Damien Kayat previews the 2022 DP World Tour – Dubai Desert Classic taking place at the Emirates Golf Club in the UAE.
Thomas Pieters managed to conquer atrocious conditions last week to win the season’s first Rolex Series event. Yas Links proved a controversial debutant course, with pros such as Rory McIlroy lambasting the ‘quirky’ layout.
It truly lived up to its links billing, with violent gusts assaulting the players on Friday. The field will feel far more comfortable in more familiar climes this week. First staged in 1989, the Dubai Desert Classic was the first event to be staged in the Arab Peninsula.
This year’s event has been bumped up to Rolex Series status, an obvious consequence of the tour’s new sponsorship deals. Apart from the 1999 and 2000 editions, every renewal of this event has taken place at Emirates Golf Club.
Designed by Karl Litten and opened in 1998, the Majlis Course is a typically exposed desert track. Scores obviously vary significantly according to the wind conditions. Early predictions seem to suggest that conditions could be quite blustery in this 2nd leg of the Middle East Swing.
This will obviously favour players with strong wind credentials. The forgiving fairways and light rough make driving accuracy an irrelevance at the Majlis. This course favours bombers who are able to give themselves an abundance of wedges.
One thing to note this year is the newly revamped greens. The new Bermuda TifEagle greens will now be much larger, with a greater premium on finding the correct portions of the greens.
Rory McIlroy was one of Yas Links’ biggest critics despite finishing in a respectable tie for 12th. The Northern Irishman is a two-time winner of this event and he will be desperate to make a statement of intent this week.
But he hasn’t been the greatest wind player in recent times and I’m inclined to swerve him. Viktor Hovland was the best of the more fancied contenders last week, showcasing his versatility with an excellent T4 finish.
Collin Morikawa enjoyed a trying week at Yas Links, barely making the cut. Can he bounce back in what could be similar conditions this week?
Tyrell Hatton was probably the most consistent player on the course last week had it not been for the par 5 18th. Hatton carded a career worse 9 on Saturday, followed by a 7 on Sunday.
This resulted in a profanity-ridden tirade that would have left your grandmother blushing. Elsewhere, defending champ Paul Casey and a host of other top names will be angling for this Rolex Series title.
Past Winners
2021: Paul Casey (-17)
2020: Lucas Herbert (-9) *playoff
2019: Bryson DeChambeau (-24)
2018: Li Haotong (-23)
2017: Sergio Garcia (-19)
To Win Outright:
Rory McIlroy 15/2 | Viktor Hovland 17/2 | Collin Morikawa 11/1 | Tyrrell Hatton 16/1 | Sergio Garcia 20/1
Value Bets
Dean Burmester- To Win 40/1 | Top 10 Finish 7/2
Burmester is a perfect fit for the Majlis Course. He hits the ball an absolute mile and can putt the lights out on his day. This was proven by his T3 finish in 2020. Burmester also has further desert kudos, with three top-six finishes at the DP World Tour Championship. He finished 2021 strongly, winning a Sunshine Tour event in November prior to a T4 in the SA Open. He played well in cataclysmic conditions last week, settling for a 25th place finish in Abu Dhabi.
Rafa Cabrera Bello- To Win 50/1 | Top 10 Finish 21/5
Rafa Cabrera Bello just looks like ridiculous value at 50/1 this week. The Spaniard won this event in 2012 and finished runner-up in 2016. This comes as little surprise given his brilliant ball-striking ability. He also shone in last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, ultimately finishing in a tie for 2nd. Add to that the fact that he won the Spanish Open just five starts back.
The Man to Beat- Tyrell Hatton- To Win (16/1), Top 10 Finish (7/4)
Hatton is the guy who appeals to me this week. As I noted earlier, Hatton was less than pleased with the conditions at Yas Links last week. But he still managed to string together a brilliant final round 67 to finish in a share of 6th. Hatton has three top-ten finishes at the Majlis Course. He is also an outstanding putter who should be able to negotiate the newly remodelled putting surfaces.
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