Out of the Rough: Qatar Masters (2026)

What once served as the final regular season event of the DP World Tour season, the Qatar Masters moved to its new February time slot two seasons ago.

Now, for the third consecutive season, the event will be played during the DP World Tour’s “International Swing” in the early part of the season.

This is also the final week in the Middle-East for the DP World Tour before a week off and the continuation of the International Swing in Kenya.

This event has been a part of the schedule since 1998.

It will once again be played at the Doha Golf Club. It was held for a brief two year stint at Education City between 2020 and 2021. It has been held at Doha Golf Club for every other installment.

The Field

Following the recent news of Patrick Reed stepping away from LIV, he’s once again slated to tee it up on the DP World Tour.

The idea is for Reed to play a full DP World Tour schedule this season for a better placement on the PGA Tour when he is able to return in late August of this season.

He’ll once again headline this week’s field in the desert with the likes of Jayden Schaper, Andy Sullivan, Julien Guerrier, Daniel Hillier, Nacho Elvira, Wenyi Ding, Dan Bradbury, Marcus Armitage and Eugenio Chacarra as notable names playing this week. 

Haotong Li comes in as the defending champion, having topped Ramus Neergaard-Petersen by a stroke a season ago. Both will not be returning this week as they are on the PGA Tour.

Other former winners teeing it up this week include Rikuya Hoshino (2024,) Ewen Ferguson (2022,) Antoine Rozner (2021,) Jorgue Campillo (2020,) Justin Harding (2019,) Eddie Pepperell (2018,) Chris Wood (2013) and Darren Fichardt (2003.)

The Course

Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar is this week’s host and plays as a Par 72 at 7,466 yards.

It was designed by Peter Harradine, the man also responsible for the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

This course underwent some significant changes between the 2019 and 2022 editions as the course was revamped.

The greens of the par five ninth and 18th holes were combined to form one big green. Additionally, all of the greens were changed from Bermuda to a strain of paspalum called Dynasty Grass.

Additionally, the majority of the greens were expanded back to their original sizes and reverted back to their original slopes and elevations.

The intention of these revamped greens were for them to run at around 11.5 on the Stimpmeter, which is slightly faster than the previous installments. 

The fairways this week run average in terms of width and the rough is essentially non-penal.

There is water in play on six holes (three, eight, nine, 13, 15 and 18.) Both the front and back nine end on a par five as well.

The four par fives featured this week must be attacked as they annually average a score below par. The driveable par four 16th plays as the easiest hole on the course as well.

Doha Golf Club is a very exposed course that is more susceptible to high winds that will play its part in the outcome this week.

Such happenings took place in 2022 with weekend weather conditions being far from ideal as Ferguson shot a final round of 70 to secure a one-stroke victory.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, there is a zero-percent chance of precipitation for Thursday as Friday, Saturday and Sunday each call for just a five-percent chance. Temperatures will begin this week at 75-degrees on Thursday before settling to 73-degrees for Friday. Temperatures will climb back to 74-degrees on Friday and 75-degrees on Sunday. Winds will be at the highest on Thursday at 15 miles-per-hour before settling to nine miles-per-hour for both Friday and Saturday. Winds will pick up to 12 miles-per-hour on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Average Driving Distance

• Scrambling

• Birdie or Better Percentage

• Bogey Avoidance

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Par Five Average Scoring

Betting Card

Wenyi Ding (+4000)

So far this season, Ding is currently third on Tour in SG: PUTT, seventh in par-five average scoring, 11th in birdie-or-better percentage, 12th in SG: ATG, 26th in scrambling, 30th in bogey avoidance, 64th in average driving distance, 73th in GIR% and 91st in SG: APP. Ding missed the cut last week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship but prior to that placed 19th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 18th at the Crown Australian Open and second at the BMW Australian PGA Championship. He’ll be making his Qatar Masters debut this week. 

Jorge Campillo (+4000)

Campillo has been great at this event across the past five seasons. He placed T50th a season ago, placed fifth in 2024, was the runner-up in 2023, placed T65th in 2022 and T28th in 2021. Campillo placed 16th last week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, 19th in Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 23rd at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and 23rd at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. So far this season he is currently third on Tour in SG: APP, ninth in bogey avoidance, 32nd in scrambling, 34th in average driving distance, 46th in GIR%, 50th in SG: PUTT, 80th in birdie-or-better percentage, 84th in par-five average scoring and 101st in SG: ATG.

Manuel Elvira (+10000)

Elvira is currently 17th on Tour in par-five average scoring, 23rd in scrambling, 24th in bogey avoidance, 25th in birdie-or-better percentage, 31st in average driving distance, 37th in SG: APP, 47th in SG: ATG, 50th in GIR% and 73rd in SG: PUTT. He placed 41st last week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, 61st at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, seventh at the AfrAsia Mauritius Open and 46th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He also played this event each of the past two seasons, placing T25th a season ago and T13th in 2024.

Niklas Lemke (+15000)

Lemke has been consistent to start the season. He placed 24th last week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, 67th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 32nd at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and 32nd at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He is currently tenth on Tour in GIR%, 18th in bogey avoidance, 35th in scrambling, 39th in both average driving distance and birdie-or-better percentage, 47th in both SG: APP and par-five average scoring, 51st in SG: PUTT and 118th in SG: ATG. He’s also been really good at this event over the past five seasons. He placed T10th here a season ago, placed T21st in 2023, missed the cut in 2022 and placed T9th in 2021. 

Anthony Quayle (+20000)

Quayle placed 31st last week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Prior to that he placed ninth at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, missed the cut at the Crown Australian Open and placed tenth at the BMW Australian PGA Championship. He is currently seventh on Tour in SG: PUTT, 12th in par-five average scoring, 13th in SG: APP, 14th in both scrambling and bogey avoidance, 24th in average driving distance, 27th in birdie-or-better percentage, 39th in GIR% and 119th in SG: ATG. He’ll be making his tournament debut this week.

2025 Betting Card

• Haotong Li (+3500) - 1st

• Scott Jamieson (+6500) - MC

• Ivan Cantero (+7500) - T14th

• Hamish Brown (+8000) - MC

• Corey Shaun (+30000) - MC

2024 Betting Card

• Zander Lombard (+2000) - T16th

• Frederic LaCroix (+3500) - MC

• Rikuya Hoshino (+4000) - 1st

• Haotong Li (+15000) - T16th

2023 Betting Card

• Alexander Bjork (+2000) - MC

• Romain Langasque (+3500) - MC

• Matt Wallace (+3500) - T9th

• Alex Fitzpatrick (+5000) - MC

• Richie Ramsay (+7000) - T36th