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Collin Morikawa Headlines a World Class Field in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

By Matt Tizzard

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 09: Collin Morikawa of the United States celebrates with a thumbs-up after winning during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on August 09, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 09: Collin Morikawa of the United States celebrates with a thumbs-up after winning during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on August 09, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Collin Morikawa headlines in a field of stars at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this week on the European Tour. Morikawa has flown to Dubai from Hawaii, following a T7 finish last week on the PGA Tour. He finds himself grouped with last week’s winner in Abu Dhabi, Tyrrell Hatton and 2017 Masters Champion, Sergio Garcia.

Morikawa turns 24 next month and will be looking to pick up where he left off in December, finishing T10 in the DP World Tour Championships which was also in Dubai.

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Though it will not be easy, again the European Tour boasts a host of world-class names teeing it up in the desert, including, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Henrik Stenson.

It’s great to see players like Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas tee it up on the European Tour and demonstrates how the world-wide approach of the Tour is paying dividends.

And why wouldn’t the players fly over? Dubai is known to be “open” during the turbulent times of COVID 19, and the event is played on the shimmering, sand-laced Emirates Golf Club. The course is 7300 yards of immaculate green and yellow, which will test players off the tee due to a number of doglegs and narrow fairways.

The skyline of the city of Dubai and the world’s tallest building, the “Burj Khalifa” spread across the Arabian skyline, forming a stunning backdrop to many of the holes on this flagship European Tour event.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 26: The eighth hole is pictured ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 26: The eighth hole is pictured ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /

Matt’s Picks

Rafa Cabrera-Bello 40/1 – The Dubai resident won this event in 2012 and finished 4th down the road in Abu Dhabi last week. At times he was within 1 shot of Tyrrell Hatton and had opportunities to close the gap. He could go one better this week on a similar course with similar conditions.

Matt Wallace 20/1– Clearly loves this part of the world, The European Tour plays 6 events in the middle east and Matt has finished T2 and T7 over recent weeks. He also finished 2nd in this tournament 2 years ago, so tees off on Thursday with good memories of The Emirates Club. On a course where fairways are difficult to find, Wallace’s strong short game stats place him ahead of his competition.

Next. Brooks Koepka: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?. dark

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 20/1 – If you don’t know the name yet America then I am sure you will soon. Christiaan had back to back wins last year on the European Tour and has followed up immediately with two T15 places in the last 2 European Tour tournaments. He was runner up to Lucas Herbert here last year, Christiaan is in form and ever-improving.

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