Fantasy Golf Tournament Preview- Qatar Masters (European Tour Package)

OVERVIEW

The European Tour’s schedule changes impacted the Qatar Masters this year, and we’re probably getting the worst field this event has seen in awhile because of it. That being said, there still will be a winner and with winners comes money for us to win. The course is a long-ish desert track, Par 72 and features six holes with water hazards. The greens are bermuda grass, but more of a grainier blend as they’re over seeded with poa trivialis. What does that mean for us? Well, that type of grass combined with the weather this week means we should expect to see more of an Open Championship style setting, meaning players will need to play the ball down as the greens should be firm and fast. The course was designed by Peter Harradine, who also designed Abu Dhabi GC, which makes this an easy corollary course to Doha. You’ll want to check out player history at Abu Dhabi this week to see who’s played well there even though the conditions won’t be nearly the same. Speaking of the conditions, there’s sunshine in the forecast all week, but wind will be the deciding factor as it usually is. As of writing, winds are expected in the upper teens, with gusts into the 30-mph range for the opening round and moving day. I’m looking forward to checking out most of coverage this week and I hope I have a midnight sweat come Saturday/Sunday.

 TOURNAMENT BACKGROUND

• The Course
• Doha Golf Club
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,300 yards
• Greens: Bermuda
• Location: Doha, Qatar
• Past Champions:
• 2018: Eddie Pepperell -18 over Oliver Fisher
• 2017: Jeung-Hun Wang -16 in a playoff over Joakim Lagergren & Jaco Van Zyl
• 2016: Branden Grace -14 over Rafa Cabrera Bello & Thorbjorn Olesen
• 2015: Branden Grace -19 over Marc Warren
• 2014: Sergio Garcia -16 in a playoff over Mikko Ilonen

KEY STATS TO TARGET

• Strong Emphasis – SG: T2G, SG: APP, Greens in Reg, Scrambling
• Important – Current Form, Course History, Driving Distance, Strong Play in Windy Conditions

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