Top-five players to watch out for at Commercialbank Qatar Masters this week -Last part
3. Alvaro Quiros
The grizzled Spaniard has pulled in many of his professional European Tour victories on the Middle Eastern turf and is well known for his penchant for the desert golf.
Opening with a disappointing start at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Quiros will be hoping to strike back in the second Middle Eastern event on the European Tour calendar.
Winner of the 2009 Qatar Masters, Quiros has won three times in Middle East. He took over the likes of South African Louis Oosthuizen and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson to post a three shot victory in 2009.
His third round performance of eight-under, had the major chunk of share in his stellar victory. Quiros triumphed in the Dubai Desert Classic last year and also bagged the lucrative Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.
His excellent manipulation of the windy Middle Eastern courses probably traces its roots to the fact that most of the Spaniards are accustomed to windy Mediterranean courses in their home country.
4. Hunter Mahan
Paired with his Ryder Cup nemesis Graeme McDowell, Mahan arrived late in Qatar to open his bid for the Qatar Masters. Although he insists that he is least intimidated by McDowell in his group, the duo will be one of the sought after pairings in the event.
Mahan also insists that the windy Champion Course at Doha Golf Club suits him well and considers it somewhat similar to courses in Miami and Doral.
Mahan said, "I'm coming off a good result last week. That was my first tournament for six or seven weeks. It was good to get back out there and see where my game was at because you're never too sure how you are going to perform having had so many weeks off."
Mahan is ranked number 19 on the Official World Golf Rankings and his showdown with McDowell in 2010 Ryder Cup in Celtic Manor has been one of the most disappointing moments of his career.
Mahan has been part of the 12-member squad in two Ryder Cups and three President’s Cup in his career. McDowell is likely to prove a formidable competitor again with his recent strong finish in Abu Dhabi last week.
He pulled in a glistening Ace in the final round to finish for joint third.
5. Jason Day
Young Australian prodigy, Jason Day will also be starting his season from Doha and will be hoping to strike early in the season. Performing well in last season, Day is brimming with confidence and will be playing in Qatar for the first time.
He is ranked number ten on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) after his glorious performances in Masters and the US Open last year where he finished for the second place.
From a Filipino-Australian descent, Day has won twice on the PGA Tour and is often touted as the number golfer in Australia.
Tags: