Days after the reigning Race To Dubai champion, Rory McIlroy won The Masters, the DP World Tour season continues with its 15th of 42 tournaments this term - the Volvo China Open.
Adrian Otaegui is the reigning champion as this event makes its second appearance on the calendar since returning from a handful of years away. The UAE golfer is not among the favorites this time, though, with Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen taking that honor.
Japan's Keita Nakajima and England's Jordan Smith are among the other fancied names this week, as are Chinese professionals, Wenyi Ding and Haotong Li.
With just two tournaments remaining on the Asian Swing, each player involved will be desperate to do well in order to have a chance of clinching that $200,000 bonus after the Hainan Classic next time out.
Below, we've listed all of the odds for the title favorites at the China Open as well as our picks for the likely champion and a possible each-way chance.
CHINA OPEN COURSE GUIDE: ENHANCE ANTING GC
Enhance Anting Golf Club is making its debut as the host layout for the Volvo China Open in 2025, having been founded in 2005 and built up a reputation as one of the best championship parkland courses in the country.
It was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and plays as a 7,168-yard par-71 off the tips, suggesting prodigious length is not the be all and end all this week. However, with several lakes and ponds intertwined throughout the course, accuracy should be rewarded.
Set among the industrial landscape of Shanghai, Enhance Anting GC is actually slightly protected around its perimeter by raised boundaries and mounds in between holes. Trent Jones Jr wanted to protect players from the hustle and bustle of the city, which is just a short distance away.
As part of the development, newly-created wetlands have been formed which have brought wildlife - including several species of birds - to the area.
CHINA OPEN PREVIOUS WINNERS
Tournament was not on DP World Tour calendar between 2020-2023
CHINA OPEN BETTING ODDS
Outright winner odds via FanDuel Sportsbook (prices correct at time of publishing)
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (+1400)
- Keita Nakajima (+2000)
- Jordan Smith (+2000)
- Haotong Li (+2200)
- Matthew Jordan (+2500)
- Wenyi Ding (+2500)
- Eugenio Chacarra (+2500)
- Joost Luiten (+3300)
- Sebastian Söderberg (+3500)
- Shaun Norris (+3500)
- Jorge Campillo (+3500)
- Brandon Robinson Thompson (+3500)
- Alejandro Del Rey (+4000)
- Romain Langasque (+4000)
- Julien Guerrier (+4000)
- Ewen Ferguson (+4000)
- Daniel Hillier (+4000)
- Brandon Stone (+4000)
- Angel Ayora (+4500)
- Johannes Veerman (+4500)
- Sam Bairstow (+4500)
- Calum Hill (+5500)
- All other players priced at +6000 or higher
CHINA OPEN BETTING PICKS
Favorite: Wenyi Ding (+2500)
Ding was T7th at the Volvo China Open two years ago while still an amateur and what an event this would be to seal his maiden DP World Tour title. He enters the week in good form after six consecutive cuts made so far in 2025 including T14th finishes in his last two starts in Singapore and Joburg. There have been four Chinese winners over the last nine years so Ding could certainly challenge to make it five in 10.
Outsider: Taichi Kho (+8000)
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho looks to be another star of the future to come from this part of Asia. Kho mainly plays on the Asian Tour, where he has a win in Hong Kong and multiple top-10s over the last three years. He was T3rd at the Volvo China Open in 2023 and I think he can go well again this year after finishing T8th and T6th in his last two starts on the Asian Tour.
Favorite: Haotong Li (+2200)
This week proves to be a tough one to pick, given the course hasn't staged a significant event, which is why on current form I am going to select Haoting Li, who has five top-25 finishes in his last six starts, including victory at the Qatar Masters.
Enjoying an excellent record in his home open, the 29-year-old seems to have re-found his form after a 2024 and 2023 that saw missed cut after missed cut. Li will want to put on a show for his home fans, which is why I think he's the man to beat this week.
Outsider: Conor Syme (+6000)
The Scot has five top 35s in his last six starts and, despite a missed cut at the Investec SA Open Championship, he seems to be playing some really solid and consistent golf.Looking at his stats, his all-round game shapes up nicely, with Syme in the top 50 in terms of average putts per round and driving distance, as well as the top 75 for greens in regulation. If he can find a few more fairways, I expect the 29-year-old to compete in Shanghai.
Favorite: Haotong Li (+2200)
The recent break arrived at an annoying time for Li, who was trending in the right direction once again after his Qatar Masters victory and a T41st with two top-20 results.
The Chinese player won this event much earlier in his career and is now one of the top talents around so will be keen to rubberstamp his chances of making it onto the PGA Tour via another win this week. His all-round game should leave him with no issues at this 7,100-yard par 71.
Outsider: Marco Penge (+6000)
With the comfort of a T17th finish in his back pocket at the 2024 Volvo China Open, Marco Penge can put the missed cut in India last time out right behind him and start afresh.
Since returning from his ban, Penge has banked three top-20s - including a third at the South African Open Championship - while showing how powerful and accurate he still is off the tee. A decent putting week should putt Penge among the top-10 in China.
Favorite: Brandon Robinson Thompson (+3500)
Robinson Thompson has been knocking on the door already this season, with a 3rd-place finish in Qatar just a few starts back signalling his ability to contend at this level. He also has two other top-eight finishes this season and a total of five top-20 finishes in nine starts.
On the Challenge Tour in 2024, Robinson Thompson was 24th and 20th in back-to-back events in China, and while on different golf courses I am encouraged by his ability to play decent golf in this part of the world. The Englishman ranks 15th for greens in regulation, 17th for scrambling and 19th for SG: Putting, so seems to be firing on all cylinders as we head into the Volvo China Open.
Outsider: Niklas Lemke (+10000)
Following the Challenge Tour form line again, Lemke was 17th and 5th in the same two events at the back end of 2024, and has started 2025 on the DP World Tour respectably.
Two top-13 finishes in four starts, with made cuts in all of them, suggests he isn't out of his depth back at this level, and when you consider he ranks 13th for driving distance, 20th for SG: Tee To Green and 12th for SG: Around The Green, I think the man who finished second at the Challenge Tour Grand final last season is great value this week.
How To Watch The Volvo China Open
US/ET
- Thursday, April 17 - Round One: 12:30am - 5:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Friday, April 18 - Round Two: 12:30am - 5:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Saturday, April 19 - Round Three: 12:30am - 5:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Sunday, April 20 - Round Four: 12:00am - 5:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
UK/BST
- Thursday, April 17 - Round One: 5:30am - 10:30am (Sky Sports Golf)
- Friday, April 18 - Round Two: 5:30am - 10:30am (Sky Sports Golf)
- Saturday, April 19 - Round Three: 5:30am - 10:00am (Sky Sports Golf)
- Sunday, April 20 - Round Four: 5:00am - 10:00am (Sky Sports Golf)
