The 25th edition of Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which has been a breeding ground for the game’s stars, makes a welcome return to the ruggedly handsome Doha Golf Club for the first time since 2019.
No fewer than four players won the Qatar Masters before going on to win various Major championships while fully-established Major champions have also prevailed over the windswept course.
Paul Lawrie famously won the second edition of the tournament in 1999 and later that year went on to win the Claret Jug at The Open at Carnoustie. Australian Adam Scott twice won in Qatar (2002, 2008) before he clinched his maiden Major title at the Masters in 2013.
Henrik Stenson wowed the galleries at Doha in 2006 before finally becoming a Major champion at Royal Troon a decade later while Sergio Garcia won in 2014 before winning the Masters three years later.
Meanwhile multiple Major winners Ernie Els (2005) and Retief Goosen (2007) also have a Mother of Pearl trophy in their cabinet, showcasing the tournament’s ability to attract the best.
First unveiled in 1997, the layout at Doha was the design of celebrated golf architect Peter Harradine, who has worked on over 160 courses around the world, and features eight stunning lakes, 65 giant cacti and a number of striking limestone rock formations that contrast with the bright fairways and sandy desert beyond the ropes.
The 18-hole Championship course is known to be a strern challenge from the back tees and offers many strategic and exciting holes, where the scratch golfer can test his skills.
A spectacular new double green will welcome the players on holes 9 and 18 this year after the club made significant changes to the course over the last year. The huge new green wraps around the existing lake, bringing the action closer to the clubhouse, enhancing the building’s visibility during play.
All of the greens have also been completely relayed with the majority of them expanded back to their original size and reinstated back to their original slopes and elevations, with the greens on holes 4 and 7 receiving very slight changes to their contouring.
The work to the putting surfaces was the first of its kind since the course was first constructed, with the grass on the greens changing to the paspallum ‘dynasty’ species.
“Driving the ball is key to performing well at Doha Golf Club as conditions get quite tough and the wind can test your game,” said 2005 champion Ernie Els. So, who out of the current crop of players is expected to shine later this week?
England’s Laurie Canter is a player who could certainly threaten having led in Strokes Gained (Off The Tee) last season.
He missed the cut the last time he played at Doha Golf Club in 2018 but his game has come on leaps and bounds since then with a first DP World Tour win surely just around the corner.
Big-hitting Wilco Nienbar shocked the golfing world in 2020 when his power was on show at Joburg Open as he unleashed an astonishing 439-yard drive off the tee on the fourth. Could his mammoth distance be the key to unlocking a first win on the DP World Tour?
Whoever wins this week, it’s almost certain they’ll be near the top of the driving statistics with accuracy and strokes gained off the tee pivotal to mastering the layout and the elements.
