The European Tour heads for Morocco this week and the Trophee Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. Edoardo Molinari is the defending champion and a strong field has assembled.
Trophee Hassan II Leaderboard, Preview, TV Times
Edoardo Molinari is defending champion in the Trophee Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco. Alex Levy, Joost Luiten, Chris Wood and Danny Willett are amongst the star names on the entry list.
Before it became a fixture on the European circuit, the event was won by some notable players, including – Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. This is Morocco’s longest running sports event.
Although this tournament was first contested back in 1971, this will only be the ninth season it has featured on the European Tour schedule. Rhys Davies of Wales won in 2010, then David Horsey, Michael Hoey, Marcel Siem, Alejandro Canizares, Richie Ramsay and Jeunghun Wang have triumphed since then. Last year Edoardo Molinari won the title in a playoff against Ireland’s Paul Dunne.
Dunne will be back to see if he can go one better this week after a strong second-place finish in the Open de Espana in Madrid.
The course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam was commissioned by King Hassan II and was designed by Robert Trent Jones. It’s a tough track and a long one too – It stretches out to 7,615 yards. Expect a winning score of single figures under par.
The winner of this tournament is presented with a jewel-encrusted gold dagger – A prize that’s extremely valuable in its own right.
The weather should be mainly fair although rain could feature at the start of the weekend.
Venue: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco Date: April 19-22 Course stats: par 73, 7,615 yards Purse: €2,000,000 Defending champion: Edoardo Molinari (-9)
How to watch the Trophee Hassan II
TV Coverage: Thursday 19 – Sky Sports Golf from 2.30pm Friday 20 – Sky Sports Golf from 11.30am Saturday 21 – Sky Sports Golf from 1pm Sunday 22 – Sky Sports Golf from 1pm
Not a Sky Sports customer and want to watch the Trophee Hassan II?
Why not buy a Now TV pass? For £7.99 you can get a day pass if you wish to watch one of the rounds or, for just £12.99, you can get a week pass to see the whole tournament.
Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Day Pass for £7.99 Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Week Pass for £12.99
Players to watch:
Paul Dunne – A runner-up last week and a runner-up in this event last year. The signs are good.
George Coetzee – The South African showed he is still on great form with a fourth-place finish in Spain last week. He’s a recent winner on the European Tour having claimed the Tshwane Open title in early March.
Jeunghun Wang – The young South Korean hasn’t been playing too well recently but this is an event he won two years ago. Look for him to find inspiration at a venue where he has tasted success.
Key hole: 9th. A great par-3 of 194 yards, the ball must carry all the way to the green over water. Anything drifting too far left or right will also end up wet. This one will get the pulse racing.
