>>Abu Dhabi Field Loaded

 

This week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship features a loaded field including Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood. This event is always one of the favorites early in the season. With McIlroy's much anticipated return to the course and Johnson and Fleetwood trying to replicate their shootout from a year ago, this year should be especially good.

 

Dustin Johnson: 5-1

Justin Rose: 8-1

Rory McIlroy: 8-1

Henrik Stenson: 18-1

 

It has been just over 100 days since we've seen McIlroy, and he was both optimistic and excited at his season-opening press conference. After what most would call a lost year in 2017, McIlroy said he worked on both his fitness and health over the winter and felt well enough to work on his game continuously.

 

Just like Torrey Pines on the PGA Tour, Abu Dhabi always seems to be a marker on the European Tour side of things. It's one of the biggest tournaments of the first quarter of the year on either side of the pond, and we've gotten tremendous winners in past years. Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey (twice) and Martin Kaymer (three times) have all won this tournament since its inauguration in 2006. The runner up list might be even more impressive. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Thomas Pieters, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson (twice), Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy (four times).

 

>>Masters Field At 80 With Three Months To Tournament

 

The Masters is less than 100 days away, and the smallest annual major field is starting to round into shape. There are a variety of ways to qualify for the most prestigious event in golf, but only 80 golfers have done so thus far. 

 

According to the Augusta Chronicle, 82 had qualified by the end of 2016 and last year's field eventually included 93 golfers. So there's time, but it's running out as more tournaments elapse and spots go unfilled. 

 

21 previews winners is the biggest category that comprises the 80, although it's not the most loaded. With Tiger Woods' return in December, this group includes him, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott and Bubba Watson. 

 

12 major winners in the last three to five years' worth of U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship winners as well as the last three years' worth of Players Championship victors. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka are all in this group.

 

The Masters tees off April 5 and runs until April 8.