A maiden European Tour victory arrived for Robert MacIntyre in the Cyprus Showdown last month and the in-form Scottish left-hander has got his sights set on a quick follow-up in this week’s Golf in Dubai Championship.
MacIntyre survived two cuts then fired a Sunday 64 to claim Cyprus glory, following his third place in the Cyprus Open the previous week. His only subsequent outing resulted in sixth spot in the Alfred Dunhill Championship – a great result considering he opened with a sluggish 72 – and the 2019 European Tour Rookie of the Year is finishing 2020 with a flourish.
MacIntyre, who needs to move from 61st in the world rankings to inside the top 50 before the end of the year if he is to book a ticket for next year’s Masters, is 12/1 for victory in Dubai. The event starts on Wednesday and ends on Saturday.
Lewis back on the European Tour
The PGA Tour has become the focus of Tom Lewis post-lockdown and he almost won the WGC-St Jude Invitational in Memphis at the start of August, but the Englishman is back in a regulation European Tour event this week and could go close at 33/1.
Lewis fired a third-round 61 when dazzling over the weekend in Memphis, giving a triumphant Justin Thomas most to think about on the final day, and that performance was enough for him to move into the world’s top 50.
Subsequent Stateside struggles, though, mean Lewis has dropped back outside of the all-important top 50 and he needs to make an impact in the Middle East if he is to revive hopes of a 2021 Masters invitation. He started using Brad Faxon as a putting coach earlier in the year, so will be hoping that improved flat-stick form can be married to his typically strong ball-striking.
Lewis has finished in the top seven in the DP World Tour Championship the last two years at the Earth Course. The neighbouring Fire Course is being used this week and he could take a similar shine to it. Both tracks are designed by Greg Norman.
Olesen may be ready to fire
The Golf in Dubai Championship seems a superb opportunity for Thorbjorn Olesen to put a difficult period behind him by claiming a sixth European Tour title.
Olesen has dropped a long way down the world rankings due to some personal challenges, but his form has slowly but surely improved since he returned to the circuit and he will be looking forward to tackling a low-scoring Dubai course.
The Dane can usually be relied upon for strong putting and his flat-stick ability means he is capable of carding the four rounds in the 60s which will probably be needed for victory this week.
Olesen can boast eight top-ten finishes in European Tour events staged in the Middle East and the 60/1 about him holding silverware aloft on Saturday will appeal to plenty of punters.
*All odds correct at time of writing