Damien Kayat previews the DP World Tour's Ras Al Khaimah Classic taking place at the Al Hamra Golf Course in the UAE.
2022 DP World Tour
Ras Al Khaimah Classic
Al Hamra Golf Course, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
10th-13th February
Back to Al Hamrah
It almost seems as if last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship didn’t even happen. That could be a potential harbinger of things to come for the newly rebranded DP World Tour if Greg Norman and his cohorts get their way with the Asian Tour.
Be that as it may, I could have backed Nicolai Hojgaard last week. I mentioned those mercurial Danish brothers in my preview. Why didn’t I back one of them? This week was originally meant to coincide with a return to Doha and the 25th staging of the Qatar Masters.
But Covid issues have necessitated a hurried rescheduling by the Tour. We will now have our 2nd consecutive event at the Al Hamra Golf Course.
Bombers’ Paradise
The Peter Harradine-designed Al Hamra Golf Course played pretty much as expected last week. A typical sprawling, desert layout, the scoring remained excellent throughout in benign conditions.
It was a bomber’s paradise, with Nicolai Hojgaard driving three of the par-four greens. He also reached all the par fives in two. This course will suit those who love desert golf and give the ball a good licking.
One thing to note is that Sunday looks set to be far windier than anything we experienced last week. This may give the links specialists more of an ‘in’ on the pivotal final day.
Saudi “Mercenaries” Return
This week’s event will feature a very similar cast of characters to last week. Bernd Wiesberger- last week’s depressingly underwhelming headliner- will not be in the field this week after missing last week’s cut.
But there will be a few returning players who sold their souls in Saudi Arabia last week. Hojgaard is an obvious favourite this week. But how often do players thrive in back-to-back events on the same course?
Post-Covid stats don’t suggest much back-to-back success in these efficiently organized dual events. Only the two 2020 events organized in Cyprus seemed to produce repeat offenders.
Other big hitters such as Jordan Smith and Adrian Meronk have to be considered as viable options this week. Adri Arnaus is returning after an incredible 3rd place finish at last week’s stellar Saudi International. Perhaps this week’s event may prove slightly more engaging than Hojgaard’s waltz to victory.
To Win Outright:
Nicolai Hojgaard 14/1 | Jordan Smith 16/1 | Robert Macintyre 22/1 | Thomas Detry 22/1 | Adri Arnaus 25/1
Value Bets
Julien Brun- To Win 45/1 | To Place 19/2
29-year-old Challenge Tour graduate Julien Brun has been the picture of consistency over the last 12 months or so. The Frenchman won on the Challenge Tour in October before finishing 2nd in the Challenge Tour Final in November. He has actually finished inside the top 25 in his last 13 tournaments. He also looked extremely comfortable at Al Hamra last week, shooting four under-par rounds en route to a 13th place finish.
Callum Shinkwin- To Win 50/1 | To Place 11/1
This selection is based on two factors. Firstly, Shinkwin is a massive ball-striker with the ability to decimate this course. He ranked 4th in SG: Off-the-tee last week. He also ranked 8th for Driving Distance. But the rest of his game was disappointing as he ultimately finished in a tie for 21st. But the second thing I noticed about Shinkwin were his back-to-back performances at Aphrodite Hills in 2020. He followed a victory in the first week with a T4 in the following week. This showcases an ability to come to terms with the particulars of a course. That- combined with his power- should make him a dark horse contender.
The Man to Beat- Adri Arnaus- To Win 25/1 | To Place 11/2
As I alluded to earlier, Arnaus is fresh off a stunning solo 3rd at the Saudi International. The Spanish bomber really flourished at Royal Greens (another course which really rewards sweet ball-striking). But let’s look at the bigger picture for Adri Arnaus. Aside from that Saudi brilliance, he has three top-20 finishes from four starts on the DP World Tour. But beyond that, Adri Arnaus has actually tasted success on this layout before. Arnaus won the Challenge Tour Grand Final when it was last played here in 2018. 25/1 seems like a quite frankly ridiculous price for Arnaus in this event.
