Omega Dubai Desert Classic betting tips
The details
Venue: Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date: January 24-27, 2019
Course stats: Par 72, 7,328 yards
Purse: $3.25 million
Defending champion: Haotong Li (-23)
Weather forecast: Sunny throughout the tournament with temperatures getting up to 26 degrees on Saturday and Sunday and moderate breezes.
TV Coverage
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf, 4am and 11.30am; Sky Sports Main Event, 4am and 11.30am
Friday: Sky Sports Golf, 7.30am; Sky Sports Main Event, 7.30am
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 8am; Sky Sports Main Event, 10am
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am; Sky Sports Main Event, 8.30am
Omega Dubai Desert Classic betting: Each-way tips
Paul Waring (200/1) had done very little since winning the Nordea Masters last August before suddenly popping back into the top 10 in Abu Dhabi.
Even so, it was a surprise to see the Englishman well into three figures with the oddsmakers following that tied 6th.
He’s missed the cut in his last two appearances in Dubai but did finish 13th back in 2014.
He would also have finished significantly better 12 months later had it not been for a horror show of a 79 in the final round.
Waring’s form can be a bit scattergun – he won after missing the cut at the Scottish Open and then didn’t cash again for two months.
But on the back of a decent week, it might be worth a speculative play on him repeating the trick in Dubai.
Alexander Bjork got off a great start in Abu Dhabi before fading away but, at 70/1, he might be worth persisting with.
He was sixth last year and has very good, and recent, form in the United Arab Emirates.
His location displays read 32-12-6-mc-17-13-32 and there seems no reason why he can’t perform at a similar level.
Perhaps a better bet might be to look at him to start the event very strongly and cash in the first round leader market.
Bjork’s 66 last Wednesday in Abu Dhabi is not a fluke. He began with a 65 in Dubai last year and a 67 in the DP World Tour Championship in 2017. In seven opening rounds in the UAE, Bjork has only twice shot worse than 69.
That’s who Steve thinks can perform at a big price, but who does he think is going to win? Turn the page to find out…
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
