Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2021: Your form guide ahead of this week's event in the Persian Gulf

The European Tour opens its 2021 calendar with an immediate return to the Middle East.

After closing last season with a brace of tournaments in the Gulf States, the Tour heads back to the region for three more lucrative events.

First up is the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which is also the opening Rolex Series event of the new campaign.

With a total prize fund of $8m, of which $1.33m goes to the winner, the tournament has attracted a decent field which includes five top-20 ranked players.

First staged in 2006, the event has remained at Abu Dhabi Golf Club throughout its history and is now one of the foremost stops on the European Tour schedule.

Birdies' barrage

With an average winning score of exactly 270 - 18-under-par - Abu Dhabi has gained a reputation for being a birdie-fest.

This long, flat desert layout has reasonably wide fairways and large greens, while water comes into play on 11 holes.

The course was toughened up ahead of the 2012 instalment but, after a brief halt to scores of 270 and below, winning 72-hole totals have slowly returned to levels witnessed during the early years.

Opened in 1998, Abu Dhabi has plenty of sand - both official and unofficial - with four sharp dog-leg holes.

On the tee

The only golfer in this week's field to have played competitively this year is Justin Thomas, who was third at Kapalua two weeks' ago.

For most of those teeing-up, this will be their first taste of tournament action for at least six weeks.

Thomas, however, will be making his first start at Abu Dhabi where the form guy is Rory McIlroy.

Check out the latest betting ahead of this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

McIlroy made his Abu Dhabi debut as a teenager and, in 10 starts since 2008, has stood on the podium seven times - yet remarkably has never held aloft the trophy.

Two Englishmen who also have good records here are Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood - the latter is a two-time champion.

In fact, both have solid histories on desert courses in the Middle East, with Fitzpatrick winning the European Tour finale in Dubai twice - most recently last month.

Although the 26-year-old from Sheffield is not recognised as being the longest of hitters, it has not prevented him from making big money on courses which do tend to favour the men of muscle.

Others with respectable records on this course, include Bernd Wiesberger, Martin Kaymer and Joost Luiten.

Kaymer is actually a three-time champion in Abu Dhabi, posting a trio of victories between 2008 and 2011. He returned to the world's top 100 last September.

He also tied-eighth 12 months ago when the German topped the category for Strokes Gained: Tee To Green.

But with birdies ready to be unleashed as ever, a hot putter remains vital in Abu Dhabi.

And with all but one of this week's contingent needing to dust off their Christmas and New Year cob-webs, making a quick start on Thursday will definitely be important.

Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves