The DP World Tour makes its return to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time in 13 years this week as the International Swing continues. Here are your five things to know.
Tour makes long-awaited return to Bahrain
The DP World Tour’s diverse array of tournaments in different countries and cultures around the world is highlighted this week as it returns to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time in 13 years.
The Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies is the fourth event on the International Swing as a revamped Royal Golf Club plays host.
The tournament has a prize fund of $2.5 million, with 500 Race to Dubai ranking points on offer for the winner.
This week’s venue was also the scene of the Tour’s last visit to Bahrain when Paul Casey claimed a one-shot victory over Peter Hanson and Miguel Ángel Jiménez at the Volvo Golf Champions in 2011.
Every week counts
The Bahrain Championship is the fourth of eight events on the International Swing, the second of five Global Swings as part of the 2024 Race to Dubai.
Following his victory last week in Ras Al Khaimah, Thorbjørn Olesen climbed to second on the updated rankings.
Four of the top ten members on the International Swing standings are in action this week.
With the swing champions each earning $200,000 from an annual $1million Bonus Pool along with qualification into the next Rolex Series event and all the ‘Back 9’ events, there are plenty of incentives to a strong performance.
Significant Course changes
Originally named Riffa Golf Club, which was opened in 1999, Royal Golf Club was renovated by Colin Montgomerie and European Golf Design in 2007 and opened in 2009, before playing host to the 2011 Volvo Champions.
It is Bahrain’s only grass course, and there have been numerous changes made to the course since Paul Casey’s victory, offering a brand new challenge to the handful of players that competed here 13 years ago.
Significant changes have been made to the green structures on most of these holes, which include the removal of a ridge in front of the first hole, areas flattened and softened at holes four, five, six, seven, 14 and 15, and a complete redesign of the second green.
In addition to the putting surfaces, which also feature a hollow filled at eight and a swale to the left of the ninth green leveled, all bunkers have been renovated with new white sand added and edged. This is in stark contrast to 2011, where all bunkers had no edges and blended with the desert, and were played as waste areas.
Previous experience
While the course may have changed, there are a handful of players that do have past experience of this course in its original design heading into this week. The only question is, will it make a difference?
Stephen Gallacher and Edoardo Molinari are both in the field, having recorded top tens in the last edition, along with Matteo Manassero, who finished in a tie for 13th 13 years ago and recently regained his playing rights for the DP World Tour through the European Challenge Tour's Road to Mallorca Rankings.
Both Pablo Larrazábal and Søren Kjeldsen ended their only trip to Bahrain tied for 24th, but it was Søren Kjeldsen who fired a course-record nine-under-par 63 on the final day, which tied with Richard Finch (also in round four).
Joining them are Rafa Cabrera Bello (T30), Oliver Wilson (T41), Thomas Bjørn (T44), who will be hoping to improve on their finishes here, as will James Morrison - who missed the cut in 2013 - and Marcel Siem, who retired after the opening round.
And while past experience may not guarantee good results this time around, one thing that is certain is that a new champion will be crowned in Bahrain.
Inside the field
Fresh from his runner-up finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Rasmus Højgaard currently lies in fifth place on the International Swing Rankings and will be trying to go one better as he hopes to continue an excellent run of form that includes three top tens and a worst finish of T26 in his last nine Tour starts.
He's joined by several fellow winners from the 2023 season on the DP World Tour including Larrazábal, who will be looking to bounce back from a missed cut last week after finishing a tournament-high of tied 4th in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic the week prior.
Elsewhere, Challenge Tour Graduates Frederic Lacroix and Brandon Stone - a three time winner on Tour - will be trying to build on impressive top tens from last week in Ras Al Khaimah, while Qualifying School Graduate Matthis Besard will also be trying to improve after finishing tied 13th in his fifth ever DP World Tour start.
In addition, as part of an initiative to grow the game of golf domestically, an initiative between the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the DP World Tour will see three amateur Bahraini golfers take their place in the field for the first time.
