The DP World Tour returns to the Middle East this week for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters played at the Doha Golf Club and we pick 4 players to take on the bookmakers.
This is the final regular Tour event this season with a number of players looking to secure their cards for 2024.
THE COURSE
The Doha Golf Club plays to a par 72 and with very little rough the big hitters tend to thrive. The greens can be tricky so positioning your approach shot well is also important and wind can also be a factor with the course exposed to the elements so keep an eye on the forecast.
The course was given a major renovation in 2020/21 with the Greens totally redone and because of this, the 2020 and 2021 renewals took place at the Education City course.
PAST WINNERS
2022 – Ewen Ferguson -7
2021 – Antoine Rozner -8 (different course)
2020 – Jorge Campillo -13* (different course)
2019 – Justin Harding -13
2018 – Eddie Pepperell -18
Playoff*
MARKET LEADERS
Aaron Rai tops the betting boards at 18/1 at the time of writing with Jordan Smith, Alexander Bjork and Thorbjorn Olesen all at 20/1 and you can get 22/1 and better the balance in what isn’t the strongest of fields,
BETTING – Click here to bet
Aaron Rai 18/1
Jordan Smith 20/1
Alexander Bjork 20/1
Thorbjorn Olesen 20/1
Rasmus Hojgaard 22/1
Yannik Paul 25/1
28/1 and better the balance, prices correct at the time of posting but subject to change
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VERDICT
I am going to be looking to take on those at the very top of the boards this week and as the betting suggests this looks a very open event.
SELECTIONS:
Suggested Bet: Pablo Larrazabal each way at 50/1
I am quite interested in this price as although Larrazabal missed the cut last week he was 20th the week before, but it is his course form that really catches the eye. He has made the cut in his last 6 appearances here and he has 2 top 5’s in the last 3 starts including a 5th place finish last year.
He clearly loves the course and in a relatively weak field I am happy to be taking 50/1 about his chances.
Suggested Bet: Jorge Campillo each way at 33/1
Campillo is another player who has good form here and although he disappointed last year with a 65th place finish, he was runner-up on this course in 2019 and he won this tournament in 2021 but at a different venue.
Campillo’s game has been a bit off the boil of late, but he showed positive signs last week finishing in the Top 20 and returning now to a course that he clearly enjoys he looks ripe to go close this week.
Suggested Bet: Rasmus Hojgaard each way at 22/1
I did say I was swerving the players at the top of the betting boards and Hojgaard will be my shortest price this week and he currently sits 5th in the betting. He has been in solid, if not spectacular form, over the past weeks although he did have a 4th place finish three starts back. He has finished 25th and 26th in his last two appearances on tour.
We have no course form to go on here as he makes his debut in the Qatar Masters, but looking at his game I think he is going to be ideally course suited and can hopefully give us a run for our money.
Suggested Bet: Rafa Cabrera-Bello each way at 100/1
There have been some big priced winners here over the last few years. Cabrera-Bello last played this event in 2017 where he finished 6th and in 7 starts at this course he had three top 3’s, a top 10 and never finished worse than 35th.
The million dollar question is whether that course form from 6 years ago and beyond is going to hold up this week and he certainly hasn’t been in the greatest of form this season although his last two starts has seen him make the cut and he finished in the top 35 last week. He also has a 20th pace to his credit four starts back. At a 100/1 we are not going to do a lot of damage so I am throwing him in.
