There are some stunning venues on the professional golfing ranks but Natadola Bay Golf Club has to be right up there. The Fijian club was designed by local hero Vijay Singh and its mixture of stunning views and challenging holes has been rewarded by being made the host course for the Fiji International. Known as ‘the biggest sporting event in Fiji’ the tournament has grown in stature during its infancy. This may only be the third renewal of the Fiji International but it is now co-sanctioned by both the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour.
The growth of the Fiji International undoubtedly has a great deal to do with the course but it’s also a very well organised event. There is plenty for players and fans to do in the local area and they’ve managed to put up a good prize fund. That combination of factors has tempted seven winners on the PGA Tour to make the trip to Fiji this week. They are headlined by Brandt Snedeker who arrives fresh on the back of being a vital part of the victorious American side at the Ryder Cup.
The course at Natadola Bay may be absolutely stunning but the players cannot afford to let their attention levels drop for a second. Matt Kuchar’s winning score last year was just -4 which shows just how difficult scoring is around the 7,169 yard layout. The par 72 course is heavily affected by the coastal winds and there is some very thick rough framing the holes. The fairways, however, are fairly generous so the route to winning looks to be keeping your ball out of trouble, hitting fairways and greens and making putts.
Snedeker Can Justify His Favouritism
Brandt Snedeker will be on a real high when he arrives at Natadola Bay. His passion for golf was plain to see at the Ryder Cup and he looks to have what is required to continue on with winning ways. The American is one of the best putters in the world which is always a plus on tough courses. He also showed his ability in the wind when putting together one of the rounds of the year at Farmers Insurance Open. He’s a class above many of his competitors this week and can justify his favouritism with the bookies at odds of 7/2 with BetVictor.
Weekley To Rise Above the Majority
Boo Weekley couldn’t quite do enough at the Barclays to make a run into the latter stages of the FedEx Cup playoffs but his form beforehand was very encouraging. Having dropped a couple of pounds, Weekley looked fresh and fit and that reflected in his golf game. He still needs to put the work in ahead of the start of the PGA Tour season and the Fiji International could prove to be a great confidence boost for Weekley. Simply put, his best game is better than the vast majority of those in the field so bet on Weekley each way at 18/1 with Bet365 to ensure a profit should he finish inside the top four positions.