Here’s everything you need to know about the Hainan Classic, including tee times and who our resident expert is backing for glory…

Francesco Molinari headlines the Hainan Classic, the latest stop on the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing.

In 2025, Marco Penge claimed a breakthrough victory here in China that kickstarted an unforgettable three-win season, leading to his move to the PGA Tour.

As Penge experienced, the Hainan Classic is also home to one of the more unusual trophies ever dished out at a professional golf event.

So before we get to the Hainan Classic betting tips, here’s what else you need to know…

2026 Hainan Classic key details

Dates: March 19-22, 2026
Venue: Blackstone Course, Mission Hills, China
Course: Par 72 – 7,711 yards
Format: 72-hole stroke play with halfway cut
Purse: $2.55 million
Race to Dubai: 3,000 points (500 winner’s share)
Defending champion: Marco Penge (-17)

Hainan Classic tee times

You can keep up to date with the latest field, tee times and leaderboard from the Hainan Classic on the official DP World Tour website.

Hainan Classic prize money

You can see the full purse breakdown here.

2026 Hainan Classic betting tips

The Banker: Mikael Lindberg

40/1 e/w (VirginBet 6 Places 1/5 Odds)

After a breakout year in 2025, Mikael Lindberg has started the new season in solid fashion as well, and while he’s yet to break into the top 10 so far, Mission Hills looks a good place for him to do so.

At the Blackstone Course – one of the two courses this week – his strong driving should be well rewarded, and that could be the difference between the two efforts that have seen him finish inside the top 15 and him contending.

Six made cuts from six and two top 15 finishes to start the season, there are very few holes to pick in Lindberg’s efforts so far, apart from perhaps the lack of contending he has shown under new expectations. It’s not like he’s not threatened though, as he was 6th after 54 holes in Bahrain when finishing 13th, 5th after round 1 in Kenya last time out when finishing 29th, and 2nd after round 1 and 6th after round 2 at the Dubai Desert Classic where he ultimately finished 45th.

That’s all to say that it looks like better results are on the cards, and the Blackstone Course here at Mission Hills should almost certainly play into his hands as he looks to take advantage of a brief reset.

The Swede has ranked inside the top 12 in SG Tee to Green in two of his last three starts so the ball striking upside is there. I believe his best week of the season is on the horizon here.

The Outsider: Francesco Molinari

50/1 e/w (BoyleSports 6 Places 1/5 Odds)

As a winner in China at the WGC HSBC Champions, and the holder of two podium finishes in Hong Kong, Francesco Molinari clearly enjoys playing in this part of the world and now he can look to further his record as he returns to China this season in solid form.

In addition to his good form in this part of the world, Molinari does also have experience of this course, playing in the 2011 World Cup here, alongside his brother Edoardo. A final round 74 cost them any chance of a positive result, but they were also the defending champions, who had won the tournament two years prior when it was also staged in China, so it’s a positive landing spot for Francesco.

I noted ahead of the Nedbank that I felt Molinari was turning a corner toward the end of 2025 and he’s lived up to that, with a 10th at the Nedbank and a 4th at the Dubai Desert Classic last time out. A 47th place finish at the Dubai Invitational splits these two results, so he’s only played twice in 2026, and that’s the only concern.

Being lightly run is fine if you’re at the very top of your game, and while Molinari is clearly in better form, he’s still working his way back to something remotely close to his best, so no starts since the end of January is perhaps a slight concern.

Still, he’s now set to tee it up for two weeks in a row, so there should be no injury concerns and instead it shows that it was a conscious decision to avoid the Africa Swing and return here in Asia.

Ranking inside the top 9 for both SG Approach and SG Tee to Green the last time we saw him, the signs have only been positive and on his day, he’s obviously capable of being a class above the field.

With no Patrick Reed, Casey Jarvis, or Jayden Schaper, a trio that has set the standard so far this season, Molinari is in a great position to stamp his authority as the class in the field here, if he can continue those early signs this season, despite the long layoff.

The Long Shot: Jordan Gumberg

110/1 e/w (Betfred 8 Places 1/5 Odds)

Jordan Gumberg finished 16th here last year and was inside the top 10 after 54 holes, so he should come into this week full of confidence, after a couple of encouraging starts of late.

He finished 28th last time out at the Joburg Open, where he was 9th at halfway, and even when he was 42nd three starts ago in Kenya, he opened and closed with rounds of 66 and added a second round 68 as well. His third round 70 was the only disappointing round of the week, and there’s enough in these recent starts to suggest he can go well here.

In those two positive starts, he ranked 9th and 14th in SG Off the Tee, and while he does it via accuracy, rather than distance, it could well be the driver that gives him a platform to succeed here.

A winner of the SDC Championship in 2024, Gumberg has already made an impact at this level and with a 7th place finish at the Genesis Championship, a 14th place finish in Singapore, and his 16th here last year, he has shown that outside of that win in Africa, his best form has been on this continent.

He’s inconsistent, but he does show signs of being a better player than his overall record suggests, and in this field, with his winning upside, there’s enough of reason for optimism at 110/1.

The Bonus Bet: Freddy Schott

66/1 e/w (BetMGM 6 Places 1/5 Odds)

The main course this week rewards big hitters, and Freddy Schott ranks among the top 10 on Tour in distance, and alongside Lindberg in terms of players I am targeting solely for this skillset.

The difference between Schott and Lindberg is not only 26 points in Schott’s favour in terms of odds, but Schott has also got it done at this level already, at the Bahrain Championship earlier this season.

Given we have already seen Reed, Schaper and Jarvis win twice this season, it would no surprise to see another player double their win tally, in what seems to be a less competitive DP World Tour than in previous years.

While he hasn’t played these courses, he does have previous finishing T11 at the Volvo China Open, and given that event was reduced to 54 holes, we have no way of really knowing whether he could have improved on that position.

Since his win three starts ago, he’s added a 14th place finish at the South African Open last time out, where he closed out with a round of 63.

With his past effort in China, his win in Bahrain and his 63 last time out all under his belt, plus the perfect skillset to take advantage of this course, Schott looks a good pick at the best odds available.

More golf betting tips this week