Turkish Airlines Open: Power ranking the top 10 at Regnum Carya
The Race to Dubai Final Series gets underway on the European Tour with the Turkish Airlines Open
European Tour players are racking up the frequent flyer miles at this point in the schedule, which is fitting we’re at an event this week sponsored by an airline. Two weeks ago we were in Spain, last week was the limited field WGC-HSBC Champions in China. The coming weeks bring trips to South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
This week is the Turkish Airlines Open held at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort in Antalya, Turkey, in the southern part of the country.
Regnum Carya is in its third year as host site and has produced solid winners with Thorbjorn Olesen in 2016 and Justin Rose in 2017.
The course is a 7,159 yards for a par of 71 set in a forest with some heathland influence. Water comes into play on eight holes, but this isn’t too tough of a test: winning scores have been 20- and 18-under with an abundance of scores under par in the teens.
Weather shouldn’t be a factor as low winds, sunshine and temperatures in the 70s and 80s are in the forecast.
Some stats to keep an eye on this week are greens in regulation and scrambling. Both winners at Regnum Carya finished top 10 in both categories.
Birdie percentage is another useful one as players need to make them in bunches if they want to get their Final Series off to a good start.
This is a no-cut, 78-player field. While in some ways it’s a cash grab event, players at the bottom of the rankings are seeking to make the top 64 in the Race to Dubai standings to get into next week’s Nedbank Challenge. Also, top 10 at the end of the Final Series earn a bonus check, so there are reasons to aim big this week.
Most of the points leaders are present, though leader Francesco Molinari is absent, as are recent winners Sergio Garcia and Eddie Pepperell.
There are some obvious choices at the top of the power rankings, but it’s quite muddled after that. There are few, if any, true weak links in the field.
Still, this is a power ranking, and we must whittle an already powerful field down to just ten true contenders. Here we go.