In fine form and with a successful history in the Emirates, Rafael Cabrera-Bello lists the first instalment of our weekly golf tips...
Rafael Cabrera-Bello – {ODDS:134185258:16/1}
Henrik Stenson is the favourite at this week’s Dubai Desert Classic, but Cabrera-Bello is in the kind of form that can beat the World No. 4.
The Spaniard has earned top-20 finishes in his last three starts, having placed second at the Hong Kong Open and joint-sixth at the Qatar Masters last week.
Cabrera-Bello has been successful in Dubai in the past, too. He won here in 2012 and finished just one shot behind winner Danny Willett last year.
With forgiving rough and wide fairways, the Majlis course is ideally suited to a long hitter off the tee.
Given that Cabrera-Bello ranked seventh in greens in regulation percentage in 2016 and is fifth in that category this year, he has the power game to win this weekend.
Jeunghun Wang – {ODDS:134185295:28/1}
Another player in fine form is Wang, who could earn back-to-back victories after triumphing at the Qatar Masters last week.
The 21-year-old South Korean lost a three-shot lead on the final day in Doha but showed his mettle by rallying to win a three-man play-off for his third European Tour title.
Should Wang win here, it would not be the first time that he has earned consecutive victories.
He followed up his success at Morocco’s Hassan II Trophy last year by winning the Mauritius Open in his next start.
And that this is his debut at the Mejlis course is of little concern, as his wins in Doha and Morocco both came in his first appearances at those tournaments.
Thomas Aiken – {ODDS:134185323:33/1}
Of the last 11 winners of this tournament, eight have ranked among the top five in greens in regulation percentage.
That bodes well for in-form 33-year-old Aiken, who led all European Tour players in that category last season and ranks fourth in 2017.
The steady South African shot rounds of 68, 68, 69 and 68 to finish tied for fourth at the Qatar Masters in his last start – just one shot off the three-man play-off.
And having finished fourth, fifth, 13th and fourth in his last four starts, he looks a fine bet at {ODDS:134185121:13/2} to place in the top five again this weekend.
Best of the rest
Bernd Wiesberger
Despite having failed to win a tournament since July 2015, Wiesberger has long been one of the European Tour’s most consistent players.
The Austrian is in good form, having finished fifth or better in six of his last nine starts.
He can be backed at {ODDS:134185099:4/1} to finish in the top five again here.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood beat a strong field to win in Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago, firing a final-round 67 to finish one shot clear of World No. 3 Dustin Johnson.
He missed the cut in Qatar last week, but has shown that he can win on the desert swing and is an attractive price at {ODDS:134185356:33/1}.
Tiger Woods
Expecting Woods to win this – in what is just his third start since August 2015 – is unrealistic, particularly after he missed the cut at Torrey Pines last week.
But aside from two rounds of 76 in his last two events, he has played relatively well.
This course is set up to negate his biggest weakness – accuracy off the tee – and a top-10 finish, priced at {ODDS:134185062:7/2}, is feasible for a player who has won this event twice and finished in the top 10 four times in his five appearances.
