World number one Rory McIlroy restarts from Abu Dhabi, while the blue Francesco Molinari debuts on the Pga Tour as a "full member" and begins his adventure in Hawaii. What lies ahead is a golf weekend full of emotions, with two competitions full of great players.
For the Europeans, the Desert Swing begins, a mini circuit of three races on the Persian Gulf: the first is Abu Dhabi (from Thursday to Sunday), next week it goes to Doha, Qatar, then ends in Dubai at the end of January. A splendid programme, which kicks off tomorrow with the HSBC Golf Championship, made even more attractive by Rory's return to the field after the winter rest, determined to experience a new golden season. Up for grabs are 2,3 million euros, almost 400 for the winner.
A fine Italian quintet is also present in Abu Dhabi: Matteo Manassero, Edoardo Molinari, Marco Crespi, Renato Paratore and Alessandro Tadini, admitted to the competition thanks to his fifth place in the South African Open last week.
Overall, the field is of an excellent level and also includes the number two in the world, the Swede Henrik Stenson, the German Martin Kaymer, the English Justin Rose, the Welsh Jamie Donaldson, the Americans Rickie Fowler and Chris DiMarco, the South Africans Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Richard Sterne and George Coetzee, the Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti, the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez, Alvaro Quiros, the French Victor Dubuisson and Raphael Jacquelin and the British Tommy Fleetwood and Andy Sullivan, the latter back from success in South Africa. Defending the title is Pablo Larrazabal, who would like to start the season well to get back into the top fifty players in the world as soon as possible.
A similar objective is certainly also in Francesco Molinari's thoughts, who will be looking for a good 2015 debut on the other side of the world and precisely on the course of the Waialae CC in Honolulu where, from Thursday to Sunday, the Sony Open is held.
Field excellent again, with defending champion Jimmy Walker, who appeared in great form at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last week, where he finished second after a playoff with Patrick Reed. Among our Francesco's rivals stand out Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Russell Henley and Robert Streb, the British Paul Casey and Luke Donald, the Korean Sang-Moon Bae, the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, the Australian Jason Day, the Argentinian Angel Cabrera and Fijan Vijay Singh. The prize pool is $5,6 million with a first coin of 1.008.000.
The eagerly awaited Tiger Woods instead rests again this week, but a few days ago he announced his first appointments on the agenda: the Waste Management Phoenix Open, in Arizona from January 29 to February XNUMX and the Farmers Insurance Open the following week, on the track South of Torrey Pines, San Diego California. Two fields that Tiger knows well, where he will be able to break in his game and his slightly bruised physique. No trip to Dubai instead for the former number one: the Emirs have not renewed his engagement and he goes to Phoenix, in the days of the Desert Classic, certainly stealing some attention and cameras from the "gulf boys".
