on his latest start in the Joburg Open, where he finished 14^th.

He drove the ball well across those correlating Middle Eastern events at the start of the year, where his length was a serious benefit. Therefore he should appreciate this test off the tee. In addition, he’s been strong in approach, ranking 33^rd and enters this week after his best performance of 2025 in this area in the Joburg, ranking 5^th.

Tarren turned pro in 2014 and predominantly spent his time on the PGA Tour Series – China, where he amassed six runner-up finishes. Furthermore, one of his best results on the PGA Tour came on paspalum in the Puerto Rico Open, as did his best DPWT finish to date when 8^th in Bahrain.

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