TYRRELL HATTON 18/1 BOYLE 8PL
THOMAS DETRY 80/1 SKYBET 7PL
ADRI ARNAUS 66/1 SKYBET 7PL
JUSTIN HARDING 100/1 SKYBET 7PL
ASHUN WU 150/1 VARIOUS
ALL BETS ARE £5EW
SCOTTIE SCHEFFIER 30/1 PP 8PL
SAM BURNS 25/1 WH 6PL
MATT WOLFF 60/1 PP 8PL
RYAN PALMER 70/1 UNIBET 6PL
TALOR GOOCH 50/1 PP 8PL
WILL ZALATORIS 35/1 BET365 5PL
ALL BETS ARE £5EW
Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic
Farmers Insurance Open
When founded in 1989, it was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but is currently one of six.
The tournament is part of a wider strategy, via a government program called “Dubai Golf”, to develop both professional and casual golf tourism in Dubai. It has historically had one of the strongest fields on the European Tour due to “promotional” money paid to top golfers.
The 1995 edition is notable for being the first live event broadcast on the Golf Channel, an American pay-television network.
In September 2021, it was announced that the event would gain a new title sponsor, Slync.io, in 2022. The event was also added to the Rolex Series, with an increased prize fund of US$8,000,000.
The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played in the San Diego, California, area in the early part of the season known as the “West Coast Swing”.
The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 through 1988. It originated as the San Diego Open in 1952 and used that name in its title through 1985. Title sponsors were added in 1981, first with Wickes for two years, then three with Isuzu. Shearson Lehman Brothers became the title sponsors in 1986, replaced by Buick in 1992 and Farmers Insurance in 2010. The event is organized by The Century Club of San Diego.
Although the San Diego Open began in 1952, the PGA Tour recognizes two earlier events of the same name: Leo Diegel won both events, in 1927 and 1929.
THE MAJLIS COURSE
TORREY PINES GOLF COURSE SOUTH
The flagship course at Emirates Golf Club, The Majlis championship course is a challenging par 72, 7,301-yard layout. Designed by Florida-based course architect Karl Litten, the original 18 holes were built in and around the dunes of a beautiful site on the edge of the city of Dubai, donated by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on whose instructions the desert flora was maintained in its natural state.
The Majlis course has developed a worthy reputation worldwide as a testing layout for even the best golfers. The course features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna, beautifully complemented by meandering fairways and seven fresh and saltwater lakes.
The Majlis, the first grass course in the Middle East, takes its name from the Arabic word for ‘meeting place’. One of the most prominent features on the course is the Majlis building itself positioned between the 8th and 9th holes and a Dubai landmark since 1988.
The Torrey Pines South Course is the more challenging of the two and is the host of the 2008 & 2021 U.S. Open Championships. The South course was originally designed by William Bell, Sr. in 1957, and is home to the Farmers Insurance Open PGA Golf Tournament (along with the North Course).
In 2001 and again in 2019, Torrey Pines South Course was renovated and redesigned by Rees Jones. With the most recent renovations, Torrey Pines South is longer and plays more difficult, with the South’s teeing areas extending the length of this course to up to 7,800 yards. Golfers must also deal with the distractive view of hang-gliders and para-gliders, soaring and hovering at the edge of the cliffs on the south end of the course.
So the team played the course last week and boy is this a test, six of the par fours will be set up at over 450 yards along with three of the par three all over 200+ yards it’s a fact that the main stat we looked at was strokes gained from over 200+ yards. Also distance off the tee is an advantage and scrambling will also be a must around here.
Past Results
2021 Paul Casey 271 −17 4 strokes
2020 Lucas Herbert 279 −9 Playoff Christiaan Bezuidenhout
2019 Bryson DeChambeau 264 −24 7 strokes
2018 Li Haotong 265 −23 1 stroke
2017 Sergio García 269 −19 3 strokes
2016 Danny Willett 269 −19 1 stroke
2015 Rory McIlroy 266 −22 3 strokes
2014 Stephen Gallacher 272 −16 1 stroke
2013 Stephen Gallacher 266 −22 3 strokes
2012 Rafa Cabrera-Bello 270 −18 1 stroke
Past Results
2021 Patrick Reed 274 −14 5 strokes
2020 Marc Leishman 273 −15 1 stroke
2019 Justin Rose 267 −21 2 strokes
2018 Jason Day 278 −10 Playoff A Norén/Ryan Palmer
2017 Jon Rahm 275 −13 3 strokes
2016 Brandt Snedeker 282 −6 1 stroke
2015 Jason Day 279 −9 Playoff H English/J. B. Holmes/Scott Stallings
2014 Scott Stallings 279 −9 1 stroke
2013 Tiger Woods 274 −14 4 strokes
2012 Brandt Snedeker 272 −16 Playoff Kyle Stanley
2011 Bubba Watson 272 −16 1 stroke
OUR PICKS
TYRRELL HATTON 18/1
Well we start with the Hat man and for good reason. He had some big numbers last week and 18 was his nemesis racking up a lot of big scores but he still managed a sixth place finish which is pretty impressive.
He was of course the defending champion last week and made a good fist of it in parts, he closed 2021 at the Hero with a top ten and starts 2022 with another top ten.
The game is there and he seems to always putt well in Dubai so see nothing other than another solid week from him and believe he wins again very soon.
We are with his group in practice later so will see just how he feels and see how he is hitting it and if the course management is doing better than last week.
THOMAS DETRY 80/1
Thomas was so funny yesterday he was having plenty of drinks with our winner Pieters very good friends and plenty of bets flying around. Detry said he would win next week at the Classic so that was a good sign for us to get him in here this week.
His previous seems to be getting better here year on year he went missed cut in 2017 then 22-48-32 and last year a great top ten.
We are going to be flying the Belgium flag for another week here and like his chances.
He has got get over the line at some point with the amount of runner up spots over the past four years it shows he can challenge on the Sunday.
- 2017 – 2ND BMW
- 2020 – 2ND Hero
- 2020 – 2ND Celtic Classic
- 2021 – 2ND Scottish Open
- 2021 – 2ND Porsche
2022 WIN ???
ADRI ARNAUS 66/1
Going to leave Adri in for another week he was on FIRE on Sunday I really thought at one point he had got us a great place return. The 18th hole was his only mistake still carded the best round of the day with a 65 along with Henrik Stenson.
Plenty to get excited about driving distance unreal big advantage around here this week, and he should be holing putts again for fun, so plenty of birdies from one of the best putters from the stats last week.
Winner on the Challenge Tour back in 2018 beating the stars of now in Victor Perez, Bob MacIntyre, Sean Crocker and Niklas Lemke. So he knows how to win and beat the players he is up against as he has already shown this.
He will win just a matter of time and his ball striking is as good as it gets right now so why not here this week.
JUSTIN HARDING 100/1
Justin has been on our radar since 2018 and he has got us some good place returns over the years.
I enjoyed watching him play at the Cazoo Open last year in Wales where he came so close to winning it there.
He also looked good so the team said at the SA Open at the end of 2021 so we know he is slowly finding that grove again. Top twenty five last week speaks volumes and means the putter is getting hot again this could be the perfect start for 2022 and an early win for this great South African.
Could go very low on the greens if the flat stick continues to impress.
OTHERS ON OUR FACT SHEET THAT YOU CAN NOT RULE OUT ARE:
ASHUN WU 150/1
SCOTTIE SCHEFFIER 30/1
Banker for the week has to be Scottie for me. This guy ticks every box for me to have an epic Farmers.
So the stats we picked up on for us was approaches from 225-250 yards ranks 24th on the PGA tour, so that pretty much covers at least ten holes here this week. Birdies 110 in twenty two rounds average of five a round. Good distance off the tee but does lack strokes gained but I just feel he seems to perform better on harder courses and like I said from 200 yards plus he has the game.
We have also seen him working hard off season on the short game which did need addressing and I think this will be another positive here as you should see.
The driver was also an improvement last week at the American Express so again another plus.
SAM BURNS 25/1
We love the way this guy is on the course and he will be a lot of people’s favourites this week I am sure of it. Fourth on the FedEx and just outside the world top ten in the rankings.
This is yet another young American who is destined for a great future in this great game.
Already a two time winner on the PGA Tour and plenty more to come.
In fact we were in his group when he made his debut at this event back in the 2018 he caught the eye back then even though it was a missed cut the swing and ball striking was as pure as you can get, since then he has gone 40-49-18 so last year being his best here I think he can only improve on a top twenty and could be a great watch on Sunday.
MATT WOLFF 60/1
So this is the best time to play Matt for me coming off a missed cut at the American Express which was his first event back there were plenty of positives to take from last week. As you could tell from the leader board it was a wash of inexperience through to the weekend. This will not be the case here class will rise to the top and players who like the tough courses will rise to the challenge.
Matt is that type of player and to be fair he never really starts his first event on the year well and his opening 78 put him on the back foot from the start. We did however like his 67 on day two which was one of the best rounds of the day with only a few others going lower. So the game is there and he will coming back to a place where he 21st in 2020.
Plenty to like and like this action.
RYAN PALMER 70/1
Hot Hot Hot !!!!
This is a hot of the press addition to this week! with a few of the team out with Ryan at the Scottish Open in 2021, whilst we caught up with him during rounds one and two, he did mention he always looks forward to playing the Farmers and said it would be a dream of his to finally win it there.
You can see his previous around here is not too shabby either.
- 2ND 13TH 21ST 2ND
Not many players have a better event history so can he push on and get his fifth PGA tour win I think so and a NAP for the week. Top 10 bet a must here as well.
