Edoardo Molinari dives into the stats and stars from the Middle East

Since the DP World Tour began playing events in the Middle East over 35 years ago, the desert stretch has long become one of the most anticipated spells of the season.

The Dubai Desert Classic – now one of the marquee events in the calendar – was the first event on Tour held in the Arabian Gulf in 1989, and this year marked the start of our International Swing.

From Emirates Golf Club, where Tyrrell Hatton won a record-equalling fifth Rolex Series title, we headed to another Emirate for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and saw Alejandro del Rey crowned a first-time DP World Tour winner.

From there, we visited the Kingdom of Bahrain where fellow Englishman Laurie Canter won his second DP World Tour title via a play-off, before the four-event spell came to a dramatic climax in Qatar as Haotong Li sunk a clutch birdie putt to claim a one-shot victory on the 72nd hole.

Here, as we take a one-week break in the International Swing, three-time DP World Tour winner and Europe’s Ryder Cup Vice Captain Edoardo Molinari gives us his perspective on the dynamics of playing in the desert, who shone and offers some fun facts as one of golf’s leading data analysts.

READ MORE:

• International Swing: How it stands, swing standouts and what's still to come

• Analysing the equipment used by DP World Tour players in the Middle East

Desert dynamics: What does it demand of players?

“Courses in the desert usually have less penalty for bad tee shots and they tend to reward long hitters and good putters,” said Molinari, who retained his DP World Tour membership for the 2025 Race to Dubai via the Qualifying School last year.

“It can be windy sometimes in Qatar and Bahrain, but weather conditions are usually favourable, with warm weather and firm greens.

“A lot of courses have reachable par fours, so again that’s another factor that favours long hitters.”

Who were the standout acts in the desert?

With four different winners from the desert spell, what does the data say about who made a big impression?

Laurie Canter

After finishing third in Dubai, the Englishman then won in Bahrain two weeks later after opting to skip the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. He gained 1.6 shots/round overall, including nearly a full shot off the tee (+0.929). However, he lost shots on the greens (-0.368 shots/round), and his real weakness is putting inside six feet where he lost -0.500 shots/round. If he can improve on that then he could have an unbelievable season.

David Puig

The Spaniard may have only played two events, but he showcased his ability by finishing third in Ras Al Khaimah and tied fourth in Bahrain. The 24-year-old was the only player to gain at least two shots/round overall. He did so with a great overall performance, gaining 0.5 shots or more in every area of the game, while he was 18 yards longer than the field average, so his distance was a key attribute. He was also a birdie machine as he made 2.3 more birdies/round than the rest of the field.

Brandon Robinson Thompson

After missing the cut in Ras Al Khaimah, he finished tied eighth in Bahrain – having shot a course record 61 in the first round – and third in Qatar, being in contention over the weekend both times. He gained at least +0.250 shots/round in every area of the game. He looks like a confident player and an unbelievable putter, even when looking back in the tournaments he played last year on Tour. He didn’t play as well on the weekends as he did in the first two days as his putter went cold in both Bahrain and Qatar. If he can sustain it over four days, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with this year.

'His game is very similar to Collin Morikawa' - Which DP World Tour rookie is being tipped for the top?

When it comes to one player who stood out above the rest for Molinari, Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is called out for particular praise.

After winning the HotelPlanner Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings last season, he got off to a great start this year with a top ten in Dubai and a runner-up finish in Qatar. Rasmus is one of the best iron players in the game and even in these first four events he gained +0.835 shots/round with his approach shots. He is slightly longer than the average off the tee but he is very accurate. He can be streaky on the greens but his putting wasn’t that good in the desert, so he still has a lot of room to improve. He will win as soon as he finds a good week on the greens. His game is very similar to Collin Morikawa and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rasmus follows his footsteps in the future.

Fun facts

From best tee shot to the toughest green to putt on, here are some statistical facts from the past four weeks.

• Best tee shot: David Ravetto, Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, Round 2, Hole 16, from 297 yds to 2 ft, SG +1.432

• Best approach shot: Keita Nakajima, Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Round 4, Hole 18, Shot 2, from 240 yds on the fairway into the hole, SG + 2.603

• Best putt: Alexander George Frances, Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, Round 2, Hole 3, Shot 2, from 77 ft into the hole, SG +1.351

• Most difficult tee shot: Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, Round 3, Hole 15, SG difficulty (avg shots lost per player) -0.244

• Most difficult approach shot: Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Round 2, Hole 9, SG difficulty (avg shots lost per player) -0.263

• Most difficult green to putt on: Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, Round 4, Hole 15, SG difficulty (avg shots lost per player) -0.166