Trophee Hassan II Power Rankings: Top ten on the European Tour

The European Tour heads south from Spain to Morocco for this week’s Trophee Hassan II

We’re in northern Africa this week at one of the continent’s toughest golf courses. For the third year in a row (and many more years prior), the Trophee Hassan II is at the Red Course at Royal Dar es Salam, in Morocco’s capital of Rabat.

The course is a par 73 and measures out to a lengthy 7,615 yards, especially considering the course is at sea level.

Course architect James Duncan renovated the course prior to its return in 2016 to enlarge the greens and adding contours to further reward proper positioning on approach shots.

Players will be playing a parkland style course that weaves through a forest and has water in play on several holes.

Winners of all sorts and shapes have won here. Veteran Edoardo Molinari rose from the doldrums to win last year, while then 20-year-old  Jeunghun Wang won in his first appearance in Rabat in 2016. Both winning totals failed to crack double digits under par.

In contrast, Rhys Davies posted 25-under to win in 2010 before the renovations.

Winds are expected to creep up to 10-15 miles per hour at times, but otherwise the weather forecast projects ideally: Temperatures in the 60s-80s Fahrenheit with a lot of sun.

Let’s see who could take advantage of these phenomenal conditions and claim the unique golden sword trophy bestowed by tournament host, prince Moulay Rachid, son of the tournament’s namesake and former King of Morocco, Hassan II.