As per the past few years, this year's tourney is at Hong Kong GC, Fanling. Its a short course at just 6,734 yards (Par 70). So its not surprising that the shorter hitters have had more success here than at some other tournaments. Looking at the statistics of the past few years, you should be looking especially at players who are putting and scrambling well, and good Greens in Regulation stats are useful too (although that would apply to any tournament really). Asian players have had a good deal of success here (WT Lin won last year, and KJ Choi and Jaidee were 2nd and 3rd the previous year) - maybe thats not surprising since there are lots of Asian players playing in an Asian tournament. Overall, a different type of player than the usual big-hitting US and European stars has a chance of success.
I'll give more detailed tips at the start of next week (mid afternoon GMT on monday 9th), but players I am currently favouring are (when I say "good scrambler" or "short hitter", I am basing this on Euro PGA statistics):
Dredge - good scrambler, short hitter, good form, 19th last year
Jimenez - good scrambler, won it in 2007
Mcdowell - good scrambler, decent form, 11 last year
Molinari and Schwartzel - both good scramblers and decent form
Ben Curtis - good short game
Dyson, Kjeldsen and Poulter - top quality players whose shorter length won't negatively affect them on this course
Asian and Australian players - I need to do more research on these still, but expect WT Lin and WC Liang to do well
Outsiders - Monty may be favoured by the short course and has shown glimpses of form recently, Karlsson may have had enough time to get his game in order after his recent eye troubles and is a good scrambler
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