The 2024 DP World Tour season has reached its penultimate event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, a valuable Rolex Series contest which marks the start of the newly coined DP World Tour Play-Offs.
Staged at Yas Links for the third straight season, the Abu Dhabi Championship previously took place at the beginning of the year, but it has been moved to November and now features the top 70 available players on the DP World Tour rankings.
The top 50 after the conclusion of this week's tournament will then move on to Dubai for the traditional curtain-closer, the DP World Tour Championship at the Earth Course, where the destination of the season-long Harry Vardon Trophy will be decided.
Rory McIlroy, the current Race to Dubai leader, is the favourite at Yas Links which, as its name suggests, is a venue which boasts of being the first true links in the Middle East.
Those with experience of links conditions are likely to be at an advantage.
- SHANE LOWRY TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
- THORBJORN OLESEN TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
- NICOLAI HOJGAARD TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
Lowry Primed For More Abu Dhabi Glory
While McIlroy is a deserving favourite, he didn't entirely get on with Yas Links in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Championship and, at around four times the price, it could pay to back his close friend Shane Lowry.
Lowry won the 2019 Abu Dhabi Championship at a different course and, while he too has not yet got to grips with Yas, he is an accomplished links golfer who will surely be a factor at the venue in the near future.
The 37-year-old, who followed his 2019 Abu Dhabi win with success in the Open Championship at Portrush, has consistent form figures of 13-9-12-12-13-12 from his last six worldwide events, suggesting he's not far away from a return to the winner's circle.
SHANE LOWRY TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
Olesen Could Prove Difficult To Stop
Thorbjorn Olesen has also been in superb form of late, finishing 12th at both the Irish Open and Dunhill Links, a runner-up in the Open de France and seventh at the Andalucia Masters in his last five starts.
The Dane has a long-held reputation as a high-class links golfer, while he has a lot of form to his name in the Middle East, winning his most recent DPWT title in nearby Ras Al Khaimah in January.
Olesen has also won at Verdura Resort, a coastal Sicilian course designed by Kyle Phillips, the man behind Yas Links.
THORBJORN OLESEN TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
Hojgaard Set To Keep Season Alive
Nicolai Hojgaard won the DP World Tour Championship last season, but the Dane, who sits in 67th place on the Race to Dubai rankings, needs a big week if he's to jump into the top 50 and earn a chance to defend his title.
It's not been a vintage season for the 23-year-old, who has been upstaged by brother Rasmus recently, but he's found some ball-striking consistency at last, finishing 18th in the Open de France, 20th in Andalucia and ninth at the Genesis Championship last time out.
Hojgaard will need to step it up again to win this week, but he's shown he's more than capable of doing so. He was tenth at Yas Links last season.
NICOLAI HOJGAARD TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
