The Dubai Creek Resort is the host of the Dubai Invitational, a tournament of the DP World Tour that serves as the starting gun for the year 2024 and kicks off this Thursday. The course is not a novice on the European Circuit. In 1999 and 2000 it hosted the Dubai Desert Classic. It will therefore be its third presence at the highest level.
There are only two courses in Dubai that have been the venue for DP World Tour tournaments three or more times. One is the Emirates Golf Club and the other is the Earth course at Jumeirah, regular venues for the Desert and the Dubai Final. And now let’s go to this fun and zero scientific guesswork…
The first time the Emirates hosted a European Circuit tournament was in 1989. That year Mark James won. The second time was in 1990 and the victory went to Eamonn Darcy. And the third, after a year without a tournament, was in 1992, with a victory for the much-missed Seve Ballesteros.
The first time the Earth course became the venue for the Dubai Final was in 2009, with a victory for Lee Westwood, the following year Robert Karlsson won and in the third edition Álvaro Quirós from Guadiaro won.
And now, having presented these objective and historical data, we remind you that the Dubai Creek Resort will be the venue for a European Circuit tournament for the third time this week. Yes, like with Seve and Quirós. Okay, we know the matter is tenuous, but will it be possible to maintain this wonderful sequence?
You already know that if you cross paths with someone this week and they blurt out: “well, and this week what, which Spanish player is going to win the Dubai Invitational?”. Be clear that it is someone who knows this guesswork and who is also a real joker. Will it be third time lucky again for Spanish golf in Dubai? Hopefully…
The candidates to keep this streak alive are Adrián Otaegui, Pablo Larrazábal, Nacho Elvira, Adri Arnaus and Jorge Campillo. The guesswork squad is not bad at all and you can trust them. Interestingly, none of them have yet won in Dubai, although the powerful history of Spanish golf in this Arab emirate is well known. Let’s not forget that fifty European Circuit tournaments have been held in this country and Spanish golf has won ten. Watch out. Twenty percent. We would sign for this percentage in the next fifty tournaments there.
By the way, taking a look at those two tournaments that were played in 1999 and 2000, it turns out that the Dubai Creek Resort was demanding. If that dynamic is maintained, don’t expect a paradise of birdies. It was won with -13 (David Howell in 99) and with -14 (José Cóceres in 00). In addition, the top 10 closed at -5 and -6 and only 30 and 36 players finished under par. We’ll see if it keeps its claws as sharp this week, although it’s worth remembering that the tournament is played in ProAm format, so the preparation is always a little softer so that the amateurs don’t suffer more than necessary.
The best results of Spaniards at the Dubai Creek Resort in those two editions of the Desert Classic were an eighth place by Miguel Ángel Jiménez in 1999 and an eleventh by Pepín Rivero in 2000. Seve Ballesteros played both editions and missed the cut. The only golfer present at those tournaments and who repeats this week at the Dubai Invitational is Thomas Bjorn. The Dane plays with an invitation, the same as Ken Weyand, an unknown American golfer who has never played a tournament valid for the world ranking and who is 54 years old.
