Genworth Stats Pack - Omega Dubai Desert Classic Preview

The defending champion has played this event 3 times before and he arrives in good form. Looking at Rafa’s early season statistics (from three tournaments in January), an interesting pattern is emerging. His Round 4 Stroke Average is a remarkable 66.66 (from scores of 68/68/64). Last year Rafa led the Genworth Greens in Regulation statistic here. If he does that again this week he may well extend the Spanish winning streak to four in a row.

Sergio Garcia has played this event 5 times previously with a best finish of 11th (in 2009). That year he was very impressive from tee to green, leading the Genworth Greens in Regulation statistic. Although Sergio is yet to truly contend for this title he arrives in top form. Last week in Qatar he ranked 2nd for Driving Distance, 3rd for Greens in Regulation and 5th for Putts per GIR. Many would say he is the tournament favourite.

Lee Westwood competes in this event for the 19th time this week. Although the title has eluded him so far his recent form is excellent (with 2nd place finishes in both 2010 and 2012). Last year he scored -2 on the Par 3’s (rank 19th), -5 on the Par 4’s (rank 6th) and -10 on the Par 5’s (rank 6th). He also ranked very high in each of the Genworth Statistics categories. Lee has been working a little more than usual in the off season so it will be interesting to see how he performs first time out in 2013.

Henrik Stenson enjoyed a rich vein of form over this course between the years of 2006 and 2010. During that period his finishes were 7th, 1st, 6th, 3rd and 8th, and when he won in 2007 he led the Genworth Greens in Regulation statistic (his 2007 statistics are added below for your viewing). Henrik continues to play well week on week of late, and a second win here would be of no surprise.

Chris Wood won his first event (at his 116th attempt) on the European Tour last week in Qatar. But don’t think for a second that he can’t go back to back. Chris is a consistent performer around the Emirates course with top 20 finishes in each of his last three visits. He tends to drive the ball long off the tee and rank well for the Genworth Greens in Regulation statistic. Much depends on the emotions from last week and whether he has recovered in time.

Jamie Donaldson arrives at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic off the back of a victory in Abu Dhabi (at the start of the Middle East Swing). He has played this event 9 times before and his results have been average over the years to be fair. Overall he has made 5 cuts and missed 4, with a best finish of 11th back in 2005. Last year Jamie did perform well from tee to green though, ranking 10th for Driving Accuracy and 6th for Greens in Regulation.

Matteo Manassero has played this event 3 times previously, but he is yet to really get to grips with the course. His best finish to date is 31st in 2010, but that may well be improved this week. The rising Italian star has started the 2013 campaign in good form with finishes of 9th, 23rd and 22nd throughout January, and he currently ranks number one for the overall season Genworth Driving Accuracy statistic (with 76.6%).

Like Matteo Manassero, it is early days over the Emirates course for Thorbjørn Olesen (having played the event just twice before). A fantastic runner up finish just two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi saw him top both the Genworth Scrambles statistic and the Par 4 Scoring statistic. He then followed up with a steady 22nd place finish in Qatar last week. Thorbjørn seems to be settling in with his new equipment and we look for him to go well.

Anders Hansen is another regular at this event, having played 12 times previously. He missed the cut last year but prior to that he had played the weekend seven times in a row. His best finish to date is 2nd (in 2011) where his Genworth Statistics ranked green pretty much across the board. Anders is a very steady player, a true touring professional.

Paul Casey returns to the Emirates course for the first time since 2010. In total he has played the event 5 times and has never finished outside of the top 20. His best performance was in 2009 (4th) where he produced some very impressive long game statistics (included ranking 2nd for Greens in Regulation). So far in 2013, Paul has played consistently without contending as of yet, but that may well change this week over a course that suits his game.

Thongchai Jaidee has played this event 12 times previously with a best finish of 3rd (in 2010). He arrives in excellent form off the back of three top ten finishes from three starts throughout January. Like Anders Hansen, Thongchai Jaidee is a true touring professional. He currently ranks 5th for the overall season Genworth Stroke Average statistic (with 69.25), and he is also performing well in the other Genworth Statistics categories.