Fantasy Golf Predictions – Omega Dubai Desert Classic

European Tour Fantasy Golf Picks and Predictions for the 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

The 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Fantasy Preview

So here we are then: the third and final leg of the European Tour’s Desert Swing takes us back to stunning Dubai for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

This is the last chance to secure a huge payday in the Gulf, and you can’t blame the players for feeling slightly envious of Jeunghun Wang, who bagged the third title of his career – the second in a playoff – and a $400,000 check.  The Korean had taken a three-shot lead into the final round but appeared ill at ease throughout Sunday, surrendering his lead to Jaco van Zyl and the rampaging Joakim Lagergren.  The South African missed two putts to claim the prize on the first extra hole, and Wang made no mistake; becoming the third youngest player to bag three European Tour titles after the late, great Seve Ballesteros and Matteo Manassero.

Wang and company now make the short journey to Dubai’s Emirates Golf Club, and if they had a tailwind it would not have taken them long to get there.  Early forecasts are predicting gusts in excess of 30 mph this week, and so a terrific test of character is expected.

Playing 7,301 yards for its Par 72 mark, the Emirates has often rewarded those who are long off the tee and who can get their ball on the green by any means necessary; GIR, scrambling, it doesn’t matter how you get there here.  Last year’s champion Danny Willett ranked top-five for Putts per Round too, although with average-sized greens playing fairly slow on the stimp, the playing field has been leveled somewhat.

So we’re looking for big hitters who don’t mind a bit of wind this week, and those who played in last week’s Qatar Masters should have an advantage.  Eight of the last ten winners here had done so, and the only pair that hadn’t? Rory McIlroy and peak Tiger Woods.

Oh, and did we mention that the Big Cat is in the field this week?  Keep an eye out for his swing, which appeared to be on an upward curve at Torrey Pines last week.

Tiger doesn’t make our draft this week, unfortunately, as we’ve instead opted for this squad of six at various price points to optimize your DFS fantasy points.

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Our 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Fantasy Picks and Predictions

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2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Fantasy Picks

Andy Sullivan – $9,000 – An outstanding desert golfer, Sullivan was tied for the lead during the third round of the Qatar Masters last week, and while his Sunday showing (a round of 74) might be enough to put off some let’s rewind 12 months: a closing 73 at the Abu Dhabi Championship in 2016 derailed his title claims; just two weeks later, he was finishing T2 at the DDC.  The Englishman ranks inside the European Tour’s top 50 players for Driving Distance and Greens in Regulation, and has stacks of relevant form in correlating blustery conditions: T2 at the Portugal Masters, T5 at the Open de France, T6 at the Scottish Open, and T2 at last year’s Dubai Desert Classic all in the past 12 months.  His four trips to the Emirates now read 2-4-MC-12.

Chris Wood – $8,200 – Like Sullivan, Chris Wood is highly adept at playing in blustery, Links-style desert conditions, and his continued improvement in the past few weeks – 68 in his second round in Abu Dhabi, T11 in Qatar – suggests we are drafting the three-time European Tour winner at just the right time.  Wood has made the weekend in eight of his last nine starts and finished top-25 in five of them, and he’s another who thrives on this kind of test: in the past 12 months alone, he’s recorded T11 in the Qatar Masters, T11 at the Open de France, T8 at the Dubai Desert Classic, T23 at the US Open and, of course, there’s his victory at the BMW PGA Championship to factor in too.

Danny Willett – $7,800 – There’s an element of gamble here, but in recording finishes of 1-13-13 at the Emirates in his last three starts, the Masters champion has confirmed his suitability for this test and is a bargain price here.  Defending his crown will give Willett a boost, and while a missed cut in Abu Dhabi will be enough to secure him low ownership this week, finishes of T11 and T6 at the Nedbank Challenge and Hong Kong Open just prior to Christmas suggests his game is returning to some kind of order.  Perhaps the thrill of being introduced as the reigning champion here will push him over the cliff back to his best?  He generally shows up when defending – T4 at the Nedbank in 2015 after winning a year prior, T12 at the European Masters when defending the same – so let’s get on board with the major winner here.

Jorge Campillo – $7,400 – There’s a lot to like about Campillo’s chances this week, and we suspect that he will enter the winner’s enclosure at some point in 2017….so why not here?  He was only five shots back in Qatar last week – exacerbated by a third round of 75 – and his T11 finish was incredibly his fifth top-20 return in eight starts; great news for DFS value hunters.  He finished T20 or better in locations as diverse (and windy) as India, Ireland, Qatar, Malaysia, Scotland, and Italy in 2016, so he’s clearly getting closer to a first European Tour title.

Scott Hend – $6,600 – It is generally a case of feast or famine with the Aussie, who has missed as many cuts as he has recorded top-10s in the past 12 months; seven, to be precise.  The more forgiving rough at the Emirates will suit his long but errant tee game, and in finishing T8 here last year he has confirmed our suspicions that this is a track that will suit.  A two-time winner in 2016 who is used to rogue weather courtesy of his time on the Asian Tour, he should bag plenty of daily fantasy points this week.

Callum Shinkwin – $6,500 – We are going to continue supporting this fine young English talent as we believe big things are just around the corner, and while this is his first trip to the Emirates GC we suspect his length off the peg (ranking 20 on Tour for Driving Distance) and ability to hit greens (23rd for GIR) will stand him in good stead.  For just $6,500, we’re getting a young talent that finished T23 in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago, and who recorded top-20s at the correlating Portugal Masters, Scottish Open, Irish Open, and Open de France in 2016.  Yes, he missed the cut in Qatar, but not after an opening salvo of 68.  There is bags of potential in Shinkwin, let’s hope he realises it in Dubai this week.

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Cover photo via Instagram