The European Tour's season really begins when the schedule reaches the United Arab Emirates for the first time on the year. That's this week, with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship kicking off the tour's Desert Swing.
Gary Stal is the unlikely defending champion here, having beaten Rory McIlroy, who has four second-place finishes in this event, in 2015. Martin Kaymer is a three-time winner and back for more.
However, the headliner is world No. 1 Jordan Spieth, who is teeing it up in the event for the first time and fresh off an eight-shot win to kick off 2016 on the PGA Tour at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Rickie Fowler is also in the field.
McIlroy is the betting favorite this week, going off at 4-to-1, slightly better than Spieth, who will go off at 4.5-to-1 odds.
Here are the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship betting odds, presented by BetDSI.com:
RORY MCILROY -- +425
JORDAN SPIETH -- +450
RICKIE FOWLER -- +1701
HENRIK STENSON -- +1800
MARTIN KAYMER -- +1926
BRANDEN GRACE -- +2101
BYEONG HUN AN -- +3402
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK -- +3681
DANNY WILLETT -- +3752
VICTOR DUBUISSON -- +3796
IAN POULTER -- +3803
LEE WESTWOOD -- +4250
BERND WIESBERGER -- +4550
THOMAS PIETERS -- +4550
ANDY SULLIVAN -- +5050
GEORGE COETZEE -- +7050
CHRIS WOOD -- +7050
KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT -- +7050
JOOST LUITEN -- +7250
THORBJORN OLESEN -- +7500
ROSS FISHER -- +8000
RUSSELL KNOX -- +8443
THONGCHAI JAIDEE -- +8500
KRISTOFFER BROBERG -- +8500
BRANDON STONE -- +10250
PETER UIHLEIN -- +12500
LUCAS BJERREGAARD -- +14050
TOMMY FLEETWOOD -- +18500
DAVID HOWELL -- +19500
FIELD - ANY OTHER PLAYER NOT LISTED ABOVE -- +285
