Another epic DP World Tour season comes to an end at the famous Earth Course in Dubai with the staging of the DP World Tour Championship featuring some of the best players on the planet from all three major tours.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Putting Average
- Strokes Gained: Putting
- Birdies
- Par 5 Scoring
- Driving Distance
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- GIR
The Earth Course is an ideal final venue for the DP World Tour season as it is a stern test from tee to hole. It is a long course so distance off the tee is important. The large undulating greens require a strong iron game and classy touch with the putter.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Dubai Desert Classic
- Qatar Masters
- Abu Dhabi Championship
We saw the best and worst of Tyrell Hatton last week, at one stage starting a round six-under through four holes, while also bitterly moaning about pin placements and bad luck. Hatton is an elite desert player though who won the Dubai Desert Classic earlier in the season and finished Top 5 in his two events leading up to this. He profiles a treat ranking Top 15 in GIR, Strokes Gained: Approach, Putting Average, Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, Birdie or Better and Par 5 Scoring
Nobody outside Rory McIlroy has a better statistical profile for this week than Matt Fitzpatrick. The former US Open winner ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green, 2nd in Par 5 Scoring, 3rd in Putting Average and Top 12 in Strokes Gained: Putting, Birdie or Better, GIR and Strokes Gained: Approach. He has finished Top 21 in 10 of his last 12. Fitzpatrick has won on this course twice.
There are few players hitting them as well as Englishman Marco Penge at the moment. In his last eight tournaments he has won twice and has four more Top 13s including a T-9 in Abu Dhabi last week. He is another with a super statistical profile, ranking Top 12 in Strokes
Gained: Tee To Green, GIR, Driving Distance, Putting Average, Birdie or Better and Par 5 Scoring.
Exciting young Spanish bomber Angel Ayora seems well placed this week with four Top 10s in his last five starts. He ranks Top 15 in Driving Distance, Par 5 Scoring, GIR and Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. Look a great value play this week.
Haotong Li
The enigmatic Chinese star won earlier in the year in the desert when claiming the Qatar Masters and is going well enough to win again this week. His iron game is elite, ranking 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 9th in GIR while he ranks 12th in Birdie or Better. His record on the Earth Course is solid.
Suspect Noren is value this week over bigger name Ludvig Aberg. Noren is in career-best form with wins in two of his last four DP World Tour starts.
Patrick Reed is the fave in this market but it should be grafter Michael Kim, who has been in super form including a win in the Open de France four starts back.