Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2019: Power Rankings

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 18: Branden Grace of South Africa plays his shot from the third tee during round one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 18, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /

Branden Grace still seeks his first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship win, but it’s not for a lack of trying.

A top-20 this week would be the fifth in a row after he’s gone T20-T5-T13-T15 since 2016. He also was solo fifth here in 2013 and is 6-for-7 in cuts made.

“I love this place,” Grace said during the 2016 tournament. “It’s always nice to come back. (Caddie Zack Rasego) and I spoke earlier in the week and he said this is his favourite course in the world. Something about it when you come to these places, the golf course is always in immaculate condition. The guys that plays the best golf is going to win out here…”

Grace last competed at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in mid-December where he finished T34. He couldn’t find the winner’s circle in 2018 for the first time since 2013.

Grace wasn’t far off, though, as he had a solo second and a T3 on his resume splitting between the PGA Tour and European Tour. He also only missed two cuts and had five total top-10s.

While he isn’t normally a big birdie maker (103rd last season), we know he can go low as seen at his record-setting 62 at the 2017 Open Championship as well as a 64 last year at Abu Dhabi GC. Grace all too often flies under the radar until he puts together a couple of big weeks, but I’m looking for him to continue his strong run of golf in the Middle East.

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