Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - Fortinet Threat Score 

Long established as one of the premier events on the DP World Tour, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has generated bundles of memorable moments since its inception in 2006.

In 2022, this championship shifted to Yas Links, providing an exciting new test for the field. For a player to add his name to the strong list of winners at this event, he’ll need to properly execute on this week’s Fortinet Threat Score holes: the 3rd, 6th and 15th.

In 2022, tournament winner Thomas Pieters’ performance on these three holes embodied what a tough test they were. While his scorecard may have said he played them in even par, his steady shot-making helped him gain 2.9 strokes on the field at the three toughest holes at Yas Links.

Let’s take a closer look at these three holes and how they will test some of the world’s top players this week.

Hole 3

Difficulty Rank: 1st

This par 4, dogleg left yielded an average score of more than three-tenths over par last year, making it the most difficult Yas Links had to offer. Power players won’t inherit much of an advantage on this hole, as an extra 20 yards off the tee is worth a negligible amount of gain over the field (a mere 0.01 strokes, on average). From there, the approach shot has had an average proximity to the hole of a whopping 44 feet, the second toughest on this course.

Even when players do find the green in two, par is not a guarantee. The field averaged 2.05 putts per green in regulation here last year, the only hole on the course with an average of more than 2. Last year’s winner, Pieters, played the hole in 1-over-par for the week.

Hole 6

Difficulty Rank: 2nd

The 6th hole is 468 yards on the scorecard, but can play longer into the prevailing, left-to-right wind. Additional distance off the tee then proves beneficial, as an extra 20 yards with driver here is worth more than anywhere else on the golf course. Hitting the fairway at the 6th is vital, as players were penalized by almost half-a-stroke (0.47) in 2022 when missing off the tee – the biggest such cost of anywhere on the course.

A quality drive sets up an approach into a green that is just 36 yards long, with a left side that will often be blind to the players. This is another difficult green to navigate, as the field averaged 1.97 putts per green in regulation here last year, second toughest at Yas Links. Overall, the hole played to nearly one-quarter of a stroke over par at last year’s championship. A mere 11.4 percent of the field made birdie or better at the 6th in 2022.

Hole 15

Difficulty Rank: 3rd

The toughest hole on the back nine is the 15th, a 486-yard par 4 that plays more than two-tenths of a stroke over par on average. A pair of fairway bunkers dot each side of this hole near the drive’s landing area, but playing into the wind can lessen their impact on tee shot decision. In turn, additional power doesn’t benefit players much, as this hole yields the second-lowest advantage on the course for extra yards off the tee. A mere 61% of the field hit the green in regulation here in 2022, the second-lowest rate on the course.

Getting it close to this pin is a near-Herculean feat. The average proximity at the 15th is 49 feet, the largest distance of any hole historically at Yas Links. Pieters managed to card par here in all four rounds a year ago.

Players to Watch

Three players teeing it up this week played these three holes in a field-best 2-under-par in 2022: Scott Jamieson, Daan Huizing and Shane Lowry. That performance gained the trio 4.9 strokes apiece over the field on those holes alone. Rafa Cabrera Bello is also playing this week; he navigated these holes in 1-under-par a year ago. Can Pieters successfully defend his title? To become the first to go back-to-back at this event since Tommy Fleetwood in 2017-18, he may need to play these holes in better than par.