It has been a slow start to 2016 on the European Tour but that all changes this week when the first real proper event takes place in the form of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
It isn’t very often a normal sized tournament carries the calibre of field that this one does so full credit must go to both the European Tour and the organisers involved in the competition.
Any time Rory McIlroy is in a tournament the profile of it immediately goes up but when you put Jordan Spieth in it as well then it becomes an elite level event and that is just what we have here to kick off the Desert Swing.
Those two aren’t the only high profile names in the field this week. We also have Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and Martin Kaymer all teeing it up so this should be a really good week of golf out in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Golf Club is again the venue for this week. The course is a par 72 which measures 7,600 yards but with the humidity of the desert it doesn’t play all of that yardage.
The fairways here aren’t the widest but I always think there is a premium on length over accuracy around here. Greens in regulation is an important part of scoring on this golf course which by and large isn’t too tricky despite water being in play on most holes.
As is the case most times he tees it up these days Jordan Spieth is at the head of the betting. Along with Rory McIlroy he is a 9/2 shot to win this week with Rickie Fowler a more general 16/1 shot. Henrik Stenson is next at 18/1 with Martin Kaymer and Branden Grace both 22/1. It is 33/1 bar that group.
I’m not sure I can be backing Spieth at the prices on offer. Sure he’s the best player in the world but he lacks a little length against the big boys and isn’t overly familiar with desert golf. Rory McIlroy has a wonderful record here without winning the tournament but he often needs a week to get mentally up to speed as those who were on him when penalties cost him this title twice can testify.
Martin Kaymer loves it around here although his love affair with the place might have been soured a little after he blew a 10 shot lead in remarkable fashion here 12 months ago. You could well argue that he hasn’t been the same player since then and you would have a case but he has four top 10 finishes in Europe since then and a couple of top 12 results in the majors so he hasn’t disappeared completely.
It is clear there is something about this place which inspires Kaymer to deliver his best golf and I think we can safely assume if he ever gets into contention around here again he will be working triply hard to ensure he doesn’t blow it. At 20/1 he’s a good starting place for any staking plan this week.
Next up I’m taking a familiar favourite in the form of Matthew Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick didn’t play the Desert Swing too well last year but he certainly made up for it after that by largely dominating many of the events he was in.
Any doubts there were over whether he could play in the Desert went when he finished in the top four in the Dubai World Championship at the end of last year and that only adds to my confidence here.
When it comes to hitting greens in regulation the Sheffield star is very much right up there and he should have the game to go very well around here. He blew any lingering cobwebs away in Malaysia in the EurAsia Cup last week which will have done him no harm and he’ll bring plenty of confidence away from there having beaten Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the singles on Sunday. I think he’s a solid chance this week.
George Coetzee had a nasty end to 2015 as injury ruled him out of professional golf after the USPGA Championship but he is fully recovered now and looking to make amends.
Coetzee was twice a winner on the European Tour last year so we know he has the ability at this level and with him finishing with a solid round in Joburg last week and him having three top 10s around this golf course in the last four years I fancy he might be flying a little under the radar because of that injury here.
Without the previous injury Coetzee would be much shorter than he is so I’ll take a chance on the South African again here.
I’m sticking with a South African for my final pick as there is another one from the Sunshine nation that I believe has a perfect profile for this golf course. That man is Brandon Stone, winner of the SA Open a couple of weeks ago.
The confidence he will have taken from that victory will do him the world of good both this week and in the weeks to come. We always knew Stone was a good player. We just needed him to get into contention to see what he was like there and he passed that test too.
Stone is a greens in regulation machine but he is pretty long and accurate off the tee box and that is a perfect combination for around here. He was inside the top 20 on his only visit here a couple of years ago but he’s much more established now and much more rounded as a player. At a three figure price he could go close this week.
Back M.Kaymer to win Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 21.00 with Sportingbet (1/4 1-6)
Back M.Fitzpatrick to win Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with BetVictor (1/4 1-5)
Back G.Coetzee to win Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 67.00 with Sportingbet (1/4 1-6)
Back B.Stone to win Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with Coral (1/4 1-5)
I have my apprehensions of backing Speith as well. I understand he is making airwaves but then he’s no Woods of golf.. yet.
Yeah I’m not writing him off by any means and if he wins here I’ll only be slightly surprised but his price for someone with a lack of Desert golf behind him is poor and this is one week I don’t see value in him.