Ras al Khaimah Championship
Last week, we elected to take on the 3-1 favorite Rory McIlroy in the Dubai Desert Classic. Well, sometimes the favorite beats you, and McIlroy did that successfully defending his title and winning the Dubai Desert Classic for the fourth time in his career. He was 10 strokes back to start the weekend but shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday to vault into contention.
Our top choice, Adrian Meronk, finished runner-up and 54-hole leader Cameron Young finished third.
This week, the DP World Tour continues in the Emirates at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. While twin brother Nicolai is stateside competing in the Farmers Insurance Open, Rasmus Højgaard (12-1) is the favorite this week to win the RAK Championship, something Nicolai did in the 2022 inaugural event. Jordan Smith (18-1) finished runner-up to Nicolai in that 2022 event.
Thorbjørn Olesen (18-1) finished fourth here last year. Meanwhile, Zander Lombard (22-1) has been the horse for the course here the last two years with finishes of second and third.
Thriston Lawrence (25-1) was the runner-up two weeks ago at Dubai Creek. Yannik Paul (25-1) finished eighth in the same event.
The Event
The DP World Tour visited Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for the first time in 2022 with the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
The $2 million tournament will conclude the DP World Tour’s three-week swing through the Emirates.
This week’s course, Al Hamra Golf Club, previously hosted the European Challenge Tour from 2016-2018. It was initially the venue for the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017 before hosting the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final as the final stop on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah in 2018.
The Course
Al Hamra Golf Club is this week’s venue, and the Peter Harradine design stretches to 7,410 yards for a par-72.
A regular 36/36 setup, similar to last week’s Dubai Desert Classic the back nine is longer than the front nine, although the back nine at Dubai had three par-5s for a 35/37 split. Many of the best scoring opportunities will come in the first eight holes of the course.
The par-5s are all long and range from 576-607 yards. There are also three sub-400-yard par-4s, which are all birdie opportunities.
Set just off the coast of Ras al Khaimah, there is a coastal vibe at Al Hamra with exposed fairways and desert surroundings complimented by water hazards in the shape of lagoons on several holes for the errant. Paspalum grass is used throughout the course.
Recent History/Winners
2023: Daniel Gavins (-17/271); 200-1
2022: Nicolai Højgaard (-24/264); 35-1
Ras Al Khaimah Classic
2022: Ryan Fox (-22/266); 60-1
Selections
Tom McKibbin (35-1, DraftKings)
McKibbin finished a respectable 14th last week at the Dubai Desert Classic and ranked third for Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee behind Rory McIlroy and Adrian Meronk, who went 1-2 overall in the event.
The man from Northern Ireland won his maiden DP World Tour event at the European Open last summer in Germany on another long course with wide fairways like this one, which should suit him fine off the tee.
Alejandro Del Rey (45-1, Bet365)
Del Rey ranked third on the DP World Tour last year in Driving Distance for his rookie season.
The Spaniard has plenty of desert golf experience from his time at Arizona State similar to another Spaniard who prepped out in Tempe.
Hao Tong Li (50-1, BetMGM)
Li was third here in 2022 leading the field that week for Strokes Gained: Approach.
Last week, he finished seventh at the Dubai Desert Classic, ranking fifth on Approach and leading the field in Putting.
Callum Shinkwin (80-1, Bet365)
Shinkwin led the field and was sixth in Driving Distance in the two events he competed in here at Al Hamra in 2022.
He finished 11th at the Emirates last week in a stronger field than this one.
Masahiro Kawamura (90-1, Caesars Sportsbook)
Kawamura was sixth here in 2022 and seventh last week in Dubai.
Johannes Veerman (100-1, Bet365)
Veerman finished 19th and 12th here the last two years and finished 16th last week in Dubai ranking eighth in the field for Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green.
