Fantasy Golf: WGC – HSBC Champions preview

With the Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf game, in association with Your Golf Travel, nearing its conclusion, the double points on offer at this week’s WGC – HSBC Champions take on even greater importance.

Mission Hills in China boasts an incredible 12 18-hole golf courses, making it the largest golf complex on the planet. This week’s event will be completed over the Olazabal Course, named after its Spanish designer. The layout has not hosted an individual European Tour event before but was the venue for the World Cup in 2007 and 2009.

The par-72 course is 7,320 yards long with fives par 3s and five par 5s, three of each on the front nine. This should favour longer hitters who can reach the par 5s in two.

But it’s not all about length. A total of 151 bunkers make course management important and smaller than average greens mean precise approaches will also be required.

A star-studded field will contest the final WGC event of 2012, but world top two Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have opted to take the week off.

Here is TG’s six-man team for the WGC – HSBC Champions:

Luke Donald, $5.5m
The world number three has finished third in his last two starts, the Tour Championship and BMW Masters. His precision iron play and putting will negate any distance his loses to the longer hitters.

Justin Rose, $2.8m
The Englishman picked up his first WGC earlier in the season and has 12 top 10s worldwide this year. Coming in off a T6 last week and tied third with Ian Poulter at Mission Hills in the 2007 World Cup.

Louis Oosthuizen, $2.6m
He has the all-around game to conquer the Olazabal Course. Five top 10s in his last nine starts have lifted him to world number 11.

George Coetzee, $1.5m
The South African is yet to win but starts this week in a rich vein of form with a T12-T5-T6-T6 record in his last four starts. Started final round of BMW Masters in final group but his putter went cold on the back nine.

Nicolas Colsaerts, $1.4m
The longest hitter in Europe already has a win in China on his CV and has five top 20s in his last six starts. Confidence is soaring following the Ryder Cup.

Jamie Donaldson, $1.2m
The Welshman shot a course record 62 in the opening round of the BMW Masters before fading to T16. He’s on good form with three top 10s in seven tournaments and has a good record in Asia.

> You can see a full list of all the golfers playing this week and their prices by clicking here. You have until 1am on Thursday 1st November to select your team.