The stars are out in force as the 2022 DP World Tour - for those who have wintered on Mars that’s the new name for the European Tour - tees off with a strong field in Abu Dhabi, appropriately at a new venue to the tour, the Kyle Phillips-designed Yas Links.
On the west shore of that Arab state’s Island of Entertainment, it is the first links in the Middle East and the stellar field, headed by Race To Dubai champion Collin Morikawa and Europe’s biggest drawcard, the unpredictable Rory McIlroy, will get a taste of the coastal wind as gusts up to 30mph are forecast for Friday.
Tyrrell Hatton defends the championship he won emphatically at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the regular host since Chris DiMarco took the first prize home to the USA 16 years ago. Then it was $333,000, now you can stick a 1 in front, making it $1.333m.
We had another American winner, Rickie Fowler, ten years later but since then only the top British and Irish have plundered this $8m desert jewel. Fleetwood took it back to back in 2017/18 followed by Shane Lowry, Lee Westwood and Hatton. It will be fascinating to see who can stem the US tide which last year saw Morikawa (twice) and Billy Horschel run off with our most glittering prizes and the USA regaining the Ryder Cup in a landslide.
What we don’t want is a limp start to the year with some unknown like Gary Stal walking off with the trophy and reducing this lucrative pipe-opener to one solitary paragraph in the football-overkill media.
All this historical form is of little help to punters as we switch to American architect Phillips’ 2010 creation, a 7450-yard par 72 which some the field had a run-round last year. Phillips is the man responsible for modern Scottish links Kingsbarns and Dundonald.
Morikawa squandered a big opportunity of overhauling Jon Rahm as world No. 1 when blowing the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last month and with both Rahm and the brilliant young American playing this week, albeit 9000 miles apart, stand by the next chapter in that battle.
Morikawa’s bad day at the office in the Bahamas allowed his Norwegian pal Viktor Hovland to pick up the pieces and stride away to victory. They could easily fill the first two spots this week - Morikawa’s last visit to this part of the globe resulted in Tour Championship victory in Dubai - or will the enigmatic McIlroy put his best foot forward?
It has been close but no cigar for Rory on previous Abu Dhabi raids - second places to Pablo Larrazabal and Stal and thirds to Fleetwood and Hatton. A high-ball hitter, he’s not at his best if it’s windy - up to 30mph gusts are forecast for Friday - and his price is always too short because the bookies know the public will back him whatever.
Of that elite trio, Morikawa is the most reliable. He didn’t bring his A game to the tour finale yet still won and he will see omens in Hideki Matsuyama’s victory in Hawaii. There is plenty of Japanese blood in those Californian veins as the name suggests.
It is clear from last year’s four-shot triumph that Hatton can strike early. The change of course could see him even more dominant as he is a dual Dunhill Links pro-am winner where one of the three courses, Kingsbarns, is a Phillips design. The English ace will surely be in the mix but the young Scot from Oban, Robert MacIntyre, rates even better value at 40/1.
The last time we saw Bob was when he placed fourth to Morikawa at Jumeirah on Gulf terrain. He generally failed to live up to expectations last year but his best performances came on the biggest stages, that one plus two Majors top-12s, and mixing with the elite will get his juices flowing. He has grown up on links golf and will know what to expect from a Phillips course as two in his own country are on the tour roster.
It was good to see Garrick Higgo contend for a long way at Kapalua as he had gone off the boil after a sensational start to last year with two victories in the Canaries and an American breakthrough at Congaree on his first regular PGA Tour start. Higgs, Dean Burmester and Erik Van Rooyen are three South Africans who could ruffle a few feathers and now that his putting is no longer a weak link, Burmester could be the best of them.
This bomber thrives in the desert - sixth at the last Tour Championship in top company, twice fourth before that - and his Dunhill Links seventh showed an aptitude for the type of shot-making required at Yas where the wind will play a part, especially on the eight holes which run right beside the coastline.
Also of interest is Chinese No. 1 Haotong Li who went into serious decline last year but bounced back with an Asian Tour third after Christmas followed by his first decent show for yonks last week when contending for most of the journey at Waialae, winding up 12th. The 140/1 price looks big as Li’s best-ever performance came on a links when third in the 2017 Open to Jordan Spieth at Royal Birkdale so he might do even better than 12th at Yas.
Aussies Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott also come into the argument, Lee in particular as he won last year’s Scottish Open on a modern links and, although disappointing to see him a well-beaten fourth last week in a weak Australian PGA Championship, it will have knocked any rust out.
ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF BETTING TIPS 2022
- 2pts each-way Collin Morikawa at 7/1 with William Hill
- 1pt each-way Robert MacIntyre at 40/1 with Bet365
- 1pt each-way Tyrrell Hatton at 28/1 with Betfair
- 1pt each-way Min Woo Lee at 35/1 with Bet365
- 0.5pt each-way Haotong Li at 140/1 with 888Sport
- 0.5pt each-way Dean Burmester at 50/1 with Bet365
*Place terms:
- Betfair, William Hill one-fifth first 8
- Bet365, 888Sport, one-quarter first 5
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