-
33/1 Robert MacIntyre is a fast starter in the desert
-
40/1 Adrian Otaegui can hit the ground running
-
Back-to-form Paul Waring can shine early at 50s
Weather forecast for Thursday: This is Dubai so sunshine is pretty much guaranteed. Temperatures hit the 90s around 11am and peak at nearly 100 between 1pm and 3pm. Note that the first two-ball in this 50-man field heads out at 08.35 local (04.35 UK) while the final duo (the top two on the Race to Dubai: Ryan Fox and Rory McIlroy) tee it up at 12.45 (08.45 UK). There's a touch more wind in the afternoon but nothing beyond 10mph.
Make it MacIntyre
Robert MacIntyre should be relishing another crack at this event having finished fourth on his third appearance last year.
A winner of the Italian Open in September, the left-hander made that victory the first leg of a run of five straight top 20s so he's been in fine form.
For this bet, I like the fact that he has a history of starting well in the desert.
The Scot was second after day one here in 2020 thanks to a 68 and another 4-under lap put him fifth at the end of 18 holes last year.
He was also fifth following Thursday's action in the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic while he opened February's Ras al Khaimah Classic with a 66 to sit third.
MacIntyre tees off at 11.45 alongside Rasmus Hojgaard, a likely Ryder Cup teammate next year, so he should be at full pelt from the off.
Otaegui can go on birdie spree
Last month Adrian Otaegui produced the performance of his golfing life to score a runaway six-shot victory in the Andalucia Masters at famed Valderrama.
That win in front of his home Spanish crowd was fuelled by an opening 67 that put him sixth after round one.
Otaegui also got going early at last week's Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in South Africa when an opening 69 left him in eighth.
At this event he started out with a 66 to take a piece of the first-round lead in 2018 before finishing fourth while he again shot a six-under lap, this time on Friday, when tied 14th in 2020.
Otaegui was fifth following Thursday's action at the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic while he placed third in the Ras al Khaimah Championship earlier this year.
There's enough current, round one and regional form to guide us towards a FRL punt at 40s. He starts out at 12.05.
Waring worth a go
Paul Waring hasn't qualified for this event since 2019 but he should be chomping at the bit to get back to the Earth Course having shot 68-66 here on the weekend that year to finish in the top 15.
He certainly enjoyed his trips to the UAE that year having earlier finished sixth in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and third in the Dubai Desert Classic.
Last November he opened with a 65 in the Dubai Championship to lie second after day one.
The Liverpool fan has had an excellent second half to the campaign after posting runner-up finishes in both the Cazoo Classic in July and last month's Mallorca Golf Open.
In the latter, Waring was the 18-hole leader after hoisting up a first-round 63.
He was also the halfway leader at the Open de Espana last month and sat seventh after 54 holes of last week's Nedbank Golf Challenge before dropping back.
Waring has the freshest greens as he tees off in the first two-ball at 08.35 so back him at 50/1.