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Golf. Qatar Masters – Doha G.C. Another quality field for the second week in the Middle East, despite this weeks USPGA event being played on the same venue as this years US Open. Normally the likes of Garcia, Donald, Casey et al would be over there getting a sighter. That goes to show that there is plenty of cash in Europe these days and with a weak dollar, the big names can be persuaded to play on their home tour. The Doha G.C. is not unlike last weeks venue in Abu Dhabi, a long US style course with plenty of water and bunkers, but with less penal rough. It was pretty clear last week that there were plenty of players who were just not quite ‘match fit’ after the New Year break. Stenson’s driving cost him the title, Westwood just didn’t have his putting fully up to speed and Harrington admitted he needed the tournament to get the rust off. Kaymer won that event in the first two days when so many of the other players were still in third gear. The early starters on day two, when the wind was down and the greens soft, should have been shooting nice and low, but nobody took advantage and it wasn’t until the third and forth rounds that the standard noticeably rose. With a full weeks golf under their belts I expect the field to be scoring more birdies and it is unlikely will we see another runaway leader. The Doha course is not one that seems to reward any particular type of player but good old fashioned course and current form have been pretty good pointers in the past. Length of the tee will help on a course measuring 7388 yards and a good putting touch on the grainy greens is a must. 1.5 points win Henrik Stenson @ 12/1 with Unibet 2nd (again!) lost 1.5 points A very obvious and unoriginal selection, but Stenson is impossible to pass over given a course record of 2/1/7 for the last three seasons. His second place last week shows that he is over last years mediocre form and of course he is a resident of Dubai and used to the conditions. His putting was excellent most of the time in Abu Dhabi and if it wasn’t for some very wild driving he would have won. This course will cut him a little more slack off the tee and you expect that he have been working on his tee shots in practice. He has had driving problems in the past and that is enough to keep the stakes low. 1 point e/w Robert Karlsson @ 25/1 with Sunderlands (e/w 1-6) lost 2 points Going with a lower outright price but an extra place on the each way market. Karlsson is a bit of a course specialist with five top 25 finishes including two top 5 finishes. He played well enough last week, one of those players that failed to capitalise on ideal round two conditions, and three bogies on the first nine in his final round ruined his chance of a place. He should be better for the run out and his recent of figures of 2/11/2/11 show that he is playing well enough to be contending for a win. 0.5 point e/w Ricardo Gonzalez @ 80/1 with Sunderlands (e/w 1-6) lost 1 point The big hitting Argentinean has good course record of 8/18/18/16/4 and he opened his 2008 season with a decent T17th in Abu Dhabi last week where his all round game was sound with the exception of driving accuracy. Like Stenson, this course should allow him a little more room on the fairways and that could allow him to score well. He has a very early tee time for round one and that should be when the wind will be at its lightest on a course that can be affected by a stiff afternoon breeze. 0.25 point e/w Alvaro Quiros Garcia @ 150/1 with Hills, Corals. lost 0.5 point Another big hitter who was also T17th in Abu Dhabi last week and was 34th here last year. He has won on tour before (in a weaker event than this) and his huge distance off the tee (averaged 306 yards last week) will give him an advantage. The rest of his game was pretty solid and he is the kind of player that could well post a shock win this year, but could just as easily miss the cut, hence the small stake. 4 points Peter Hedbolm to beat Fredrick Andersson Hed @ 1.90 with Unibet. tie no bet. Hedbolm showed that he is good form with a fine 4th in Abu Dhabi, was 5th here in 2003 and should be able to finish ahead of the consistent but far from hot Hed. Fredrick was 9 shots behind Hedbolm last week and this is a course on which he has pretty dire record (mc/mc/mc/62/75). Hedbolm has a nice early round one tee time and is taken to extend his course H2H record over Hed to 4-0. |
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