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Tommy May Be Too Busy To Get Involved – By Ian Hudson

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Southport is in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton which stretches from the suburbs of Liverpool to the famous golfing town. Liverpool and Everton football clubs and Aintree Racecourse are just outside Sefton so the area is a sporting Mecca. The British Masters is taking place at Hillside Golf Club this week which is next door to Royal Birkdale on the best run of links courses in England. This week’s event on the European Tour is hosted by Tommy Fleetwood but compatriot Oliver Wilson is a better betting prospect. He has winning form on a links golf course and Hillside lies alongside the Irish Sea. 

The US PGA Championship has moved from its traditional August date to May. The second major of the season takes place next week so the field for the AT & T Bryon Nelson has very little depth. The leading contenders in the betting are Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth who have both won three major championships so may not be totally focused for the job in hand. Marc Leishman has contended in majors in the past but he has a better chance of winning this week after five top 10s this season. The host course is at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas which stages the tournament for just the second time so there is not a great deal of course form to assess.     

The British Masters was not played from 2009 to 2014 but then Sky Sports got involved and over the last three years the tournament has been hosted by a leading English golfer. Sky Sports ended their involvement and the event was under threat before Betfred became the title sponsors and Fleetwood became the host on a course in his home town. He is number 16 in the world rankings, not missed a cut this season and has finished in the top 10 in almost one third of his starts. Fleetwood played Hillside as a boy but hosting duties may get in the way of contending this week.  

Wilson won his last event on the European Tour on a links course. He won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2014 but that is his only Tour win. However, Wilson played in the winning Walker Cup team for Europe in 2003 at Ganton Golf Club that has similar demands to Hillside. He has recorded three top fives this season including this March in Qatar on a course that is affected by local winds. Hillside is subject to sea breezes which means Wilson, the world number 35, has the game and temperament suited to the playing conditions in Southport this week. The course is in a sporting hotbed which includes four Premier League clubs within 50 miles.  

The PGA Championship is being played at Bethpage State Park in New York State where Tiger Woods won the US Open in 2002. He won his 15th major and fifth US Masters last month so is the only player who can win the calendar year Grand Slam. No player has won all four majors in the same season and Woods is preparing for the second leg so is not in the field this week. The host course in Dallas is relatively easy in still conditions and its main defence is the wind which may or may not be absent this week. Last year’s winner, Aaron Wise, was ninth for driving distance and second in strokes gained putting. The field averaged less than 70 shots. 

Leishman finished second behind Wise in 2018 after leading at the end of round one and two and tieing for the lead at the end of the third round. The Australian combines current form with course form and has a decent skills’ profile. Leishman can build some confidence for the PGA Championship by getting in the mix this week. 

Another Possible Course Win For Rory- By Ian Hudson

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Players on the PGA Tour will be competing in familiar surroundings this week while European Tour regulars are facing a new challenge. Course form is one of the key factors in identifying potential winners of professional golf tournaments. There will be many clues for the Wells Fargo Championship in the States but nothing to go on for the China Open on the European Tour. Course experience will count for a lot at Quail Hollow in North Carolina but not a factor at Genzon Golf Club in China. The former is being used for the 16th time while the later is being visited for the first time. 

Quail Hollow was a course waiting for a major for several years. The course finally hosted the PGA Championship in 2017 which Justin Thomas won with a score of eight under. It’s a par 71 track over a length of 7,600 yards this week.  There are three par 5s and the usual quota of short holes and par 4s. The last three holes are amongst the most difficult on Tour and it is one of the most demanding final stretches of the season. Any player requiring three pars from 16 to 18 to win will have earned the trophy and winner’s cheque. The average winning score since 2009 is 13 under. 

Since Quail Hollow was redesigned in the late 1990’s it has become a thorough all-round examination of a player’s game. A cool spring means the rough is not as severe as it can be but blustery conditions will increase the degree of difficulty. The ball can be chased on to many of the greens, so accuracy off the tee earns a bigger reward than distance. A number of relatively short hitters have posted high finishes in recent years despite the course being above average in length for a par 71 track. Much can change over the closing three holes which average about one over par in total. The 18th is statically the toughest hole with a creek and trees on either side of the fairway.  

The course is clearly suited to Rory McIlroy who won the tournament in 2010 and 2015. He was expected to do well in the PGA Championship there in 2017 but finished tied 22nd, nine shots behind Thomas. McIlroy never got in contention at the US Masters so must wait another year at least to complete the career Grand Slam. He was imperious in winning the Players Championship in March and if he brings that form to a course he loves the former world number one will be difficult to beat. McIlroy is the all-time money leader at Quail Hollow, leads the tour in strokes gained from tee to green and cannot be opposed. 

Jason Day is a viable alternative because his game is in great shape. He is the defending champion and continues to post top 10 finishes but without another win over the last year. Justin Rose missed the cut here at the PGA Championship but made the top five in 2014 and 2016. His putting has improved and Rose is now a regular occupant of number one in the world rankings. However, McIlroy ticks all the boxes and can justify favouritism with a third win at Quail Hollow. The China Open is a totally different kettle of fish.

The host course measures 7,145 yards which is very short for a par 72 track. There should be a premium on accuracy over distance so the shorter hitters won’t be at a disadvantage. The class act in the field is Haotong Li but Jorge Campillo has the better skills’ profile. He could prevail at a bigger price than McIlroy who can win the Wells Fargo Championship as the single figure favourite. 

 

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Non-Starter In The Masters Can Win The Heritage- By Ian Hudson

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The Law of Hilton Head states that any player who was in contention at the Masters last Sunday should not be backed in the following week. Dustin Johnson and Francesco Molinari are first and second favourites for the RBC Heritage but must be ignored for betting purposes because they were right in the mix to win the first major championship of the season. They could not get the job done at Augusta National where Tiger Woods won the fifth green jacket of his career. 

His odds have plummeted for the calendar year Grand Slam and he is back on track to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s tally of 18 majors. The USPGA Championship and US Open are being played on courses where Woods has won in the past so two more wins during 2019 in the weeks that matter most would not be a huge surprise. He would then arrive at Royal Portrush for the Open with the chance of becoming the first player to win all the majors in the same season.   

Woods’ distance control in the Masters was excellent and for the most part his driver stayed in the bag. It was his course knowledge and experience that counted as much as his play. Woods plotted his way around Augusta last week and let other contenders make the mistakes. Molinari found the water twice on the back nine and it’s strange that he is playing this week. He may have contractual obligations to turn up but Molinari can’t win this week so soon after the pressure of trying to win a major.

Johnson may be in a better frame of mind because he came well off the pace during the fourth round of the Masters. He was never in contention until a run of birdies on the back nine took him close to the top of the leader board. However, Johnson could not pick up the shot on the 18th hole that would have reduced the winner’s lead from two to one shot. The Law of Hilton Head may take a blow because Johnson could bounce back and win the tournament. 

The Heritage was first played in 1969 and the Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head has always been the host. It is now firmly established as the first tournament after the US Masters. Harbour Town is a short course and primarily a test of accuracy with some of the smallest greens on tour placing a premium on sound iron play. As a seaside course it is exposed if the wind blows when scores increase. In any other week Molinari would have a decent profile but not this time.

Tommy Fleetwood played well over the four days of the Masters but never quite got into contention. This week’s host course is right up his street so he could win his first professional event on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood excels on courses that require straight hitting and finding the greens in the correct number of shots. If his Masters hangover is not severe he has the game to win this tournament.

Jim Furyk did not get an invite to the Masters but he has been playing well. Furyk is the Heritage’s all time money leader and has two wins and eight top 10s in total. He is first for fairways hit, sixth in proximity to the hole, sixth in scrambling and third in adjusted scoring. After the wonders of Woods players are back in business and Furyk will have benefitted from the rest.  He will be mentally and physically more refreshed than the other contenders which gives him a great chance in the 2019 Heritage.     

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Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Another Great Win For A Tiger? 

There are five joint leaders after the second round of the US Masters and all are major champions. Another quite famous golfer is one shot off the pace because a guy called Tiger Woods is right in the mix. The best round of the quintet on Friday was produced by LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN who can still be backed at 11/1 with Ladbrokes. 

Tottenham have a perfect record at their new stadium and Huddersfield are unlikely to spoil that when the teams meet there is the Premier League today. A 2-0 win against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and 1-0 lead over Manchester City in the Champions League represents a great start to life at the new home. Huddersfield are already relegated and the absence of Harry Kane should not affect the result. Another TOTTENHAM WIN TO NIL is expected and that outcome is 5/6 with Ladbrokes.

Manchester United have not won any of their last four league matches following a fixture in the Champions League. Three days after losing narrowly to Barcelona at Old Trafford they meet West Ham at home in the Premiere League.  West Ham have not won in eight outings but United have just one win in their last five. The return leg in Barcelona is being played on Tuesday but the home team need points for Champions League qualification. They should just get the job done so MANCHESTER UNITED TO WIN 1-0 is the best bet at 15/2 with bet365.  

The highlight of six meetings in Britain and Ireland is the Scottish Grand National at Ayr (3.35). It is the highest betting turnover race after the English version and contests at the Cheltenham Festival. No outright favourites have won the race in the last 10 years. VINTAGE CLOUDS fell at the first fence in the Grand National last week but can make amends by winning the Ayr marathon at 9/1 with bet365. 

Casey Is The Each-Way Standout Masters Bet – By Ian Hudson

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In the main preview we highlighted the chances of Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy winning the US Masters. Paul Casey can be added to that short list of potential winners at a bigger price so he is our each-way bet against the field. Winning the 15th major of his career may be beyond Tiger Woods but he can be the best of the US contingent and win the top American market. There has been money for the in form Louis Oosthuizen and he is the player to back for top rest of the world honours. 

Rose has a game ideally suited to Augusta National and McIlroy is the form pick having won the Players Championship last month for the first time. The former is trying to add to the US Open he won in 2013 which is his only major to date. His Ryder Cup colleague only needs the Masters title to complete the career Grand Slam. Only five players have won all four majors at least once so McIlroy will be joining an exclusive club if he wins the Masters Tournament this week. 

Casey has said that he believes the Masters is his best chance of winning a major. The course puts a premium on distance off the tee over accuracy. However, putting on the fast and undulating greens is also important and Casey fits this skills’ profile. He has finished in the top 15 at the Masters over the last four years and made the top six in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Casey recently won the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour for the second successive year and now has 19 professional wins. He has made the cut in all but one of the last eight majors and can contend this week. 

Woods has won the Masters four times but not since 2005. In the early years of the century some pundits were predicting he could win 10 green jackets because his game was a perfect fit for Augusta. Injury and illness halted his career and the former world number one won the last of his 14 majors at the US Open in 2008. However, Woods contended in the last two majors of last season and won the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour. His main career goal has always to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s tally of 18 majors and the Masters is his best chance of getting closer. 

Dustin Johnson is one of the best drivers in the world and that makes him a contender for the Masters. Basically if he has a good week on the greens he will be competitive but that is not always the case. Winning the Masters is a test of mentality and skill and putting under pressure is part of the challenge. Johnson has made the top 10 in his last three Masters starts and missed one cut in eight outings at Augusta. He has 20 PGA Tour wins to his name including one major but other players are preferred. Woods is the tip to win the top US player market. 

Some shrewd punters have been backing Oosthuizen in the outright betting but Rose and McIlroy have cornered that market. However, the 2010 Open champion has enough in his record to finish the best of the players not from Europe or the United States. Oosthuizen has made the cut in the last five Masters and finished second behind Bubba Watson in 2012. He may not add to his 14 professional wins but Oosthuizen can make the payout places and be the top player from other parts of the world. When push comes to shove the number one 2019 Masters pick is Justin Rose. 

Can Rose Thwart McIlroy’s Career Grand Slam Dream? – By Ian Hudson

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Rory McIlroy could be embarking on the biggest week of his career because if he wins the US Masters he will complete the career Grand Slam. Only five players in the history of the sport have won all four majors at least once and McIlroy is playing some of his best golf. However, his quest to make golfing history could be thwarted by a Ryder Cup colleague because Justin Rose has all the tools to win the first major championship of the year at Augusta National in Georgia.    

The Masters Tournament is the only major that is played on the same course each year. The other majors rotate around a number of courses which means any course will only stage a major every five years at least. St Andrews is the host course for the Open most often and there are eight other tracks on the rota. The US Open and USPGA Championship are taken to more courses which means the Masters is unique because it returns to Augusta every April. 

The winner of the Masters receives a handsome trophy but more importantly the famous green jacket that is presented to him by the previous year’s winner. Patrick Reed will be handing over the garment on Sunday evening and there is a good chance the recipient will be from the UK and Ireland. The Masters is an invitational event with qualifying criteria for the highest players in the world rankings. There is a small field which includes former winners who are ceremonial players. 

Augusta National has evolved over the years and there are regular tweaks to present a slightly different challenge each spring. Since Tiger Woods starting winning the Masters fairways have been narrowed, some rough introduced and tees moved back. The four par 5s still provide the best birdie opportunities so the 13th and 15th holes can be pivotal in the context of the final outcome. The other holes are tough which means picking up shots on the long holes is key. 

The course’s great defence is its lightening-fast, undulating greens which provide a severe test of nerve and putting. With only slight rough the longer hitters have a definite advantage especially if they are high ball hitters who can achieve softer landings on the greens that the low ball strikers. The ultimate key to Augusta is to keep out of trouble. It is possible on this demanding course to run up big numbers. One false shot can be compounded by further mistakes leading to double bogey or worse. Experience is important but debutants can do well with a hot putter.    

The average winning score over the last 10 years is 12 under and in that spell there have been four Playoffs. Only Zach Johnson has won with an over par score this century (1 over in 2007) and the biggest winning margin since 2009 was four strokes (Jordan Spieth in 2015). Since 2000 11 winners were US born so eight champions were from overseas. Rose and Spieth have both been runners up or tied second twice since 2014. Bubba Watson is the most recent multiple winner (2012 and 2014). Tiger Woods won the fourth and last green jacket in 2005 and Phil Mickelson has won three, between 2004 and 2010. 

Rose won the US Open in 2013 which is his only major title to date. He is comfortable on and off the course and has a game suited to Augusta. Rose also has the temperament to handle the extreme pressure of contending in a major over the back nine in the final round. The Masters is now the title McIlroy craves above all others because completing the career Grand Slam is a huge achievement. However, he may have to wait at least one more year to join the elite group who have won all the majors because Rose is the selection to win the 2019 Masters Tournament.   

This Could Be Billy Horschel’s Week But Not Next Week – By Ian Hudson

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Billy Horschel has not missed a cut in eight months and he can get in the winner’s enclosure this week at the Texas Open which is one of his favourite tournaments. It’s the week before a major so most of the best players are absent and there is no event in Europe. The US Masters is the first major championship of the season and the biggest week of the year to date. Horschel has outstanding course form at TPC San Antonio which hosts the Texas Open for the 10th successive year.  

The course is a regulation par 72 at over 7,435 yards which is about average by modern standards. There is the usual quota of four par 5s and four par 3s. Two of the long holes measure over 600 yards and a third is just below that length. Three of the short holes are over 200 yards in length. The course is 1,100 feet above sea level so the altitude should make the ball fly further but not by a great amount. However, the course puts a premium on accuracy and over distance and straight hitters excel. Horschel is currently a top 50 player for greens in regulation.  

TPC Antonio has never averaged under par for the Texas Open. Last year it was the third hardest par 72 track for non-majors. The greens are average in size and hitting them in the correct number of shots is an important skill. Finding fairways makes the challenge easier because the primary rough can be penal. Other key factors are strokes gained putting and scrambling. Winds are a way of life in south Texas but the forecast suggests still conditions but things can change. 

The average winning score over the last nine years at San Antonio is 12 under. All but one of the tournaments was won by 1 or 2 strokes but there has not been a playoff. The last four winners have been from the United States but there have been three champions from overseas since 2010. Zach Johnson won the tournament in 2008 and 2009 on another course. The 2015 Open champion is the right profile for the Texas Open but he is not playing this week. Johnson also won the Masters Tournament in 2007 which is one of his 26 professional wins. 

The Masters is the only major that is played on the same course every year. Augusta National is a test of length off the tee and putting under pressure on the lightening fast greens. San Antonio is a different type of course which explains why the leading contenders for the Masters are preparing away from the course. Major champions rarely win the previous week and the winner of the par 3 contest has a poor record when the serious action at the Masters begins. Horschel ticks many of the boxes this week but Augusta is not his cup of tea.     

The selection has played eight tournaments at San Antonio and has made six cuts. He has finished third twice, tied fourth and was tied 11th last week. Horschel combines course form and current form and has the right mix of skills.  He is on a solid run of form and the right type of player for Texas where he could record a sixth PGA Tour win. Horschel has a poor record in the majors, with one top 10 in 21 starts which have resulted in nine missed cuts. History indicates he will not contend in the Masters next week but he has a great chance of winning the Texas Open on Sunday. 

McIlroy Tipped To Win The WGC Matchplay – By Ian Hudson

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Rory McIlroy won the WGC Matchplay in 2015 and comes into this year’s event after a big win. The nature of the tournament means there can be shocks but at his best McIlroy is the best player in the world and can beat all-comers. The 64 man field is divided into 16 groups of four players who play each other on a round robin basis over the first three days, from Wednesday to Friday. The group winners progress to the knockout rounds which culminate in Sunday’s final which McIlroy can win. He won the Players Championship for the first time earlier this month. 

The event is being played at Austin Country Club in Texas for the fourth successive year. Previous course winners of the event are Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and the defending champion Bubba Watson.  All three players are big hitters who excel on courses that put a premium on distance over accuracy. Length of the tee is important even on the relatively short course that measures 7,108 yards and has a par of 71. Hitting greens in regulation is not as important as putting which is always a key element of matchplay golf. A long putt can repair the damage of a poor drive and approach shot and can help a player win a hole after being the outsider. 

The top 16 players are seeded and the other 48 players are allocated a group based on their world ranking.  In any group there will be one seed from the top 16, 17 to 32, 33 to 48 and 49 to 64 seeds. Matches are played over 18 holes in the group stages and up to the final which is contested over 36 holes. Only the group winners qualify for the last 16 which means the qualifiers will probably need to win all three matches. However, two wins could suffice if other results in the group go a certain way. Seedings are not a reliable guide to results in the group stage.  

In the three world matchplay events at Austin 18 of the pool winners were the top seed, 12 were in the second bracket from 17 to 32 and nine progressed from the other two bands that included the 33 to 64 seeds. No player has qualified for the knockout rounds in each of the last three years on the course. Johnson was the defending champion last year having made the last 16 in each of the two previous years but lost all three pool matches and was eliminated at the first stage. Twenty-one players have won all three group matches in the 48 groups covering 2016, 2017 and 2018.   

 

The event was first played in 1999 and there are only three multiple winners. Tiger Woods is the leading player with three wins from 2003 to 2008 and Day and Geoff Ogilvy are dual winners. The event has been won five times by the number one seed and 12 times from a player in the top 10. The highest seeded winner is Kevin Sutherland in 2002 who was the number 62 seed. Eleven winners were US players and nine WGC champions came from overseas. Paul Casey was the losing finalist in 2009 and 2010 and he successfully defended the Valspar Championship last week.  

McIlroy is in Group 4 with Mathew Fitzpatrick (32), Justin Harding (47) and Luke List (64). His draw could hardly have worked out better because his three opponents are in the two lowest seeds in their band. The former world number one has won 24 of his 37 matches in the event but has not qualified for the knockout stages in the last two years. Fitzpatrick is 3 for 0 for not progressing, Harding is playing in his first world matchplay and List lost all three matches in 2018. It makes no sense to oppose McIlroy and the favourite can win the WGC world matchplay for the second time. 

Rose Is Tipped To Win The Players Championship – By Ian Hudson

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  The Players Championship is the best tournament in the world after the four majors. If there ever was a fifth it would have to be this tournament due to the quality of the field. It is a major in all but name and the leading contenders this week are the top three players in the world rankings. The current odds suggest Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka have a combined probability of 15% of winning the Players Championship and Rose is the player to back from statistically the three best players in the world. The only former British winner is Sandy Lyle in 1987. 

The best players are attracted by the most lucrative tournaments and this week’s renewal of the Players offers the highest prize fund in golf. It might have the prestige of a major but the quality of the field is not unrelated to the winner’s cheque of $2.25 million. The champion also receives a five year exemption to the PGA Tour and three year exemptions to the four majors. This year’s financial rewards make the 2019 Players Championship money “the biggest prize professional golf has ever seen for a single tournament”. Rose doesn’t need the money but he can earn the biggest share.

The event has been played at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedre Beach, Florida since 1982 when the stadium course was opened. Five players are two-time winners but Jack Nicklaus is the only golfer to have won the championship three times. The defending champion is Webb Simpson who won with a score of 18 under last year. The average wining score over the last 10 years is 13 under. The last three winners had a winning margin of three shots or more and there have been two Playoffs since 2010.There have only been four winners from Europe. 

The TPC at Sawgrass was designed with spectating in mind. With water in play on several holes and penal rough it rewards accuracy off the tee. The fairways and greens are among the smallest on Tour so finding greens in regulation is an important skill. The weather can impact scoring and averages go up when the wind blows. In benign conditions the par 3s are not difficult and the island green 17th is more a test of mentality than skill. It’s the par 4 holes that normally provide the sternest test and the 18th is the toughest and statistically harder than the previous hole.      

Over the years an identikit of a potential winner has become established. He must have won on the PGA Tour, been a member of a Ryder Cup or President’s Cup team, made the cut in his last tournament and have already won a major or WGC event. This profile doesn’t eliminate many of the better players but it does identify Rose as one for the quite long short list. However, he has en edge because he seems to be in a good place both on and off the course. Rose can become the first English player to win the Players Championship and 11th overseas winner this century.  

If you prefer to bet in running please note that Sawgrass is a difficult course on which to play “catch up”. Due to the quality of the field the Players isn’t so much a good tournament for outsiders but favourites have a poor record. Rose is now competitive at any level and at aged 38 at his golfing peak mentally and physically. Current form and key skills count for a great deal on a familiar course and Rose ticks all the boxes and is the tip to win the Players Championship this week.  

Rose And Fisher Are The Double This Week – By Ian Hudson

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Advocates of the value of course form will be in their element this week because there are tournaments on the PGA and European tours on courses that have been the hosts for many years. The Arnold Palmer Invitational has been played at Bay Hill in Orlando since 1979 and the Qatar Masters has been played at Doha Golf Club since 1998. The respective defending champions are Rory McIlroy and Eddie Pepperell but only McIlroy is competing this week and he is the favourite to win again.

One notable absentee in the States is Tiger Woods who has won the Palmer event eight times, between 2000 and 2013. The final day of Genesis Open three weeks ago left him physically and mentally drained so he continues to rest. Woods has nothing to prove at Bay Hill but he would love to win the US Masters again in April. If the world number one arrives at Augusta fit and healthy he would be a leading contender but winning another major may be beyond him.

If you win on a course eight times it must be suited to your game and McIlroy’s attributes are also a good fit for the course that Palmer designed and on a complex he owned. Bay Hill is generally a tough track and water is a feature on seven holes. The bermuda greens are above average in size and have many slopes. Any rain increases the degree of difficulty because the greens are slower and the rough becomes more lush and damaging when a player misses the fairway. 

McIlroy led the field in proximity to the hole last year but was only 45th for greens in regulation. He had the fewest putts and was number one for scrambling and one of his strengths is straight and long driving which is a rare combination. The tournament is one of just five of the season with invitational status and the field will be about 120 players. The winner receives a three year exemption but the leading contenders should enjoy that luxury anyway based on their world ranking. 

The winner in 2018 surely can’t putt as well again but if he does he could lap the field. McIlroy has not finished outside the top 5 in four starts in 2019 and he has the best figures for strokes gained tee to green. The key to his week will be on the greens and if he maintains his focus McIlroy must contend. He won last year with a total of 18 under and by three strokes. The average winning score over the last 10 years is 13 under and eight champions won by one or two shots. 

You can’t ignore Justin Rose wherever he plays and he is the player to deny McIlroy back-to-back wins.  He has posted two wins in his last five outings worldwide and leads the tour in adjusted scoring. He is also the top ranked player for putting and scrambling and has finished in the top 15 seven times on the course. Rose finished third last year and has the game and form to go two better this week. Rickie Fowler combines course and current form but Rose is preferred.       

The Qatar Masters is being played at Doha Golf Club for the 22nd consecutive year so there is a mountain of course form to assess. Doha is a long course with tough and consistent rough. The fairways are of average width leading to large bermuda greens with difficult slopes. The Shamal wind provides a severe test when it gets up in the afternoon and that gives players with an early round 1 tee time an advantage. Ross Fisher has a good skill’s profile so can get the job done in Qatar.