Intriguing storylines abound ahead of the European Tour’s early-season stops in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and King Abdullah Economic City

by Kent Gray
With the Tokyo Olympics and Ryder Cup to be squeezed into the schedule after the majors and before the end of the Race to Dubai, the plot of this European Tour season will thicken quickly. A great story still needs a gripping (calendar year) start and for that, you can again rely on the two-part Desert Swing – even with two central characters, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, again conspicuous by their absence.

With its $7 million Rolex Series status, the 15th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship never fails to deliver drama but 2020 could be particularly spicy with Bryson DeChambeau back for his third tilt at the Falcon Trophy after bypassing the capital last season. The Golf Scientist has bulked up in search of more driver swing speed but the “massive” narrative could easily centre around a slower velocity – the increasingly tiresome focus on DeChambeau’s pace of play. Mind you, if he dares peer sideways along the driving range at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the sight of Brooks Koepka, the world’s No.1 critic of slow play, will surely encourage DeChambeau to get a wriggle on.

An understanding of the human body will certainly assist the gathered media corps in the pre-tournament previews. How big is too big, Bryson? How’s the knee that’s kept you out of competitive golf, including the Presidents Cup, since October 18, Brooks?

Abu Dhabi has been a bitter-sweet destination for both Americans. DeChambeau finished T-54 after accepting an invite when he was an amateur in 2016 but missed the cut as a professional in 2018. Koepka, meanwhile, will hope to better his share of 9th last January after also missing the cut two years ago.

Ryder Cup-inspired Shane Lowry will look to become Abu Dhabi’s third back-to-back champion after Martin Kaymer in 2010-2011 (the German also won in 2008) and Tommy Fleetwood in 2017-2018 while Fleetwood has a shot to join Kaymer as a three-time winner.

DeChambeau will defend the Dallah trophy a week after Abu Dhabi and there will be renewed interest in another former champion at the 31st Omega Dubai Desert Classic after Henrik Stenson came off the thaw with victory at Tiger’s Hero World Challenge before Christmas. The Iceman has interestingly bypassed Abu Dhabi, the one traditional Desert Swing title missing from his C.V., committing instead to the conflicting Singapore Open on the Asian Tour. The usual cast of European Tour and Ryder Cup stars will return to Emirates Golf Club and there will also be huge interest in the performance of Dubai-based England Boys’ representative Josh Hill. The 15-year-old earned a maiden European Tour start by finishing top of the MENA Tour’s amateur ‘Journey to Jordan’ standings and will be joined on the Majlis by regional circuit peers MG Keyser and Harry Konig, plus the winner of a 36-hole shootout at Al Hamra the previous week.

The 2nd Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisors will also feature a MENA Tour regular in Jamie Elson and local amateur qualifier Faisal Salhab but it will be Dustin Johnson’s defence, Royal Greens G&CC debuts for Phil Mickelson and Tony Finau and Koepka’s return that will garner most attention. After his D.Q. last season, Sergio Garcia’s return to King Abdullah Economic City is guaranteed to generate more preview interest than his early starts in Abu Dhabi or Dubai while Patrick Reed can expect to be cast, and thrive on, his role as the ‘resident villian’ after his run in with the rules in a Bahamas waste bunker before Christmas. The European Tour detours to the VIC Open in Australian and the first WGC event of the year in Mexico after Saudi before returning to the Oman Open and Commercial Bank Qatar Masters (see p48) in late Feb.

Given the whirlwind three weeks ahead, the near month long breather might be needed.