European Tour Fantasy Golf Predictions – Saudi International Presented by SBIA

2019 Saudi International Preview

In case you missed it, Bryson DeChambeau confirmed his credentials as one of the very best golfers on the planet courtesy of the European Tour last week.

He teed up at the Dubai Desert Classic, and after assuming the lead during the second round never looked like relinquishing his grip on the trophy.

It’s funny, because Bryson at times looked out of control; particularly on Saturday, when he was failing to find fairways with any regularity. He looked ready to be challenged.

But then common sense prevailed, with the man himself thinking ‘I hold a one-shot lead heading into the final round having played poorly. Surely if I rise my game a touch I will be unstoppable?’

Yes, so it proved. The flatcap-wearing mad scientist compiled a closing 64 to win by a country mile from a chasing pack that never got close.

Bryson DeChambeau of the USA with the winners trophy after the final…

Bryson DeChambeau of the USA with the winners trophy after the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 27, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

DeChambeau will have a chance to double up this week in an event which is arguably the most controversial of the year, the Saudi International.

This is a country with a ‘questionable,’ and that’s a polite way of putting it, human rights record, and really it’s not the kind of place that any player or golfing organization should be aligning with.

But, as we know, money talks, and while we can query the moral obligations the bottom line is that Dustin Johnson is reportedly being paid $3 million for what is in essence four days work, assuming he makes the cut.

Bank balance or moral fibre? It’s a question of individual choice, ultimately.

Like it or not, a strong field has gathered at the Royal Greens G&CC in the egomaniacally-named metropolis of ‘King Abdullah Economic City’. DJ, last week’s Farmers Insurance Open winner Justin Rose, dual major champion in 2018 Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia and many more have chosen dollar over defiance in this inaugural hosting of the event.

In bad news for DFS gamers, we don’t really know what to expect from Royal Greens G&CC, given that it has never hosted a professional golf event.

From the pictures, it looks like a Links course in the desert, and its proximity to the Red Sea coastline suggests a strong old wind will buffet the players.

Measuring a reported 7,000 yards for its Par of 70, according to the European Tour website, the track features just two Par 5s but also four Par 4s under 380 yards, so this is not a long stretch by any means.

There are bunkers and some water hazards – including a couple of holes flanked by the ocean, so it may be a case that we simply draft players who will find fairways before hitting wedges and short irons into what appear to be large, flat greens.

It’s a bit of a minefield, but here are our picks for the Saudi International.

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This Week’s Saudi International Fantasy Picks & Predictions

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This Week’s Saudi International Fantasy Picks

Sergio Garcia – $10,000 – Given that we know little about this Royal Greens G&CC layout, it might just pay to be a bit more conservative with our draft; as tempting as it is to go in big with Rose and DeChambeau.

Sergio should give us an excellent run for our money nonetheless. He rued a lack of touch with the putter on Sunday, and he was right to given how good he was from tee-to-green. The Spaniard was crushing his tee shots, finding plenty of fairways, and ranked first for Greens in Regulation.

Should that flat stick heat up a little then he looks primed to go close in Saudi Arabia; he has compiled seven consecutive top-10 finishes worldwide after all!

A former winner in the desert of Dubai, conditions *should* suit Garcia this week.

Hao-Tong Li – $9,200 – You may have read about the great injustice for Hao-Tong Li last week.

Defending his Dubai Desert Classic trophy, the Chinaman was going well – although unlikely to challenge the outstanding DeChambeau – when he was docked two penalty strokes for a harsh infringement.

His caddie appeared behind him on the putting green, and while there was no suggestion he was helping Li to line up his putt, rules are rules and the punishment was doled out.

You wonder if that will spur him on to something special this week….

After all, Royal Greens G&CC appears to serve up a blend of Links and desert golf; two areas the youngster is proficient in.

He drove the ball nicely in Dubai last week, finding 55% of the tight fairways at an average of 302 yards, and while there may be more irons off the tee this time around Li can still unfurl the big stick with confidence in Saudi Arabia.

Eddie Pepperell – $8,300 – The affable Englishman’s game isn’t quite where he wants it to be at present, but he is an elite level performer on the European Tour and his salary here is borderline offensive.

He won twice last season – first in the desert of Qatar, and then on the inland Links of the British Masters, and also served up a solo second return at the Scottish Open.

Conditions should suit this week then, as will a shorter length of track than the Emirates GC. He struggled to find fairways there off a shorter driving distance, but still found 64% of fairways and ranked 17th for Putts per Round, so it wasn’t a disastrous effort by any means.

Expect a big improvement from the Twitter superstar this week.

Pablo Larrazabal – $7,700 – The four-time European Tour winner is edging back to something like his best form right now.

Larrazabal has four top-20 finishes in his last six starts, with three of those coming in his last trio of outings.

Two of those have come in the desert – the Spaniard is also a former Abu Dhabi HSBC champion – and so all eyes will be on Larrazabal to follow up once again this week.

Aaron Rai – $7,400 – There may well be a premium on hitting fairways this week with a stiff wind and hazards around, and there are few better in that area right now than Aaron Rai.

He ranked fourth on the European Tour in 2018 for Driving Accuracy, and while he does lack in length clearly at shorter tracks like this playing out of the short grass is a huge advantage.

Rai claimed his maiden European Tour title just three starts ago at the Hong Kong Open, and last week at the Dubai Desert Classic – at a layout which does not suit – he finished T29 having ranked ninth for Driving Accuracy and 12th for GIR.

Matthieu Pavon – $6,800 – If you look at the best performances of the Frenchman, they have typically come at wind-affected coastal layouts like Royal Greens G&CC.

T2 at the Mauritius Open at the tail-end of 2018, Pavon also finished T10 in the Irish Open and T20 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last year.

Add into the mix a solo third at the Scottish Open of 2017, and we see a real sleeper player on the Links forming.

Pavon played pretty well at the Dubai Desert Classic last week too, finishing T24 in a high quality field.

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