With the 2018-19 PGA Tour season only one event old, we head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the annual CIMB Classic. The second event on the current PGA Tour season features a very good field, even if the vast majority of top players are sitting this one out in order to rest and recharge their batterys in anticipation of the 2019 calendar year.
Two-time champion and World No. 4 Justin Thomas enters as the favorite at 5-1 odds, followed by Billy Horschel and Ryan Moore at identical 14-1 odds. 2017 champ Pat Perez is a value-packed 40-1 pick (why?) while Paul Casey and Xander Schaufflele are identical 20-1 picks. Okay, with this event getting underway in just over 24 hours, let’s get started with my analysis and top five picks to bring home the bacon in this fun-filled event.2018 CIMB Classic Odds & Preview
- When: Oct. 10-14
- Where: TPC Kuala Lumpur — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- TV: Golf Channel
- Live Stream: PGA Tour Live
Past Winners
- 2017: Pat Perez
- 2016: Justin Thomas
- 2015: Justin Thomas
- 2014: Ryan Moore
- 2013: Ryan Moore
2018 CIMB Classic Odds
- Justin Thomas 5-1
- Billy Horschel 14-1
- Ryan Moore 14-1
- Paul Casey 16-1
- Xander Schaufflele 16-1
- Gary Woodland 20-1
- Keegan Bradley 20-1
- Marc Leishman 20-1
- Brandt Snedeker 28-1
- Kyle Stanley 28-1
- Rafael Cabrera Bello 28-1
- Louis Oosthuizen 30-1
- Byeong Hun An 33-1
- Cameron Smith 33-1
- Emiliano Grillo 33-1
- Kevin Tway 33-1
- Pat Perez 40-1
- Kevin Na 40-1
- Danny Lee 40-1
- Branden Grace 40-1
- C.T. Pan 40-1
- J.B. Holmes 40-1
Top Five Picks for the 2018 CIMB Classic
Justin Thomas (5-1)
The 25-year-old Thomas rounds out my top five picks to win the 2018 CIMB Classic, seeing as how he’s already won this event twice and is the highest-ranked player in the field in this year’s event. Thomas won three tournaments last season while recording one second place finish, 10 Top 10 finishes and a whopping 20 top 25 finishes. Thomas finished T7 at the Tour Championship tournament and has six Top 25 finishes in his last six tournaments with four Top 10 finishes and a win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August.
Thomas is the favorite for a reason – and it because he’s both supremely gifted – and on fire!
Ryan Moore (14-1)
Not only did the 35-year-old Moore win this event back in 2013 and 2014, but he’s playing excellent golf, having narrowly missed a win last week in Napa with a second place finish in the season-opening Safeway Open.
Xander Schauffele (16-1)
The 24-year-old Californian finished T3 in this event a year ago and T7 at the PGA Tour Championship three weeks ago. Schauffele is one of the PGA Tour’s best young performers and many believe he has super-stardom in his future.
Billy Horschel (14-1)
The 31-year-old Florida native and world No. 5 is my No. 3 pick to win the 2018 CIMB, seeing as how he’s gone T3 (twice) while adding a second place finish in his last three events. Horschel won the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in April and he’s recorded six Top 10 finishes this season. Horschel is super hot – and he deserves a wager in this event as one of the very best picks to win it.
Paul Casey (20-1)
41-year-old UK native Paul Casey finishedT7 in this event last season after a blistering 7-under, 65 final round. More importantly, Casey played well in last month’s Ryder Cup win while finishing an encouraging 11t in the Tour Championship right after that. In his last 20 PGA Tour events, Casey has one win, five Top 10 finishes and 13 Top 25 results. I see no reason why he couldn’t find his way into the winner’s circle in this event!
