European Tour: UBS Hong Kong Open top 10 power rankings

A new European Tour season swiftly gets underway this week at the UBS Hong Kong Open

The 2018 European Tour season begins this week neither in 2018 nor in Europe, but, hey, we’ve got more live golf to watch! The Asian Tour and the European Tour are teaming up to host the UBS Hong Kong Open, which serves as one of the final events on the Asian Tour’s 2017 season schedule.

With just a four hour difference between Dubai and Hong Kong, several big names who competed in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai Final Series finale last week have stuck around in Asia. We’ll get to some of those names later.

The UBS Hong Kong Open celebrated its 15th anniversary last season and has stuck at Hong Kong Golf Club since its inception in 2002.

HKGC is one of the shortest courses on the calendar, totaling 6,710 yards for a par-70. Players will have to navigate tight, tree-lined fairways, often with less than driver, so this week isn’t exactly a bomber’s paradise. Players will be hitting off of zoysia grass, which was seen at last year’s Rio Olympics, among other courses. Zoysia makes for one of the better fairway surfaces, but can result in some tight lies around the greens.

The winning score at the 2016 Hong Kong Open was 13-under-par by Sam Brazel, right around where it usually falls in the low teens under par. Only two winners have reached 20-under or lower, but only one winner’s failed to reach double digits under par.

There’s no PGA Tour action for a little while, so stay up late (or wake up early) to catch the best tournament on the docket this week. Here are ten players who are poised for success.