Saudi International 2021: Form guide for this week's event on the Arabian Peninsula

A truly top-notch cosmopolitan field has assembled at Royal Greens for the third running of the Saudi International. Words and stats by Andy Swales...
"Without the pressure of trying to secure a maiden PGA Tour victory, Ancer may feel more relaxed in the Middle East. The 29-year-old, who was born in Texas yet raised in Mexico, has already tasted success overseas by winning the Australian Open in November 2018."
The Americans will be out in force when the European Tour's 'desert trilogy' reaches its conclusion this weekend.
Among those flying across the Atlantic to compete in the Saudi International are the two most recent winners of major championships - Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.
Throw in Torrey Pines' champ Patrick Reed for good measure, and the line-up looks fairly impressive.
Yet there's plenty of European talent too. England's world No 7 Tyrrell Hatton tees-up for a third straight week, while 23-year-old Norwegian Viktor Hovland - already ranked 12 - adds even more sparkle to this event.
Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are also in attendance, along with Sunday's winner in Dubai, Paul Casey.
Others attracted to Royal Greens - presumably thanks to large amounts of appearance money - includes three more Americans who are all ranked inside the world's top 30: Tony Finau, Jason Kokrak and Kevin Na.
All three remain well placed within the US Ryder Cup standings, with Na in confident mood following his victory in Hawaii three weeks ago.
Check out the latest betting ahead of this week's Saudi International at Royal Greens
Mexican Abraham Ancer is another rising star taking part in this event which is now in its third year.
All in all, six players who posted top-three finishes on either the European or PGA tours over the weekend, will be teeing-up in Saudi Arabia this Thursday.
World No 1
Dustin Johnson makes his third successive appearance in the tournament. The 36-year-old world No 1 is yet to disappoint the sponsors having won the inaugural Saudi International in 2019, while finishing second 12 months ago.
His worst 18-hole score at Royal Greens is 68 and his eight-round average is 66.38.
DeChambeau and Ancer both posted top-six finishes on their only previous appearances here, although Reed is yet to finish inside the top 50 from two attempts.
Without the pressure of trying to secure a maiden PGA Tour victory, Ancer may feel more relaxed in the Middle East.
The 29-year-old, who was born in Texas yet raised in Mexico, and has dual citizenship, has already tasted success overseas by winning the Australian Open in November 2018.
Latest odds for the year's opening major championship at Augusta National in April
Two Europeans who are flying a little under the radar at present are Bernd Wiesberger and Sergio Garcia.
Both are currently on decent runs, with Garcia returning to the winners' enclosure on the PGA Tour last autumn thanks to a victory at a low-key event in Mississippi - his 11th success on American soil.
Course details
Opened in September 2017, this modern, beautifully contoured course was laid out close to Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.
Not long by modern standards, Royal Greens has gently undulating fairways accompanied by plenty of sand and a fair quantity of water.
The bunkers are big, with lakes making a sizeable appearance on six holes.
The venue is located in King Abdullah Economic City, which has only been in existence since 2005, when it became one of five new commercial hubs built in Saudi Arabia.
The city is situated around 60 miles north of Jeddah, and just over 100 from Mecca.
Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive
Note: List Contains Leading Reserves
Last 10 Weeks / Royal Greens Form (2019-20)
Position
- 1–5
- 6–15
- 16–25
Player | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | W52 | W51 | W50 | W49 | W48 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dustin Johnson | 11 | |||||||||
Tyrrell Hatton | 22 | 1 | 8 | |||||||
Bryson DeChambeau | 7 | |||||||||
Patrick Reed | 1 | MC | 21 | 3 | ||||||
Viktor Hovland | 2 | 31 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
Tony Finau | 2 | 4 | 31 | 8 | ||||||
Paul Casey | 1 | 8 | ||||||||
Tommy Fleetwood | 17 | 7 | 10 | |||||||
Kevin Na | MC | 1 | 38 | |||||||
Abraham Ancer | 5 | MC | 17 | 12 | ||||||
Jason Kokrak | 29 | 56 | 35 | |||||||
Victor Perez | MC | 46 | 7 | |||||||
Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 22 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Shane Lowry | 27 | MC | ||||||||
Lee Westwood | 17 | 62 | 2 | |||||||
Justin Rose | 35 | 57 | ||||||||
Bernd Wiesberger | 6 | 25 | 36 | 8 | ||||||
Robert MacIntyre | 3 | 16 | 23 | 19 | 6 | |||||
Sergio Garcia | 6 | 47 | 11 | |||||||
Matt Wallace | 51 | 7 | 29 | 2 | ||||||
Ian Poulter | MC | MC | 43 | |||||||
Andy Sullivan | 48 | 25 | 10 | 2 | ||||||
Danny Willett | 44 | 16 | 32 | 30 | ||||||
Lucas Herbert | 22 | 25 | ||||||||
Sami Valimaki | 51 | MC | 5 | 13 | ||||||
Henrik Stenson | MC | 46 | 36 | |||||||
Phil Mickelson | 53 | MC | ||||||||
Aaron Rai | MC | 25 | 51 | 50 | ||||||
Thomas Pieters | 27 | 41 | 36 | 25 | ||||||
Rafael Cabrera-Bello | 35 | 4 | MC | |||||||
Martin Kaymer | 44 | MC | 14 | 37 | ||||||
Thomas Detry | 9 | MC | 29 | 37 | ||||||
Graeme McDowell | MC | MC | Wd | MC | ||||||
George Coetzee | 60 | 11 | 29 | 40 | MC | |||||
Rasmus Hojgaard | 9 | 25 | 51 | MC | ||||||
Jazz Janewattananond | 25 | 57 | 37 | |||||||
Garrick Higgo | MC | MC | 14 | MC | MC | |||||
John Catlin | MC | MC | 54 | |||||||
Antoine Rozner | 9 | 16 | 36 | 1 | ||||||
Matthias Schwab | 9 | 25 | 14 | 13 | ||||||
Brandon Stone | 2 | MC | 23 | 32 | 23 | |||||
Mike Lorenzo-Vera | MC | 41 | 2 | |||||||
Jason Scrivener | 41 | 2 | ||||||||
Romain Langasque | MC | 16 | ||||||||
Marcus Kinhult | 60 | MC | 32 | 62 | ||||||
Jorge Campillo | MC | MC | 57 | 66 | MC | |||||
Takumi Kanaya | 9 | MC | 5 | |||||||
Adri Arnaus | 9 | 12 | 10 | MC | 6 | |||||
Laurie Canter | 4 | MC | 5 | MC | ||||||
Benjamin Hebert | 51 | 16 | 61 | MC | ||||||
Kurt Kitayama | 20 | 35 | ||||||||
Joachim B Hansen | MC | MC | 43 | 20 | ||||||
Renato Paratore | 67 | MC | 60 | 13 | ||||||
Paul Waring | MC | MC | 25 | |||||||
Francesco Laporta | MC | 2 | ||||||||
Adrian Otaegui | 51 | MC | 14 | 37 | 20 | |||||
Marc Warren | 5 | 32 | 8 | |||||||
Kalle Samooja | 4 | MC | 23 | MC | ||||||
Wilco Nienaber | MC | MC | 23 | 11 | 12 | |||||
Joost Luiten | 44 | 35 | 43 | 11 | 31 | |||||
Masahiro Kawamura | MC | 57 | 14 | 23 | ||||||
Jamie Donaldson | MC | 36 | 2 | MC | ||||||
David Lipsky | 35 | 5 | ||||||||
Justin Harding | 27 | 62 | 48 | |||||||
Wade Ormsby | 22 | 12 | ||||||||
Min Woo Lee | MC | MC | ||||||||
Dean Burmester | 35 | MC | 14 | 4 | MC | |||||
Hao Tong Li | MC | MC | 56 | |||||||
Adrian Meronk | MC | 2 | ||||||||
Calum Hill | 46 | 14 | 13 | |||||||
Gavin Green | 71 | MC | 57 | MC | 47 | |||||
Sebastian Soderberg | MC | 66 | 19 | |||||||
Jordan Smith | 60 | 52 | 47 | 25 | ||||||
Matthew Jordan | 37 | 25 | ||||||||
Ryan Fox | 41 | MC | ||||||||
Sean Crocker | 51 | MC | 14 | 22 | 2 | |||||
Scott Jamieson | 27 | 16 | 48 | 32 | 6 | |||||
Sebastian Heisele | MC | MC | ||||||||
Mikko Korhonen | 35 | 15 | 30 | |||||||
Matthew Southgate | MC | 41 | ||||||||
Guido Migliozzi | 44 | MC | MC | |||||||
Ross Fisher | 60 | MC | 51 | 7 | ||||||
Jhonattan Vegas | MC | 20 | ||||||||
Chris Paisley | MC | 7 | ||||||||
Andrew Johnston | MC | |||||||||
Connor Syme | MC | 36 | 10 | MC | ||||||
Steven Brown | 48 | MC | 8 | 51 | ||||||
Pablo Larrazabal | 51 | MC | 48 | 35 | 39 | |||||
Jack Senior | 58 | MC | ||||||||
Andrea Pavan | Wd | Wd | Wd | |||||||
Oliver Farr | MC | 20 | ||||||||
Ross McGowan | MC | MC | MC | MC | ||||||
Fabrizio Zanotti | 27 | 7 | MC | 11 | ||||||
Dave Horsey | MC | MC | 22 | 31 | ||||||
Justin Walters | 59 | MC | 20 | 25 | ||||||
Alexander Bjork | 35 | 46 | MC | |||||||
Richie Ramsay | 68 | MC | ||||||||
Kiradech Aphibarnrat | 60 | MC | Wd | |||||||
Jeff Winther | 27 | 61 | MC | |||||||
Joel Stalter | MC | 68 | MC | |||||||
Darius Van Driel | 51 | 44 | ||||||||
Victor Dubuisson | MC | 25 | ||||||||
Alexander Levy | 9 | 25 | MC | 6 | ||||||
Grant Forrest | 27 | 54 | 64 | 6 | ||||||
Richard Sterne | 20 | 25 | 25 | 47 | ||||||
Scott Hend | MC | 57 | MC | MC | ||||||
Robin Roussel | 64 | 31 | ||||||||
JaydenTreySchaper | 48 | 51 | 2 | |||||||
Zander Lombard | MC | MC | MC | MC | ||||||
Matthieu Pavon | MC | MC | 54 | 58 | 57 | |||||
Lorenzo Gagli | MC | MC | MC | MC | ||||||
Ashun Wu | 9 | MC | ||||||||
Harry Hall | 47 | |||||||||
Shubhankar Sharma | 22 | MC | 55 | MC | ||||||
Nino Bertasio | 41 | 35 | MC | |||||||
James Morrison | MC | 46 | 19 | |||||||
Cormac Sharvin | MC | 25 | ||||||||
David Drysdale | MC | 35 | MC | MC | ||||||
Nacho Elvira | 51 | 16 | MC | MC | ||||||
Julien Guerrier | MC | 52 | 9 | MC | ||||||
Julian Suri | MC | MC | MC | 35 | ||||||
Maximilian Kieffer | MC | MC | MC | |||||||
Edoardo Molinari | 66 | MC | ||||||||
Ricardo Santos | MC | MC | ||||||||
Stephen Gallacher | MC | 16 | 30 | |||||||
Oliver Fisher | MC | MC | MC | MC | ||||||
Tapio Pulkkanen | MC | 41 | 58 | |||||||
Oliver Wilson | MC | 54 | 13 | |||||||
Alvaro Quiros | MC | MC | 46 | MC | ||||||
Gaganjeet Bhullar | MC | MC | ||||||||
Ashley Chesters | 51 | MC | ||||||||
Soren Kjeldsen | MC | 62 | MC | |||||||
Haydn Porteous | MC | MC | MC | MC | ||||||
Miguel Angel Jimenez | 68 | |||||||||
Eduard Rousaud | MC | |||||||||
Ernie Els | MC | |||||||||
Paul Dunne | ||||||||||
David Law | MC | MC | 25 | MC | ||||||
Kristoffer Broberg | MC | 16 | ||||||||
Richard McEvoy | MC | MC | MC | 25 | ||||||
Thomas Bjorn | MC | MC | ||||||||
Thomas Aiken | MC | |||||||||
David Howell | MC | MC | Wd | MC | ||||||
Shergo Al Kurdi | MC | |||||||||
Chris Wood | 60 | MC | MC | 39 | ||||||
Raphael Jacquelin | MC | MC | MC | |||||||
Othman Almulla | ||||||||||
Faisal Salhab | ||||||||||
Saud Al Sharif |
Player | 2020 | 2019 |
---|---|---|
Dustin Johnson | 2 | 1 |
Tyrrell Hatton | ||
Bryson DeChambeau | 6 | |
Patrick Reed | MC | 56 |
Viktor Hovland | ||
Tony Finau | ||
Paul Casey | ||
Tommy Fleetwood | ||
Kevin Na | ||
Abraham Ancer | 6 | |
Jason Kokrak | ||
Victor Perez | 38 | 13 |
Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 21 | MC |
Shane Lowry | 13 | |
Lee Westwood | MC | MC |
Justin Rose | MC | |
Bernd Wiesberger | MC | MC |
Robert MacIntyre | MC | 44 |
Sergio Garcia | 6 | Dq |
Matt Wallace | 44 | MC |
Ian Poulter | 17 | 6 |
Andy Sullivan | 27 | MC |
Danny Willett | ||
Lucas Herbert | 27 | |
Sami Valimaki | ||
Henrik Stenson | 44 | MC |
Phil Mickelson | 3 | |
Aaron Rai | 27 | 34 |
Thomas Pieters | 3 | 22 |
Rafael Cabrera-Bello | 56 | |
Martin Kaymer | 13 | |
Thomas Detry | 6 | 42 |
Graeme McDowell | 1 | |
George Coetzee | MC | |
Rasmus Hojgaard | MC | |
Jazz Janewattananond | 56 | |
Garrick Higgo | ||
John Catlin | ||
Antoine Rozner | 70 | |
Matthias Schwab | 44 | 24 |
Brandon Stone | MC | MC |
Mike Lorenzo-Vera | MC | 13 |
Jason Scrivener | ||
Romain Langasque | MC | 44 |
Marcus Kinhult | 56 | 18 |
Jorge Campillo | MC | 42 |
Takumi Kanaya | ||
Adri Arnaus | 27 | MC |
Laurie Canter | ||
Benjamin Hebert | 27 | MC |
Kurt Kitayama | MC | |
Joachim B Hansen | MC | 24 |
Renato Paratore | 27 | 18 |
Paul Waring | MC | 54 |
Francesco Laporta | 44 | |
Adrian Otaegui | 38 | 24 |
Marc Warren | ||
Kalle Samooja | 56 | MC |
Wilco Nienaber | ||
Joost Luiten | 44 | 6 |
Masahiro Kawamura | 72 | |
Jamie Donaldson | MC | |
David Lipsky | 24 | |
Justin Harding | 56 | 11 |
Wade Ormsby | MC | MC |
Min Woo Lee | MC | 4 |
Dean Burmester | 11 | MC |
Hao Tong Li | 21 | 2 |
Adrian Meronk | 27 | |
Calum Hill | MC | |
Gavin Green | 3 | 11 |
Sebastian Soderberg | 38 | MC |
Jordan Smith | 56 | 54 |
Matthew Jordan | MC | 34 |
Ryan Fox | 27 | 6 |
Sean Crocker | 38 | MC |
Scott Jamieson | 69 | MC |
Sebastian Heisele | 44 | |
Mikko Korhonen | MC | 44 |
Matthew Southgate | MC | 51 |
Guido Migliozzi | MC | |
Ross Fisher | 6 | 13 |
Jhonattan Vegas | 17 | |
Chris Paisley | MC | 24 |
Andrew Johnston | ||
Connor Syme | 52 | |
Steven Brown | 21 | MC |
Pablo Larrazabal | 13 | 64 |
Jack Senior | 17 | |
Andrea Pavan | MC | 34 |
Oliver Farr | MC | |
Ross McGowan | ||
Fabrizio Zanotti | 56 | 24 |
Dave Horsey | MC | MC |
Justin Walters | 67 | 44 |
Alexander Bjork | 27 | |
Richie Ramsay | 21 | MC |
Kiradech Aphibarnrat | ||
Jeff Winther | 44 | MC |
Joel Stalter | ||
Darius Van Driel | MC | |
Victor Dubuisson | 6 | 18 |
Alexander Levy | 38 | 5 |
Grant Forrest | 27 | MC |
Richard Sterne | 13 | |
Scott Hend | MC | 6 |
Robin Roussel | ||
JaydenTreySchaper | ||
Zander Lombard | MC | 18 |
Matthieu Pavon | 11 | MC |
Lorenzo Gagli | 56 | 44 |
Ashun Wu | 13 | MC |
Harry Hall | ||
Shubhankar Sharma | MC | MC |
Nino Bertasio | 70 | 30 |
James Morrison | 44 | MC |
Cormac Sharvin | MC | |
David Drysdale | MC | MC |
Nacho Elvira | 52 | MC |
Julien Guerrier | 76 | |
Julian Suri | ||
Maximilian Kieffer | 72 | 57 |
Edoardo Molinari | 56 | 34 |
Ricardo Santos | MC | |
Stephen Gallacher | 21 | MC |
Oliver Fisher | MC | MC |
Tapio Pulkkanen | MC | MC |
Oliver Wilson | MC | |
Alvaro Quiros | MC | MC |
Gaganjeet Bhullar | 67 | 34 |
Ashley Chesters | 56 | MC |
Soren Kjeldsen | 38 | MC |
Haydn Porteous | 74 | 51 |
Miguel Angel Jimenez | ||
Eduard Rousaud | ||
Ernie Els | 52 | MC |
Paul Dunne | 51 | |
David Law | MC | MC |
Kristoffer Broberg | ||
Richard McEvoy | 21 | |
Thomas Bjorn | MC | MC |
Thomas Aiken | MC | |
David Howell | 27 | MC |
Shergo Al Kurdi | MC | |
Chris Wood | ||
Raphael Jacquelin | MC | MC |
Othman Almulla | MC | MC |
Faisal Salhab | MC | |
Saud Al Sharif | MC | MC |
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