Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Abu Dhabi Golf Club January 18th thru 21st

ALL the Euro Tour "big guns" @ Abu Dhabi this weekend including last years winner Tommy Fleetwood [-17] and tied for 2nd Dustin Johnson [-16] who just WON the Sentry Tournament of Champions [-24] by 8 shots over Jon Rahm (who is playing @ the Career Builder PGA event this week). also Justin Rose, winner of three of his last 5 tourneys and Branden Grace, winner @ Nedbank [-11] and 2nd last week South Africa Open [-18] along with Rory McIlroy and  the rest of "the usual suspects". it is Rory's first tourney since T-63rd @  Alfred Dunhill Links back in August of last year. had played well before that with 2nd British Masters, T-5th Bridgestone and 4th British Open

"to win" favorites are Dustin Johnson @ 9-2 , Justin Rose @ 8-1 Rory McIlroy @ 8-1 Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey @ 15-1 with Tommy Fleetwood  and Branden Grace @ 20-1

"of interest" long shots for me are:

Kiradech Aphibarnrat @ 40-1, "A Fat Barn Rat" has been "wicked close" a number of recent tourneys. 5th Indonasian Masters [-17] T-10th Hong Kong [-7] T-2nd DP World  [-18] T-42nd Nedbank [+4] T-6th Turkish [-14] T-24th WGC-HSBC [-2] T-2nd Italian [-20] and T-4th this event last year [-15]

Haotong Li @ 80-1. 4th Nedbank [-7]

Dylan Frittelli @ 80-1 WON Mauritius Open [-16]

Paul Dunne @ 80-1 WON British Masters [-20]

Alex Bjork @ 125-1 T-2nd Hong Kong [-10]

Chris Paisley @ 125-1 WON SA Open [-21]

Shubhankar Sharma @ 150-1 WON Joberg Open [-23]

Phachra Kongwatmai @ 200-1 2nd  Indonasian Masters [-21]

have bet just two tourney match plays so far

Justin Rose -105 over Rory Mcllroy

Rose obviously playing well recently. WON Indonesian Masters [-29] T-10th Hong Kong [-7] T-4th DP World [-17] WON Turkish [-18] WON WGC-HSBC [-14] T-54th British Open [+4] will be McIlroy's first tourney since last August and he has been fighting injuries.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat -110 over Thomas Pieters

"A Fat Barn Rat" Top 10 finish in 5 of his last 7 tourneys and was a T-4th this event last year. "Salt" Pieters best finish his last 6 tourneys a T-11th Turkish Open and was a CUT here last season

well the first round complete and already I'm in trouble. Rose [-1] vs McIlroy [-3] and "A Fat Barn Rat" [-2] vs "Salt" Pieters [-5]. freeking Barn Rat was cruising early with 2 bordies his first 3 holes THEN knocks it in the water the par 3 #4 and takes a double. had 2 more birdies the rest of the round. watching Rose he looked kind of "dis-interested" the whole round like he would rather be somewhere else

last years winner Tommy Fleetwood tied for the lead with Japanese golfer Hideto Tanihara @ [-6] both with bogie free rounds. flat start for favorite Dustin Johnson with a 4 birdie 4 bogie [even]. my closest to the leaders "of interest" player Paul "Young Gun" Dunne tied 8th @ [-4]. LOT of golf yet to play

Rory looked rusty at times, and show some nice flashes.  Better than I thought.  This could be a monster rebound year for him.

well Rory was playing well before he left the tour last season after the Alfred Dunhill LinksT-63rd [-4] in early August. 2nd British Masters [-17] T-22nd US PGA [+1] T-5th Bridgestone [-7] and T-4th British Open [-5]. IF he is 100% healthy you are right. COULD be a "bounce back" year for him. you KNOW he will be focused for the Masters to try and complete his "Grand Slam"

well to quote Porky Pig "That's All Folk's". Rose "squeeked" the cut @ [-2] vs Rory McIlroy [-9] and the Barn Rat [-4] vs 2nd round tourney leader Pieters [-12]. note: the threesome of Rose, Kuchar and Stenson pretty much stunk the course up from what I watched on the Golf Channel. commentators were all "WTF?" about their poor play esp Rose with his recent record. just have to "lick my wounds" and HOPE I can get some back @ Career Builder  

WOW!!! WHAT a 3rd round!!! weather is just perfect for the game of golf and the scorers reflected it. "Salt" Pieters [-5/-17] tied for the lead with Ross Fisher [-7/-17] with Rory MvIlroy "lurking" on shot back [-7/-16]. "The Matthew Mouse" Fitzpatrick with the round of the day [-9/-15] tied 4th with Tommy Fleetwood [-5/-15]. "The Mouse" looked like he was going to break Henrik Stenson's course record as he was 9 birdies 3 pars thru #12 BUT finished flat with with 1 birdie, 1 bogie and 4 pars rest of the round

I have three of my "cats & dogs" "in range" going into Sunday. Dylan Frittelli @ 80-1 [-5/-13], Paul Dunne @ 80-1 [-7/-13] and last weeks winner Chris Paisley @ 125-1 [-6/-14]. Paisley with a [-6] 66 last week for the 3 shot win over Branden Grace. Frittelli with a [-4] 67 final Mauritius Open and won a playoff while "Young Gun" Dunne with a final [-9] 61 back in September at the British Masters to defeat McIlroy by 4 shots

really ANYONE'S tourney going into Sunday BUT you gotta think Rory McIlroy the favorite. looks like his health and game are back 100% and he has "been there, done that"

Hokey Smoke WHAT a final round!!! also what a difference a day makes in the weather. the Abu Dhabi Golf Club turned into Scotland with warmer temperatures Sunday with 20 to 30 mph gusty winds and the scores reflected it. NOT actually a "haboob" BUT a LOT of blowing sand in the air

Ross Fisher came off the 1st tee like a greyhound with an eagle and two birdies and had a 4 shot lead at the turn BUT Tommy Fleetwood went NUTS on the back side with 6 birdies the last nine to WIN [-22]. the "fish" 2nd @ [-20] while McIlroy and Fitzpatrick tied for 3rd @ [-18]. Paisley and Pieters tied 5th @ [-17]. pretty good two weeks for Paisley who WON the South Africa Open last week

Tommy the first B2B winner since Martin Kaymer 2010-11. congrats to him

Dubai Desert Classic next week @ the Emirates Golf Club just down the road. last years winner Sergio García scheduled to defend. he WON the Singapore Open this week by five shots [-14] over a bunch of "cats & dogs"