Henrik Stenson
James Kennedy
Tyrrell Hatton
James Kennedy
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Kevin Murray
Thorbjørn Olesen
Alemarcoli
Thomas Aiken
Tour Pro Golf Clubs
Stephen Gallacher
Cyrille Bertin
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| The juxtaposed position of the lush fairways and the barren desert gave rise to the term 'The Desert Miracle' back in 1988, when Florida-based course designer Karl Litten was commissioned by his Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, when the first all grass championship course emerged from the arid desert sands.
The course came to prominence when it was awarded its first European Tour event back in 1989 when the Dubai Desert Classic was born. The Majlis, which translates to 'Meeting Place' in Arabic, measures
7,211 yards and flows around the original desert dunes.
The course features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna which are complemented by the beautifully lush Bermuda grass fairways that wind their way around the seven fresh and salt-water lakes, bringing water into play on ten of the eighteen holes.
For another trusted Emirates Golf Club review click here
My tips to win:
With a win and several Top 10s in this event Henrik Stenson 7/1 Coral is the obvious bookies favourite this week. And with a Top 10 in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago the Swede has got his season off to a good solid start and he will be the man to beat this week.
Like I said last week it surely is only a matter of time before Rafa Cabrera Bello 20/1 with Bet365 finally gets one of these over the line probably the week I give up tipping him!! and another challenge slipped away last week which was down to a slow start. Rafa is another past champion here winning in 2012 which was his last European Tour win and he had a runner-up finish here last year and I expect him to be challenging again this week.
Over the past three years Tyrrell Hatton 22/1 with BetVictor has improved each year he has teed it up at the Emirates GC track going from eightieth place to an eighth place finish last year. Tyrrell led the field in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago but his final round 75 see him slide down the leaderboard and out of contention. I am sure that has played that final round over several times in his mind the last couple of weeks and he will be looking to lay those ghost to rest this week.
My each-way tips:
Thomas Aiken 45/1 with 32Red has started the wraparound season with a bang making the Top 15 in all four starts with three Top 5 finishes and comes into this week after firing three rounds of 68 at the Qatar Masters and just missing out on making the play-off by one shot. Thomas has only teed it up three times in this event missed the cut in his first start and made the Top 10 in his next two and in his current form I expect him to be in the thick of it again this week.
A third round 76 put paid to any challenge Thorbj๘rn Olesen 40/1 with Bet365 was thinking of making in last weeks Qatar Masters, he did recover well to shoot a final round 68 but by then he was well out of contention. Thorbj๘rn has two Top 5 finishes here in the last three years and with those positive thoughts when he arrives, I think he will put last week behind him and be relishing playing and challenging here again this week.
My outside tips
There are a couple of good outside bets this week, first up is past champion Stephen Gallacher 80/1 with BetVictor who has not only won this event back-to-back 2013/14 but had a Top 5 finish two years ago trying to make it three in a row. Stephen has suffered with back problems over the last couple of year, but I think these are good odds for someone with that record here. Jorge Campillo 150/1 with StanJames, (no doubt StanJames will change those odds as they always do, so check out PaddyPower at 125/1 when they do) should come into this week in confident mood, Jorge has two Top 15 from his first three starts on the wraparound tour which comes on the back of finishing last season well with a couple of Top 10s and I feel he could be a player to watch this year.
As always good luck
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