Dubai Desert Classic 2024 - Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE

 

It's 5 years since I walked the course during the Dubai Desert Classic when I mostly followed Matt Fitzpatrick with his then new caddy, Billy Foster so it's an event thats always been one of my favourites.

Thomas Pieters was a bit erratic that day trying to cut the dog-legs but if a player is driving well off the tee and finding fairways he will thrive here and that leads to me my first selection this week when I once again turn my attention to Thorbjorn Olesen who kick started 2024 with yet another top-10 last week to backup his form of 2023! With Rory looking to put last week's "flop" behind him very quickly at a course he knows a lot better than last week's , it gives us a little value @ 28/1 with the 8 places abegging. The Dane put in a top-20 SG:APR performance last week but it was his putter that shone particularly well and I'm happy to side with him again here.

I'll also stick with one of last week's picks, Ewen Ferguson @ 60/1 - 8 places. Hes continuing good recent form where he demonstrated a strong T2G up the road and he can vastly improves on his 28th finish twelve months ago

My Shortlist	BET365 Odds	Best Odds	Best Exchange	My Odds
Rory McIlroy	4.33	4.33	4.43	5
Tyrrell Hatton	11	11	12.3	9
Tommy Fleetwood	12	11	12.3	9
Adrian Meronk	26	26	28	23
Joaquin Niemann	19	21	25	26
Thorbjorn Olesen	29	29	31	26
Ryan Fox	34	34	43	29
Ewen Ferguson	67	67	69	56
Romain Langasque	71	71	83	71
Jayden Schaper	126	101	127	111
Paul Waring	126	151	147	111
Bernd Wiesberger	126	126	167	111
Kalle Samooja	151	126	176	111
Daniel Hillier	126	151	167	111
Pablo Larrazabal	176	151	186	151

My 15-man shortlist

Also adding kiwi, Daniel Hillier & Austrian Bernd Weisberger to the staking plan with the latter chances to put his "LIV episode" behind him and and re-establish himself as a fully fledged DPT player. He may or may not be rusty, there appeared to be some merit in the LIV golfers performing a lot fresher than others last year, so @ 80/1 - 8 places thought it was too good a price to pass on. Hillier is chanced @ 110/1 - 8 places

Selections

1.75 pts e/w T. Olesen      @ 28/1 - 8 places
1 pt e/w E.Ferguson          @ 60/1 - 8 places
.75 pts e/w B. Weisberger @ 80/1 - 8 places
.75 pts e/w . D. Hillier      @ 110/1 - 8 places