Although we’ve had three events on the European Tour this season there is a feeling the campaign really kicks into life this week when some of the biggest stars in the game of golf head out to the desert for the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first leg of the three pronged Desert Swing.
Rory McIlroy was set to headline the field but he pulled out earlier in the week with an injury which leaves US Open champion Dustin Johnson and Open champion Henrik Stenson as the stand out names looking to take the title which Rickie Fowler won last year and defends this time around.
Recent Winners
2016 – Rickie Fowler
2015 – Gary Stal
2014 – Pablo Larrazabal
2013 – Jamie Donaldson
2012 – Robert Rock
2011 – Martin Kaymer
2010 – Martin Kaymer
2009 – Paul Casey
2008 – Martin Kaymer
2007 – Paul Casey
The Course
Abu Dhabi Golf Club hosts the tournament again. This is one of the best courses on the tour. The fairways are quite tight, the rough is penal and there is water in play on a number of the holes so this is a real test of an all-round game.
As with most desert golf hitting the greens in the right number is imperative but good putters tend to go well. If you look at the roll of honour here there isn’t a bad putter among them so that is definitely the angle to go in with. This isn’t the week to be backing those who struggle with the short stick.
The Field
Johnson and Stenson add a real high calibre to the field but it is deeply stacked even without them. Rickie Fowler is a big name while some of Europe’s best players will tee it up this week including the four time winner last season Alex Noren. Masters champion Danny Willett is also here so there are three current major champions in the field.
Some of the best in Europe, Asia and South Africa tee it up this week so wherever you look there is a decent golfer. That ensures a good week.
Market Leaders
Dustin Johnson is a 6/1 favourite to win this week. He tends to go well overseas but even so it is interesting that he tees it up here. This is the first time he will have played the tournament so those who are regular attendees here may have a knowledge advantage on the American which makes him a little short for me.
Henrik Stenson has never won around here but he has had three top three finishes including last year so you’ve got to think the door will open for him eventually. At 7/1 you’d need him to win this week if he is to generate any kind of profit but he certainly has the game for the desert.
Rickie Fowler defends the title this week. He hasn’t done an awful lot in recent times which would be a concern but with less pressure on him here it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him deliver another strong tilt at the title. It is never easy to defend a title though so even at 14/1 he isn’t for me.
Alex Noren goes well in Dubai but he has never really cracked Abu Dhabi for some reason so even though he was immense last season and has never been playing better he isn’t for me at 22/1. If I was to take someone of that price it would be Thomas Pieters but even he is a little on the short side in this company. It is 25/1 bar those five.
Main Bets
I’m going with two main bets this week who fit the greens in regulation trend perfectly. Tyrrell Hatton could well be the man to watch in 2017 and I fancy he’ll have a big week here. He has finished in the top 10 here in 2014 and 2015 and since then he has posted two top 10 finishes in Dubai last season so he clearly runs hot in the desert and not just off the course!
Hatton has now won on the European Tour and the confidence that can bring could be invaluable. At 25/1 I believe he is a leading player this week so he is my first main bet.
The second one is on a man who recently won out in the Emirates and that is Matthew Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has been working hard on his game since then and there is a quote on the European Tour website where he says his game feels 10 times better than it did when he won the DP World Championship.
We’ve been able to see on twitter that Fitzy has been working hard on his putting and with his top class strength from tee to green if the short stick plays ball this week he could lead even a field of this quality a merry dance.
Outsiders
I’m also going with three top putters who should be able to get their ball around here in good numbers. Peter Uihlein ranked second in putts per GIR on the Tour last year and he arrives here in confident mood off the back of two solid efforts to begin the season. That suggests his game is getting back to where he wants it and if that is the case he can go well here.
One of the stars of last season was Jeunghun Wang. He won twice in successive weeks and he finished the season very well too. One of the tournaments he went well in was in Dubai which suggests the dry air suits his game. He was sixth on tour putting on GIRs so if his irons are on song this week he should be high up the leaderboard.
Alejandro Canizares has a good record here and that is no surprise given that he was seventh for putts per GIR last year. He has always had a talented short game and having finished third in the Nedbank towards the end of last season we know he can deliver in stacked fields. The Spaniard was fifth here last year and I fancy him to go well here at a three figure price.
Tips
Back T.Hatton to win Abu Dhabi Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back J.Wang to win Abu Dhabi Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back M.Fitzpatrick to win Abu Dhabi Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back A.Canizares to win Abu Dhabi Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back P.Uihlein to win Abu Dhabi Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2017
Hi Kev, I’m sure you are very disappointed wit Hattons’s last round. I backed Wang previous to reading your post. He also had a poor final round and really should have had a place. I would suggest Wang was a little rusty and such a good putter will be up there again. Hatton’s collapse is a little odd given the very close , rather large pack behind him at the start of the day. It wasn’t like he was four or five clear, so the pressure should not have been as apparent.
Certainly was mate. With the style he won with in Scotland last year I expected Hatton to take it by the scruff of the neck and put the pressure on those behind him but it wasn’t to be. I agree I think Wang will be a big feature throughout the season.