This week sees the culmination of the ‘Desert Swing’ at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and, with the
Fantasy Race to Dubai
starting to gather pace, here are our top picks for your team.
On this occasion we are going to avoid going down the obvious route in picking proven desert king
Alvaro Quiros
as we figure he is a given for anyone serious about picking up some big points this week for their team.
Instead, our first pick is fellow Spaniard and Emirates Golf Club specialist
Miguel Ángel Jiménez
, who in 19 starts in Dubai since his first in 1990, has finished in the top ten no fewer than seven times. Two of these came in the 90s with a second in 1996 and an eighth three years later, but the real form has come in recent years, finishing no worse than tenth in five of the last seven years. The most impressive of these came two years ago when he defeated Lee Westwood in a play-off to pick up the rather imposing trophy, and while his form in 2012 so far has been steady at best, such familiar and comfortable surroundings could really kick start his season.
Lee Westwood
is the next on our list and not just because he is the World Number Three, a 21-time European Tour champion, and seven-time Ryder Cup player, but because he has done all but lift the trophy at the Emirates GC in his 17 appearances there. He has finished in the top ten on no less than six occasions, and much like the evergreen Jiménez, other than a second and a sixth in 1999 and 1998 respectively, his best from has come in the last decade or so with a further second in 2010 preceded by a sixth in 2005 and a tenth three years later.
Next up we have another Englishman who has proven to be more than comfortable in the heat of the desert having never finished outside the top 13 in five starts in Dubai. We are of course talking about four-time European Tour champ and member of the victorious 2010 European Ryder Cup team
Ross Fisher
. Since finishing fifth in his first start there in 2007, Fisher has utilised his big hitting and towering iron play to great effect, going on to finish tenth in 2008 and 2011, 11th in 2010 and 13th in 2009. While 2011 may not have been his best season, and his first on the Tour without a victory since 2007, he will no doubt be keen to use this as motivation to come out firing this year, and with a Ryder Cup on the horizon there will be no finer place for him to get his qualification bid on the right track than this week.
Our next two offerings have both shown form here of late, the first being Anders Hansen who finished second last year and fourth in 2006, and the latter being Germany’s
Martin Kaymer
who has posted three top tens in Dubai in the past four seasons, including a second in 2008. His desert form is unquestioned with the prowess he has shown in winning three of the last five Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championships, and Hansen has established himself as one of The European Tour’s most consistent performers, and as such both should be considered for selection this week.
And finally we’re throwing in our Fantasy wild card, Ryder Cup Captain
José María Olazábal
, who has shown a resurgence of form these past few weeks, seemingly undeterred as the pressure builds towards Medinah in September. Having struggled these past few years with injuries ‘Olly’ has found his top form only sparingly, but having finished in the top 12 twice in three starts in 2012, who would bet against him rekindling the form that saw him win this championship back in 1998.
As always register your team changes by Wednesday to make sure they count towards this week’s event, and with five changes available to you, the above players could be valuable inclusions in your elite ten.
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