The highly controversial Saudi International returns for its 4th edition amidst talks of fundamental changes in the global game. Damien Kayat previews.
2022 Asian Tour
Saudi International
Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, Saudi Arabia
3rd-6th February
Mercenaries for hire?
The European Tour dropped this event last year in the wake of a plethora of Saudi-related controversies (human-rights violations, sportswashing, etc). The Asian Tour will now be the sole organiser of this year’s event.
The slightly malevolent looking Greg Norman is at the forefront of this new venture. In his capacity as the new CEO of LIV golf (a company sponsored by the Saudi government); Norman has introduced the idea of a new International Series that is aimed at fostering a more global approach to the game.
The long-term project will hope to unlock golf’s worldwide potential. And there I was thinking that events such as the Zozo Championship and CJ Cup were already doing that.
I can only imagine how much golf’s elite are being paid in appearance fees to attend this year’s event. I know that many of the top US players had to strike a deal with the PGA tour in lieu of not attending this week’s Pebble Beach event.
They virtually had to guarantee that they will make appearances at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in upcoming years. It all sounds rather mercenary to me. And there’s a part of me that sees a degree of folly in the entire venture.
In the grip of Covid, modern players are actually less inclined to escape the confines of their respective tours. Furthermore, what does this mean for the already fading fortunes of the DP World Tour? How will events such as the Open de Espana (for example) look to compete with both an American monolith and a global one?
The jewel of the Saudi desert
Royal Green Golf and Country Club was designed by Dave Sampson and it opened as recently as 2017. It is fairly unusual in that it is grassed throughout with a Paspalum variety called Dynasty.
Cut alongside the Red Sea, this picturesque layout is pretty much what you would expect from a Middle-East layout. It features plenty of undulations and strategically placed bunkers.
Driving distance is obviously going to play a huge factor around here. Dustin Johnson’s ability to just hit driver and wedge has made him a formidable beast around here. But
Thomas Pieters the one to look out for?
Graeme McDowell’s victory in 2020 should give the more accurate types some hope. They simply need the wind to pick up at some point (and it does appear like that will be the case). Players who can deal with wind and links conditions should thrive out here.
In any event, the organizer’s persistence has paid off this week. This will be by far the most lucrative and star-studded event ever hosted on the Asian Tour. Six of the world’s top 20 players will be in attendance. That includes two-time champion Dustin Johnson.
He simply loves Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, with course figures of 1-2-1. One should also expect the likes of Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau to be in the mix this week.
You also have to look for Thomas Pieters. The Belgian power-hitter has been in devastating form over the past few weeks. Moral compunctions aside, this should still remain a highly diverting spectacle. But at what cost?
Past Winners
2021: Dustin Johnson (-15)
2020: Graeme McDowell (-12)
2019: Dustin Johnson (-19)
To Win Outright
Dustin Johnson 8/1 | Tyrell Hatton 12/1 | Xander Schauffele 12/1 | Sergio Garcia 14/1 | Cameron Smith 14/1
Value Bets
Lucas Herbert- To Win 40/1 | To Place 17/2
I’m opting for someone who plays some of his best golf in windy conditions: Lucas Herbert. He has the ability to ping those balls in at lower trajectories. He actually made his PGA Tour breakthrough last October in an exceptionally breezy Bermuda Championship. He has also shown his ability to play in the Middle East previously. He won his maiden European Tour title at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. He also tuned up well for this week with a decent 18th in Dubai last week.
Jason Kokrak- To Win 45/1 | To Place 19/2
The burly Jason Kokrak took forever to pick up that elusive maiden PGA Tour victory. But he has burst through in a big way over the last 18 months. He is now a three-time US PGA Tour winner. In fact, he picked up his 3rd win just three starts ago in Houston. He is coming off a solid showing in the Sony Open and I think he should thrive on this course. He hits the ball a mile and could be on the verge of a huge year.
The Man to Beat- Cameron Smith- To Win 14/1 | To Place 3/1
I just couldn’t quite bring myself to play DJ at 8/1. Cameron Smith is in much hotter form, beating Jon Rahm during that ridiculous birdie-fest at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Smith enjoyed an incredibly consistent 2021 on the PGA Tour, registering eight top-10 finishes. The 2020 Masters runner-up has become a class competitor in deep fields, challenging brilliantly in the latter stages of last year’s FedEx Cup.
