Abu Dhabi preview

Dave Tindall's in-depth preview and best bets for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Dave Tindall's in-depth preview and best bets for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

After the rather low-key start to the season in South Africa, Abu Dhabi is when the Race To Dubai gets serious and the big guns come out to play. So, for the first time this season, welcome to the stage Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Martin Kaymer and Justin Rose. It doesn't stop there though with four other Ryder Cuppers also on show. Rory and Tiger have been paired together over the first two rounds and their rivalry takes on an extra dimension here with McIlroy having joined Woods as a Nike Tour player after a big ceremony at the nearby Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel on Monday. The two star names are out early in round one so set those alarm clocks early, as Sky Sports have brought their coverage forward to 3.30am to catch every shot they hit. The course Abu Dhabi Golf Club is situated 30 minutes from the city centre of Abu Dhabi. Chris Card, the Group General Manager of Abu Dhabi Golf Club, told Sky Sports: "The course is in absolutely spectacular condition. I'd like to think that this is one of, if not the best, conditioned course the tour professionals play all year - that's certainly the feedback we've been getting from the players who have already been out on the course practising over the past few days. Typically the winning score has always been fairly low - 20-under par used to be the benchmark, but that changed last year when Robert won with 13-under. We grew the rough up last year and that obviously had an impact on the scores, but it's not quite as high this year. So, my guess would be somewhere in the middle of -20 and -13....I'll go for -17." The weather As you'd expect, little sunshine symbols dominate the Abu Dhabi weather forecast with temperatures a very pleasant 21 degrees. The wind will blow in the practice rounds but it's predicted to drop to between 5 and 10mph during the tournament. Last year - Robert Rock In one of the great underdog stories, England's Robert Rock held off Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to claim a sensational victory. Ranked 117th in the world at the time, Rock compiled a final round two-under 70 to hold off playing partner Woods, whose 72 left him in tied third. McIlroy was runner-up for the second year running and was left to rue an incident in the second round when he brushed sand away just off the green. It resulted in a two-shot penalty, the significance of which was obvious when McIlroy ended up losing the tournament by a shot. The leading contenders (and Sky Bet odds) (UAE form refers to the last four results from the three European Tour events played in the United Arab Emirates - this tournament, the Dubai Desert Classic and the DP World Tour Championship) Rory McIlroy (5/1): Can Rory make a winning start with his new Nike clubs? The "beware the change of equipment" doom mongers will think not and suggest that, at best, McIlroy will need a period of adjustment. But the pro-Rory camp will be strongly backing their man to win straight out of the gate. The world number one has a superb record in this event and an excellent one in the United Arab Emirates. Having won the Dubai Desert Classic and DP World Tour Championship he's a deserved favourite to complete the UAE hat-trick by landing this one.
2013 form: n/a
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