via Reuters
Golf – The 151st Open Championship – Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Britain – July 19, 2023 The silhouettes of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Tommy Fleetwood are pictured on the 17th green during a practice round REUTERS/Phil Noble TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
via Reuters
Golf – The 151st Open Championship – Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Britain – July 19, 2023 The silhouettes of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Tommy Fleetwood are pictured on the 17th green during a practice round REUTERS/Phil Noble TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The DP World Tour is ready for another event in the Middle East! The 2024 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will mark the fifth event of the European circuit there, but also its last. The event is set to take place at the Doha Golf Club from February 8 to 11 and is one of the most anticipated events on the DP World Tour. Why, you may ask?
Well, the event will boast a 132-player field competing on the greens for a purse of $2.5 million! But fans would be interested to know the top players expected to win the highest purse. Let’s have a look at the people who have the most chance to lift the trophy at the event!
The top contenders for the 2024 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The event has undoubtedly caught the attention of fans, as many European circuit regulars are making their way towards the event. Multiple players ranking in the top 150 of the OWGR will tee off at the event. Apart from them, several Qatari nationals will also be present. But who among them all is the fan favorite to win?
Rasmus Hojgaard: The Danish golfer will be the highest-ranking individual at the event. The 22-year-old had a great start to his 2024 season. In the four DP World Tour events he took part in, he was consistently in the top 11 of all of them. Furthermore, he has climbed 19 ranks in the OWGR since the start of the season, currently sitting in the 68th spot.
Pablo Larrazabal: The Spaniard is another fan favorite to win the event. He is currently sitting comfortably in the 102nd spot in OWGR. Furthermore, he has shown a consistent performance this year, finishing in the top 30 in most of his events. He even had a top-five finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. His gameplay at the 2024 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will be the one to watch out for.
Just 2 school mates meeting in a golf course. @andresiniesta8 pic.twitter.com/LzaEvR0VH2
— Pablo Larrazabal (@plarrazabal) January 23, 2024
Yannik Paul: The German golfer will be the pick of many fans for the event in the Middle East. He currently occupies a spot above Larrazabal in the OWGR ranking. Furthermore, his track record for 2024 is a must-watch. He got a top-8 finish in the Dubai Invitational and a top-4 finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Now he will be looking to convert these results into a top-spot finish in Qatar.
Zander Lombard: What a year this South African golfer is having! With his runner-up finish at the Bahrain Championship 2024, Lombard just reached his career-best OWGR at the 100th spot. Apart from that, he finished sixth in the Dubai Invitational, with a top-16 finish in both the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
Following his runner-up finish in Bahrain, @ZanderLombard is so far the most popular pick among Fantasy users.
Who will make your team this week? 👀#CBQMasters
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 6, 2024
Dylan Frittelli: He will be another South African to watch out for. Despite having a lukewarm start to 2024, the DPWT player is now picking pace. The 33-year-old is fresh with a win at Bahrain Championship 2024. Now he will be attempting to make it two-for-two with the defending champion, Sami Valimaki, not taking part in the Qatar Masters.
The final event of the Middle East schedule
Some other players to watch out for at Doha GC will be Ewen Ferguson and Antoine Rozner, the 2022 and 2021 champions of the DPWT event. Other players to look out for are Joshua Grenville-Wood, who finished sixth last year and has an invite to the event, and James Nicholas, a former Yale football player ready to make his DP World Tour debut.
Three months after securing his card at Q School, @_james_nicholas makes his DP World Tour debut this week.
We hear from the former Yale biology graduate as he prepares to tee it up in Qatar 🙌#CBQMasters
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 7, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Last year’s champion is missing as he will be busy competing in the WM Phoenix Open. With a purse of $2.5 million and 500 Race to Dubai ranking points up for grabs, the 132-player field will be going all in.
The Qatar Masters is the fifth stop of the DP World Tour’s international swing. Furthermore, it serves as the second event of the five Global Swings that ultimately convene the ‘Back 9’ and the two DP World Tour Playoffs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The location of the Doha GC also has a vivid history behind it. Since 1988, the Qatar Masters has been held at the golf course, measuring in at 7,475 yards. However, in 2020 and 2021, the event was held at Education City GC in Doha, due to Doha GC undergoing renovations. But since then, the event has returned to its original home. Whoever ultimately wins the event will be a worthy watch.
Watch this Story | Viktor Hovland Leaves the Mighty Tiger Woods Biting the Dust After Towering Over His Heralded Legacy
