Ras Al Khaimah Championship 2025 Tips: Jamie goes for back-to-back winners

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley put up Tyrrell Hatton last week as his top selection in his Dubai Desert Classic 2025 Tips on the DP World Tour and the Englishman came through to give Jamie a nice big profit.

The tour stays in the Middle East and here is Jamie Worsley's comprehensive preview. Five golfers have caught his eye. Check out who and why as we go through his Ras Al Khaimah 2025 Tips...

Following Tyrrell Hatton's eighth DP World Tour victory in the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club last week, we head a little north of Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah. Where the International Swing portion of the season continues with the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club. 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Ras Al Khaimah Championship debuted on the DP World Tour in 2022, as one of back-to-back events – preceding the Ras Al Khaimah Classic – staged at Al Hamra Golf Club.  

This was out of necessity due to ongoing problems caused by COVID-19. Though when the Ras Al Khaimah Classic was dropped the following year, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship remained on the schedule. 

Nicolai Hojgaard won that very first edition in 2022, firing a score of -24 to beat Jordan Smith by four shots. Ryan Fox then claimed the RAK Classic the following week, with a winning score of -22 enough to see off Ross Fisher by five. 

Daniel Gavins won the second edition of the RAK Championship in 2023 in tougher conditions, shooting -17 to win by one. He did so in dramatic fashion, as he arrived at the final hole with a comfortable three-shot lead but was then forced to hole a 20ft+ double bogey putt after finding the water twice. 

The event returned to its low-scoring ways last year, as Thorbjorn Olesen shot -27 to cruise to a six-shot victory over fellow Dane, Rasmus Hojgaard. Olesen returns to defend his title this week. 

THE COURSE 

Al Hamra Golf Club opened for play in 2007 and was designed by Peter Harradine – architect of other Middle Eastern courses such as Qatar Masters host, Doha Golf Club and former Abu Dhabi Championship host, Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. 

It hosted three events on the Challenge Tour prior to becoming a DP World Tour venue: the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge (2016, 2017) and the Challenge Tour Grand Final (2018). 

This course plays as a par 72 and measures 7378 yards this week. There are 4x par 3s (166-214 yards), 10x par 4s (353-486 yards) and 4x par 5s (574-607 yards). 

Al Hamra GC is your typically flat, open and exposed desert course, and as such, its difficulty can be impacted by windy conditions, as we saw in 2023. However, when calm it is clearly there for the taking, which has been evidenced by the course producing three winning scores of -22 or lower in the four DPWT events staged here. 

The undulating fairways are narrow – described by Padraig Harrington as some of the narrowest he's seen in 2022 – and can run pretty firm due to their sandy base. However, they lack real punishment for missing, with the rough short again last year after being allowed to grow in 2023 and possessing limited bunkering. Though you could cop an unlucky lie in one of the many waste areas that line the holes. 

The undulating paspalum greens are small-average in size and can be tricky to hit. That being said – and similarly to the fairways – they don't really penalise players for missing, ranking as the easiest scrambling test on tour. When combined with the greens themselves also ranking as the simplest to putt, we see why scoring here is often low. 

The one defence at Al Harma comes from water features, which are in-play on eight holes. This is no more prominent than on the 574-yard par 5 18th, where it ominously guards the entire right-hand side of hole, from the narrow fairway to the huge multi-tiered green. 

We witnessed what can happen there in 2023, especially if the wind is blowing and we'll again be looking towards the weather to toughen up the setup this week. 

THE WEATHER 

The forecast is predicting a bright, clear and warm week in Ras Al Khaimah, with temperatures reaching 26C. 

Wind should be a non-factor, blowing at a gentle 6mph throughout the week and though it could gust at up to 19mph, it shouldn't be a constant enough threat to have an impact on scoring. 

KEY STATS 

• SG: Approach/ Greens-in-Regulation 

With another birdie-fest on the cards, it's vital that players are strong in approach and/or on the greens if wanting to contend. Which has been proven by each winner in the previous three years. 

Thorbjorn Olesen was excellent with his irons when winning last year, ranking 1st in greens-in-regulation and 2nd in approach.  

Nicolai Hojgaard was almost equally as strong when taking this title in 2022, ranking 1st in approach and 8th in GIR. Runner-up to Hojgaard, Jordan Smith ranked 3rd in GIR and 3rd-place finisher, Haotong Li ranked 2nd in approach. 

Meanwhile, Ryan Fox ranked 3rd in approach and 3rd in GIR in the RAK Classic that same year. 

• SG: Putting (paspalum) 

Quality on the greens was hugely important for each of last year's top two, as Thorbjorn Olesen ranked 4th, whilst runner-up, Rasmus Hojgaard led the putting stats. 

Daniel Gavins also led the field on the greens when winning in 2023, as Alexander Bjork in 2nd ranked 5th. 

Although Nicolai Hojgaard was all about the ball-striking in 2022, some of his nearest challengers putted excellently. Most notable of these was Adrian Otaegui in 3rd, who ranked 1st in putting.  

Ryan Fox then ranked 6th with the putter when winning the following week. 

• SG: Off-the-Tee/Driving Distance 

Though we may have seen both long and accurate types go well at Al Hamra, the openness of the course and lack of severe punishment aside the fairways has created bomber-heavy leaderboards. 

Last year's winner, Thorbjorn Olesen doesn't lack for length and runner-up, Rasmus Hojgaard ranked 5th in driving distance and 8th off-the-tee. In addition, 3rd-place finisher, Frederic LaCroix – another lengthy driver – ranked 1st OTT. 

Each of the top two in this event in 2022, Nicolai Hojgaard and Jordan Smith, ranked 1st and 2nd OTT respectively, with Hojgaard also 3rd in driving distance. 

There was also plenty of strong driving on show in the RAK Classic that year. Champion, Ryan Fox ranked 9th in driving distance, runner-up Ross Fisher ranked top 5 both OTT and in driving distance and Zander Lombard in 3rd ranked 6th in each area. 

• Birdie Average 

With winning scores of -22, -24, -17 and -27 here, players will need to attack to get in the mix in the Middle East, and we can look towards the birdie average stat to simply find those most prolific scorers in the field. 

CORRELATING EVENTS 

Qatar Masters (Doha Golf Club) 

Due to their firm, sandy nature and generally exposed layouts, golf right across the Middle East should give us some kind of clue this week. Though I've chosen three events in this area that look particularly strong comps. 

First of these is fellow Harradine-design, Doha Golf Club. It has many of those traits mentioned above that are typical to this area. With it's paspalum greens, similar driving challenge and use of water, it is an obvious place to start. 

Notable correlating form: 

Jordan Smith: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st, 2nd) / Qatar (5th, 6th) 

Thorbjorn Olesen: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st, 4th) / Qatar (2nd, 3rd) 

Pablo Larrazabal: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Qatar (4th, 5th) 

Adrian Otaegui: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Qatar (5th) 

Adrian Meronk: 

Ras Al Khaimah (4th, 6th) / Qatar (3rd) 

Rikuya Hoshino: 

Ras Al Khaimah (6th) / Qatar (1st) 

Joshua Grenville-Wood: 

Ras Al Khaimah (9th) / Qatar (6th) 

Abu Dhabi Championship (Abu Dhabi Golf Resort) 

The other Harradine design that was regularly used on the DPWT is Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. Scoring was often low there in the Abu Dhabi Championship and with similar stats in driving, scrambling difficulty and bogey avoidance, it should be a key comp here. 

It hasn't been seen on the DPWT since 2021, which somewhat impacts form ties with this newer event, though it did host the 2023 Abu Dhabi Challenge on the Challenge Tour. 

Notable correlating form: 

Thorbjorn Olesen: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st, 4th) / Abu Dhabi (2nd) 

Ross Fisher: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Abu Dhabi (2nd) 

Victor Perez: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Abu Dhabi (2nd) 

Pablo Larrazabal: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Abu Dhabi (1st, 2nd) 

Joshua Grenville-Wood: 

Ras Al Khaimah (9th) / Abu Dhabi (2nd) – Challenge Tour  

Bahrain Championship (Royal Golf Club) 

Royal Golf Club and the Bahrain Championship is the newest addition the Middle East Swing, debuting on tour last year. Though looking a tougher challenge all-round, it put up similar ball-striking numbers to Al Hamra last year and we saw some eye-catching crossover form develop. 

Notable correlating form: 

Zander Lombard: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd, 3rd) / Bahrain (2nd) 

Frederic LaCroix: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Bahrain (4th) 

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 

The sandy, firm turf and openness of the courses often ties together golf in the Middle East with traditional British & Irish links course. Though it may be worth considering many courses in this area, it's the usually low scoring Alfred Dunhill Links Championship that appeals most. 

Notable correlating form: 

Thorbjorn Olesen: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st, 4th) / Dunhill Links (1st, 2nd) 

Ryan Fox: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st) / Dunhill Links (1st, 2nd) 

Daniel Gavins: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st) / Dunhill Links (6th, 6th) 

Victor Perez: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Dunhill Links (1st) 

Ross Fisher: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Dunhill Links (2nd, 2nd) 

Haotong Li: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Dunhill Links (6th, 7th) 

Callum Shinkwin: 

Ras Al Khaimah (4th) / Dunhill Links (2nd) 

Portugal Masters (Dom Pedro – Victoria Course) 

My final course this week is host of the now defunct Portugal Masters, the Victoria Course at Dom Pedro Vilamoura. This is a course that often correlated with Middle East and links courses alike, as an open, scorable venue that suited the bigger hitters.  

Although it hasn't been seen on tour since 2022, we can find plenty of striking comp form. 

Notable correlating form: 

Jordan Smith: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st, 2nd) / Portugal (1st) 

Nicolai Hojgaard: 

Ras Al Khaimah (1st) / Portugal (2nd) 

Ross Fisher: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Portugal (2nd) 

Jose-Filipe Lima: 

Ras Al Khaimah (2nd) / Portugal (5th) 

Matthieu Pavon: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Portugal (2nd) 

Hurly Long: 

Ras Al Khaimah (3rd) / Portugal (5th) 

Brandon Stone: 

Ras Al Khaimah (4th) / Portugal (2nd) 

Masahiro Kawamura: 

Ras Al Khaimah (6th) / Portugal (5th) 

THE FIELD 

Our defending champion, Thorbjorn Olesen is the highest-ranking player in this week's field at #70 and one of six players from inside the top 100, which includes the winner of the 2022 RAK Classic here, Ryan Fox.  

2023 winner of this event, Danel Gavins is also in attendance, as are two of the three players to win at Al Hamra on the Challenge Tour: Jordan Smith and Jens Dantorp. 

Talented Belgian, Adrien Dumont de Chassart is among the four players to take advantage of the special category for players who finished in positions 126-200 in last year's FedExCup on the PGA Tour; LIV's Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters and David Puig add a little more depth to the field; and the lucky last man in is a big one, in the shape of former #3 amateur, Wenyi Ding of China. 

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Thorbjorn Olesen 11/1, Patrick Reed 18/1, Ryan Fox 22/1, Johannes Veerman 22/1, Tom McKibbin 22/1, Keita Nakajima 22/1 

In the absence of the majority of the top players who teed it up last week, this event is much more open and provides an excellent opportunity for most of this field to grab an early win in 2025. 

With that, I'm going to take a chance on a quintet of players yet to have tasted victory at this level, beginning with a duo who may just possess the highest ceilings in this field – first of which is Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. 

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 

Neergaard-Petersen earned an automatic upgrade to the DP World Tour via the Challenge Tour last year, thanks to recording three victories by September.  

Signs were already there that he was very capable at this level, and he has continued to prove this since stepping up. In nine starts since the upgrade, he has missed just one cut and recorded six top-25 finishes, which includes a 10th-place finish in last week's season-opener in Dubai. 

That finish was the result of some top-class ball-striking, as he ranked 6th in approach, 16th off-the-tee and 18th in greens-in-regulation. This was just a repeat of the elite-level long game he showed at the end of last year, ranking 1st in ball-striking in this field over his last 50 rounds. 

Neergaard-Petersen will be making his debut this week, but he is no stranger to winning in the Middle East, as the UAE Challenge was among his three victories on the Challenge Tour last year. An excellent 4th-place finish in last year's Dunhill Links is also a huge boost and suggests this major talent can earn that breakthrough DPWT win. 

David Puig 

Spain's David Puig was in great form on the DPWT at the end of 2024 and with a game that should suit Al Hamra GC, this heavy scorer can start his year in style in Ras Al Khaimah. 

Puig has teed it up on LIV since turning pro in 2022 and though he's yet to win on that circuit, he has supplemented those limited appearances with starts on the Asian Tour, picking up victories in Malaysia and Singapore.  

He arrived at a trio of events on the DPWT in September last year with little form of note but instantly upgraded his level in these meaningful events. He had every chance of winning the Open de Espana, eventually finishing 3rd and backed that up with a 4th-place finish in the Dunhill Links, where he made more birdies than anyone. Before going well again back in his home country, finishing 12th in the Andalucia Masters. 

Puig has quality in all areas, but this bomber is at his best with the driver and on the greens, a combination that has worked for many a player around here. With that 4th-place finish in the Dunhill Links boding well, this looks a great spot for the Spaniard to pick up a first DPWT win. 

David Micheluzzi 

The exciting and unpredictable David Micheluzzi got hit year off to a great start with an 8th-place finish in last week's Dubai Desert Classic. He appeared to find something with his irons there and with some appealing comp form suggesting he can go much better in Ras Al Khaimah than last year's missed cut indicates, I'm keen to take a chance on him this week. 

There were plenty of positives to be found from Micheluzzi's first season on the DPWT. He recorded eight top-25 finishes in 22 starts, four of which resulted in top 10s, and he went closest when runner-up in the BMW International Open. 

He then made an excellent start to the new season in Australia at the end of 2024, finishing 5th in the Aussie PGA. We saw that same energy at Emirates Golf Club last week, where he bookended his week with rounds of 65 and ranked second in birdies made. 

The Australian's birdie-making skills were on show last season, as he ranked 24th in birdie average but that was predominantly to the short game, ranking 4th on the greens. He largely struggled in approach in 2024 but put up some promising numbers last week and though an erratic driver, he should get away with that a little more around this forgiving setup. 

Micheluzzi missed the cut by two last year, but two top-20 finishes in the Dunhill Links and a 16th-place finish in last year's Bahrain Championship gives me confidence he can improve drastically.  

Ugo Coussaud 

Ugo Coussaud's first year on the DPWT offered lots of promise and as a player who looks at home in the desert, he's taken to be among the main contenders at Al Hamra. 

Coussaud recorded nine top-25 finishes last season, including four top 10s, the best of which was a runner-up finish in Qatar. He then looked good on his last start of 2024, finishing 15th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and though only 71st in the Dubai Desert Classic last week, the putter and driver appeared to be in good shape. 

The Frenchman was among the 20 longest drivers on the DPWT last season and while he may be lacking in approach, he makes up for that with a strong short game. As a player who scores well, ranking 33rd in birdie average he has an appealing profile for this test. 

Coussaud was a solid 34th here on debut last year, starting and finishing the event with a 67. Finishes in the Middle East of 2nd in Qatar, 6th in Abu Dhabi and 12th in Bahrain followed, and having also shown an affinity for golf in this area on the Challenge Tour in 2023 – finishing 2nd in the UAE Challenge and 15th in the Abu Dhabi Challenge, at the Harradine-designed Abu Dhabi Resort – this would be an apt place for him to record his first DPWT win. 

Robin Williams 

There were a few I liked at three figures, including last year's Bahrain Championship winner, Dylan Frittelli after his strong start to the year in Dubai last week. However, it's fellow South African, Robin Williams that just edges it and goes in as my final selection. 

Williams enjoyed somewhat of a nomadic status in 2024, flitting between starts on the DPWT, Challenge Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour. Though it was his time on the Challenge Tour that ultimately proved most important, as five top-5 finishes helped him to a ranking of 14th in their season-long standings and earned him a full DPWT card for this season. 

That being said, we saw his ability at this level earlier in the year, as he finished 2nd in the SDC Championship – a co-sanctioned event between the DPWT and Sunshine Tour – and among other strong efforts he finished 4th in the Dunhill Links in October. 

He struggled to retain form in the "wraparound" events at the end of 2024, but he showed much more positive signs upon his return last week, driving it well and looking strong on the greens to finish 45th. 

The driver has looked like his biggest weapon in his limited starts so far at this level, but he has shown quality across most areas. Indeed he was the best iron player in the field across his two rounds at St Andrews in the Dunhill Links. 

Williams will make his debut at Al Hamra this week, though he has enjoyed success in the Middle East before, winning in Jordan on the Mena Tour in 2019 when still an amateur. That performance in Scotland last year also promises much and with further strong links form from his amateur days, such as a runner-up finish in the 2021 St Andrews Links Trophy, it would be no surprise to see him instantly take to this brand of golf at this level. 

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