First of all, some terrible news ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with Rory McIlroy forced to withdraw from the tournament because of a rib injury.
The Abu Dhabi tournament was developing into a cracker, especially given the incredible strength of the field with three of the world’s top-four ranked players participating. When the highest ranked player in the event goes out, it does have an impact, but I am sure that the drama on the field will still be extremely intense when the action begins Thursday.
I just hope Rory gets well soon. You get the feeling that he really was up for 2017. Last year was a good one with three tournament wins and the FedEx Cup triumph, and yet, it was disappointing given the many missed opportunities and his play at the majors.
Although he played last week’s South African Open with the injury, you could see he was in fine nick. Of all the new clubs he has in his bag, I was most impressed with his putter. And when he is putting well, Rory is hard to beat.
As a self-proclaimed expert in golfing injuries — and yes, I have had something similar in the past — I think Rory has taken the best possible step by deciding to rest and give himself time to heal the injury. As was evident with his play over the last three days in the SA Open, it is possible to ‘manage’ injuries and continue, but that is definitely not the wisest thing to do.
Rory has a phenomenal record at the National course — finishing outside the top-five only twice in nine appearances — so he would have been a serious contender for the title. What he does very well on that golf course is drive long and straight, and if you can do that, you give yourself a lot more birdie chances in Abu Dhabi.
Someone who follows a similar game plan as Rory is Dustin Johnson, so I do expect him to contend even though this is his first time in the tournament. I think he is going to love the golf course, and we all know he makes quick starts to his season.
Two players I will keep an eye on this week are Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters. There are three obvious reasons to like Kaymer’s chances — his three trophy runs in 2008, 2010 and 2011. He really feels comfortable on the golf course, as does the big-hitting Pieters, who finished second last year and fourth the year before.
On the Asian Tour, it is a big week for us at the Singapore Open. I am starting my season at Sentosa Golf Club, a venue where I recorded one of the biggest wins of my career in the same tournament in 2008. It’s a new year and I am feeling good about my body, so hopefully I will have some good things to talk about next week!
— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time champion on the European Tour
