European Tour tees off in Abu Dhabi
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship | Preview | 17 Jan 2007
The European Tour this week begins the Middle East swing phase of what has become a virtual “World Tour” in Abu Dhabi on the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Located around 150 kilometres south and west of Dubai where the European Tour will be in two weeks time for the Dubai Desert Classic, Abu Dhabi plays host to the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the second time.
The Peter Harradine designed Abu Dhabi Golf Club was opened in 1998 and is one of many courses in the Middle East designed by the Englishman. Next week’s venue for the Qatar Masters, the Doha Golf Club is also a Harradine design and he has shown his ability to create quality courses in near desert regions.
The defending champion is Chris DiMarco who joins an impressive list of entrants for the US$2 million event. The cheque books are obviously out as not only is DiMarco playing but several of the heavyweights of European Golf have decided to make their 2007 debuts at this event.
Retief Goosen is the leading world ranked player in the event although Padraig Harrington at number nine in the world is just one place behind him. Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Colin Montgomerie and Nick O’Hern make up seven players from the top twenty in the world with DiMarco at number 21 breathing down their necks.
Twelve months ago DiMarco caught and passed Stenson in the final round to win his first event anywhere in nearly five years. The American has had an indifferent year since, highlighted by his runner up placing to Tiger Woods at the Open Championship but that apart there has not been a lot to get excited about. Clearly though he enjoys playing abroad and especially at this venue. His last start of third behind Woods at the Target Challenge suggests he is not too far from his best form.
Goosen is in fine form in his most recent starts and appears likely to be so again this week. He did not play in this event last year but has played well in the Middle East on occasions and the Bermuda greens will not faze him.
Padraig Harrington was in simply stunning form late in 2006 with a series of top finishes leading to him winning the 2006 European Tour Order of Merit. He has not played competitively for a month, that being at the Target Challenge when he finished 8th in a limited field but as Europe’s leading player of late he deserves respect this week. Harrington did not play in this event last year.
Sergio Garcia finished this event off strongly in 2006 and with eight top tens in his last twelve starts in tournaments everywhere, he should be somewhere close to contention on Sunday.
Henrik Stenson, as mentioned earlier, kept DiMarco honest over the closing stages of the tournament last year. Like Garcia there has been plenty to like about his most recent form and with his proven capability at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club then he stands a good chance of atoning for losing the third round lead he held last year.
Nick O’Hern is at an all time high of #20 in the World Rankings and his return to tournament golf is awaited with interest. O’Hern finally won a tournament after a long run of near misses when he holed a bunker shot to beat Peter Lonard in a playoff for the Australian PGA five weeks ago, a performance that might just be a turning point for him. O’Hern plans to base himself in Florida in 2007 and play more on the USPGA Tour while still retaining his European Tour membership.
Jeev Milkha Singh has been the game’s hottest golfer over the last three months winning events such as the Volvo Masters in Spain and two late season events on the Japan Golf Tour. In Spain he defeated a field nearly as strong as this and if he can recapture that 2006 form then he has a chance of continuing the roll he was on prior to Xmas.
An American player who will attract interest is Notah Begay III, who now has European Tour status after gaining his card at the Tour School last year. Begay is a player good enough to have won twice on the USPGA Tour and although he has struggled in the US in recent years, this close friend of Tiger Woods will be an interesting addition to the European Tour. There are few Americans with his background who have made such a move and it is hoped he and European golf can benefit from it.
Australians in the field other than O’Hern include Richard Green, who has often played well in this part of the world and who was playing well towards the end of 2006, Brett Rumford, Matthew Millar and Terry Price. Price is fighting his way back from a crippling leg injury suffered eighteen months ago and is playing on medical exemption in 2007.
