Saudi International 2020: Form guide for this week's lucrative event in the Arabian Peninsula

Andy Swales
27 January 2020

Saudi International 2020, Royal Greens Country Club

A bird's-eye view of Royal Greens Country Club on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast

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The European Tour remains in the Middle East, with the players travelling to Royal Greens Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Stats and words supplied by Andy Swales...

"Tom Lewis was not even ranked inside the world’s top 400 in early August 2018, since when he has won tournaments on three different tours. His tie-for-third in Dubai on Sunday moved him into the top 50 and he now heads for Royal Greens where he stood on the podium last year."

A third straight week on the Arabian Peninsula takes the European Tour to King Abdullah Economic City, for a second helping of the Saudi International.

King Abdullah Economic City has only been in existence since 2005, when it became one of five new commercial hubs built in Saudi Arabia, with the aim of controlling congestion in the country's other major conurbations.

Once again, the tournament is being played at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club which is situated around 60 miles north of Jeddah, and just over 100 from Mecca.

Opened in September 2017, this modern, beautifully contoured course was laid out alongside Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

Not long by modern standards, scoring was fairly straightforward during the venue's Tour debut 12 months ago, when champion Dustin Johnson posted a four-round total of 261.

The gently undulating fairways are accompanied by plenty of sand, plus a fair quantity of water.

The bunkers are big and bountiful, with lakes making sizeable appearances on seven holes.

Big Name Americans Teeing-Up

The tournament can certainly boast of another strong field, with Americans out in force for a second straight year.

Johnson defends his title, with world No 1 Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed also teeing-up.

Mexico's world No 30 Abraham Ancer is another who has travelled across the Atlantic to take his place in a field which does not contain any of Europe's top-four ranked golfers - possibly for political reasons.

As for world No 5 Johnson and Koepka, neither arrives with a great amount of competitive action behind them in recent months.

Johnson has contested just one 72-hole tournament since last August - finishing in a tie-for-seventh at Kapalua in early January - while Koepka's only event since mid-October was a tie-for-34th in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.

Check out latest betting ahead of this week's Saudi International

Reed, however, would appear to be a much better proposition this week, with the 2018 Masters champion jetting in from San Diego where he posted a sixth top-10 from his last nine outings.

The organisers have also enticed Phil Mickelson to take part. Leftie is now the world No 86, and hasn't had a top-15 finish in almost a year.

Impressive Run

But one pro who has turned his fortunes around remarkably, during the past 18 months, is Tom Lewis.

The Englishman was not even ranked inside the world's top 400 in early August 2018, since when he has won tournaments on three different tours.

His tie-for-third in Dubai on Sunday moved him into the top 50 and he now heads for Royal Greens where he stood on the podium last year.

Another fast riser is world No 30 Ancer who was runner-up in the California desert two weeks ago.

The 28-year-old, who was born in Texas but raised in Mexico, is a frequent traveller and was winner of the 2018 Australian Open.

European Talent

Young Scot Robert MacIntyre continues to impress. He has not finished lower than 28th in his last nine starts and, on Sunday, tied-for-eighth in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Up-and-coming Spaniard Adri Arnaus, who posted three runner-up finishes on the European Tour during 2019, tees-up on Thursday, just a few days after standing on the podium in Dubai.

Finally, one other player who is starting to show improved form, is two-time major winner Martin Kaymer.

The German has opened 2020 with a brace of top-20 finishes in the Middle East.

Over the past nine months Kaymer has registered some solid, if not spectacular, results but is without a victory since the 2014 US Open.

Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

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Position

1–5
6–15
16–25

Player	W4	W3	W2	W1	W51	W50	W49	W48	W47
Brooks Koepka		34
Dustin Johnson				7
Patrick Reed	6		MC	2			3		28
Shane Lowry	11	MC	2						12
Bernd Wiesberger	MC	8							28
Henrik Stenson	37	23					1		44
Lee Westwood	50	1							38
Abraham Ancer		2	38				33
Matt Wallace	MC	64							28
Jazz Janewattananond	MC	3	4		1	1	20	29	20
Victor Perez	16	2							20
Sergio Garcia	23	8					MC		6
Rafael Cabrera-Bello	MC	12							20
Erik Van Rooyen	37	12	22						28
Ian Poulter	16	MC							44
Tom Lewis	3	MC							6
Paul Waring	MC	12							14
Robert MacIntyre	8								14
Mike Lorenzo-Vera	8	34							3
Hao Tong Li	MC	41						2	43
Christiaan Bezuidenhout	2	59	MC				21	MC	12
Andrea Pavan	MC	MC	30						49
Matthias Schwab	23	42							20
Justin Harding	37	51	MC				MC	7	36
Phil Mickelson	MC	MC
Marcus Kinhult	MC								16
Thomas Pieters	37	30					13		6
Joost Luiten	66	42							20
Benjamin Hebert	45	MC					4		38
Graeme McDowell	MC		4	23
Jorge Campillo	MC	34							18
Romain Langasque	27	34					26		40
Martin Kaymer	16	8
Guido Migliozzi	MC	MC							16
Calum Hill		MC			68		17	13
Adri Arnaus	3	51							28
Thomas Detry	32	55	28		2		4		28
Francesco Laporta		17	MC					MC
Andy Sullivan	Dq	21	6						10
Sebastian Soderberg	70	42
Jordan Smith	32	21							47
Mikko Korhonen	30	MC							28
Wade Ormsby	MC	51	1		3		27
Matthew Southgate	MC	MC							28
Ryan Fox	30	MC			27		21
Joachim B Hansen	58	MC	45						36
Jhonattan Vegas	30	55
Masahiro Kawamura	56	17	MC					7	44
Pablo Larrazabal	MC	MC						1
Joakim Lagergren	MC	21			35
Jack Senior		30	4		33		60	MC
Richard Sterne	MC	MC	MC					14	20
Nicolas Colsaerts	50	42			7		MC
Matthew Jordan							MC	49
Aaron Rai	71	MC							40
Ross Fisher	MC	6						69
Darius Van Driel								MC
Sebastian Heisele	66	21	MC
Zander Lombard	58	34	MC				26	7
Antoine Rozner			51				2	36
Kalle Samooja	27	MC
Brandon Stone	MC	21	MC				13	59
Rasmus Hojgaard	MC	MC	MC				1	49
Alexander Bjork	45	69					MC	MC
Sam Horsfield	MC	12	62
Gavin Green	27	21	15		35			2
Adrian Otaegui	45	MC						33
Richie Ramsay	58	42
Lucas Herbert	1	67			64		MC
Min Woo Lee			15		3		MC	3
Maverick Antcliff			13		44		21	3
Robin Roussel			MC				MC	14
Scott Hend	MC	17	47		12	59			49
Adrian Meronk		MC					MC	42
Oliver Wilson	MC	MC						61
Scott Jamieson	32	8
Steven Brown	MC	MC
Shubhankar Sharma	MC	59					MC
Sean Crocker	58	42	MC
Renato Paratore	MC	21					2	19
Dean Burmester	3	MC	MC				MC	MC
Chris Paisley	MC	MC	57
Richard Bland		MC	22				60	42
Sebastian Rodriguez Garcia					Wd		49	MC
Cormac Sharvin								MC
Ricardo Santos			MC				65	MC
Connor Syme			22				9	11
Oliver Farr			28				63	MC
Justin Walters	MC	55	MC				33	MC
Nacho Elvira	16	67
Fabrizio Zanotti	MC	MC
Alvaro Quiros	MC	MC
Alexander Levy	MC	MC
Edoardo Molinari	MC	21					MC	33
Callum Shinkwin	58	MC	MC
Jeff Winther	37	59	36				MC	49
Jack Singh Brar	16	12					38	36
Nino Bertasio	66	MC	15
Jeung-Hun Wang	MC	MC			54	8
Grant Forrest	16	66					4	55
Ashley Chesters	MC	42					26
Robert Rock	MC	MC
Tapio Pulkkanen	32	MC	15
Gaganjeet Bhullar	50	MC					MC
Ashun Wu	6	MC					13	9
David Law	50	69	MC				43	59
Stephen Gallacher	MC	MC
Lorenzo Gagli	43	MC					26	42
Robin Sciot-Siegrist			MC				8	MC
Soren Kjeldsen	37	51					13	MC
Sami Valimaki			51		64			MC
Maximilian Kieffer	MC	MC
David Drysdale	58	55	MC				MC	36
Oliver Fisher	MC	42						MC
Gregory Havret			MC				54	49
Matthieu Pavon	11	55					17	42
Ernie Els							MC	64
Jamie Donaldson		MC	MC
Victor Dubuisson	MC	69
Thomas Aiken	MC	MC					MC	33
Benjamin Poke	MC		MC				MC	36
Dave Horsey	MC	MC
Laurie Canter			MC					14
Haydn Porteous	MC	59	45		20		26	55
James Morrison	MC	MC	MC					55
Adrien Saddier			MC				MC	36
Richard McEvoy	MC	MC	MC				MC	MC
Julien Guerrier	32	MC	49				9	MC
Jin Ho Choi						10
Aaron Cockerill					27		MC	MC
SSP Chawrasia		32	22		48	33	MC
Thomas Bjorn	Wd	65						MC
Alejandro Canizares			MC		33		MC	24
David Micheluzzi		65	69		MC		33	MC
Carlos Pigem			MC				49	68
Raphael Jacquelin	MC	MC	MC				MC
Ahmed Marjan	MC
David Howell	MC	73	MC		MC		MC	Wd
Akshay Bhatia		MC							MC
Saud Al Sharif
Othman Almulla	MC
Jamie Elson
Sebastian Crampton

Player	2019
Brooks Koepka	57
Dustin Johnson	1
Patrick Reed	56
Shane Lowry
Bernd Wiesberger	MC
Henrik Stenson	MC
Lee Westwood	MC
Abraham Ancer
Matt Wallace	MC
Jazz Janewattananond
Victor Perez	13
Sergio Garcia	Dq
Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Erik Van Rooyen	MC
Ian Poulter	6
Tom Lewis	3
Paul Waring	54
Robert MacIntyre	44
Mike Lorenzo-Vera	13
Hao Tong Li	2
Christiaan Bezuidenhout	MC
Andrea Pavan	34
Matthias Schwab	24
Justin Harding	11
Phil Mickelson
Marcus Kinhult	18
Thomas Pieters	22
Joost Luiten	6
Benjamin Hebert	MC
Graeme McDowell
Jorge Campillo	42
Romain Langasque	44
Martin Kaymer
Guido Migliozzi
Calum Hill
Adri Arnaus	MC
Thomas Detry	42
Francesco Laporta
Andy Sullivan	MC
Sebastian Soderberg	MC
Jordan Smith	54
Mikko Korhonen	44
Wade Ormsby	MC
Matthew Southgate	51
Ryan Fox	6
Joachim B Hansen	24
Jhonattan Vegas
Masahiro Kawamura
Pablo Larrazabal	64
Joakim Lagergren	MC
Jack Senior
Richard Sterne	13
Nicolas Colsaerts	61
Matthew Jordan	34
Aaron Rai	34
Ross Fisher	13
Darius Van Driel
Sebastian Heisele
Zander Lombard	18
Antoine Rozner
Kalle Samooja	MC
Brandon Stone	MC
Rasmus Hojgaard
Alexander Bjork
Sam Horsfield	34
Gavin Green	11
Adrian Otaegui	24
Richie Ramsay	MC
Lucas Herbert
Min Woo Lee	4
Maverick Antcliff
Robin Roussel
Scott Hend	6
Adrian Meronk
Oliver Wilson
Scott Jamieson	MC
Steven Brown	MC
Shubhankar Sharma	MC
Sean Crocker	MC
Renato Paratore	18
Dean Burmester	MC
Chris Paisley	24
Richard Bland
Sebastian Rodriguez Garcia
Cormac Sharvin
Ricardo Santos
Connor Syme
Oliver Farr
Justin Walters	44
Nacho Elvira	MC
Fabrizio Zanotti	24
Alvaro Quiros	MC
Alexander Levy	5
Edoardo Molinari	34
Callum Shinkwin
Jeff Winther	MC
Jack Singh Brar	MC
Nino Bertasio	30
Jeung-Hun Wang	MC
Grant Forrest	MC
Ashley Chesters	MC
Robert Rock	34
Tapio Pulkkanen	MC
Gaganjeet Bhullar	34
Ashun Wu	MC
David Law	MC
Stephen Gallacher	MC
Lorenzo Gagli	44
Robin Sciot-Siegrist
Soren Kjeldsen	MC
Sami Valimaki
Maximilian Kieffer	57
David Drysdale	MC
Oliver Fisher	MC
Gregory Havret
Matthieu Pavon	MC
Ernie Els	MC
Jamie Donaldson
Victor Dubuisson	18
Thomas Aiken
Benjamin Poke
Dave Horsey	MC
Laurie Canter
Haydn Porteous	51
James Morrison	MC
Adrien Saddier
Richard McEvoy
Julien Guerrier
Jin Ho Choi
Aaron Cockerill
SSP Chawrasia
Thomas Bjorn	MC
Alejandro Canizares	MC
David Micheluzzi
Carlos Pigem
Raphael Jacquelin	MC
Ahmed Marjan
David Howell	MC
Akshay Bhatia
Saud Al Sharif	MC
Othman Almulla	MC
Jamie Elson
Sebastian Crampton