Bahrain Championship 2026 Betting Tips: Six to shine in the Middle East

Fresh off Patrick Reed’s dominant four-shot success in the Dubai Desert Classic, the DP World Tour continues its Middle Eastern adventure in Bahrain, with the Bahrain Championship at Royal Golf Club.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is back with his usual long-read preview of the event. He's picked out six players he likes the look of this week, so check out Jamie's thoughts and his Bahrain Championship 2026 Betting Tips below...

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TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The DP World Tour (DPWT) returned to Bahrain and Royal Golf Club in 2024 – the first time an event was staged in the country since the 2011 Volvo Golf Champions, also held at Royal Golf Club.

Tournament winners:

• 2025

Winner: Laurie Canter (-14, playoff)

Runners-up: Dan Brown, Pablo Larrazabal (-14)

• 2024

Winner: Dylan Frittelli (-13)

Runners-up: Jesper Svensson, Zander Lombard (-11)

Just two shots separated the top 12 players in an exciting and closely-fought contest in 2025. Laurie Canter came out on top for his second DPWT victory, birdying the first hole of a playoff against Dan Brown and Pablo Larrazabal. He returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Royal Golf Club

• Original architect / Year opened: Colin Montgomerie and European Golf Design / 2009
• Latest renovation: The "excessively undulating" putting surfaces and their surrounds were remodelled and softened in 2023
• Previous tournaments: Volvo Golf Champions (2011)
• Par / Yardage: Par 72 / 7347 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (146-229 yards)
  • 10x par 4s (345-487 yards)
  • 4x par 5s (541-587 yards)
• Average winning score: -13.5
• Course style: Flat, open and predominantly exposed desert course, with firm, undulating ground that makes it linksy in style
• Fairways:
  • Wide and heavily contoured
  • Unlucky bounces can send the ball towards the sizeable, strategically placed bunkers
  • Lined by penal, sandy waste areas and a ravine that comes into play throughout
• Greens:
  • Large, undulating paspalum surfaces that rank 7^th in putting difficulty on the DPWT
  • The majority can be accessed via the front, encouraging play along the ground
  • Littered with steep run-off areas and bunkers, making for a tough scrambling test
• Defences:
  • Water (in play on the final four holes of a demanding closing stretch)
  • Swirling winds make club selection difficult
  • Heavy strategic bunkering

Royal Golf Club is a course that attracts aggression, but this approach often leads to costly mistakes. Risk/reward par 5s and potentially attackable par 4s are offset by a testing finish, and conditions that can quickly change the complexion of the event.

THE WEATHER

The forecast for this week is consistent throughout, with warm temperatures (20°C-plus) and hazy sunshine predicted each day. A stiff breeze of 12-14mph, accompanied by gusts at close to 20mph, is scheduled over the opening two rounds, but this should halve in intensity over the weekend, leading to more scorable conditions.

KEY STATS

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Distance

High-quality and lengthy driving dominated the leaderboard in 2024, and it was a similar story last season.

• 2025
  • Laurie Canter (Winner): ranked 8^th in SG: OTT / 19^th in driving distance
  • Dan Brown (2^nd): 9^th in SG: OTT
  • Martin Couvra (4^th): 14^th in SG: OTT
  • Ivan Cantero (4^th): 1^st in SG: OTT / 2^nd in driving distance
  • David Puig (4^th): 5^th in driving distance
• 2024
  • Dylan Frittelli (Winner): 3^rd in SG: OTT / 3^rd in driving distance
  • Jesper Svensson (2^nd): 7^th in SG: OTT / 4^th in driving distance
  • Zander Lombard (2^nd): 8^th in SG: OTT / 17^th in driving distance
  • Fredric LaCroix (4^th): 4^th in SG: OTT / 13^th in driving distance
  • Ockie Strydom (4^th): 10^th in SG: OTT / 15^th in driving distance

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR)

An ability to access the tricky pins on these large targets has also proven to be an important asset in the first two editions.

• 2025
  • Laurie Canter (Winner): 9^th in SG: Approach / 13^th in GIR
  • Pablo Larrazabal (2^nd): 2^nd in SG: Approach
  • Dan Brown (2^nd): 13^th in SG: Approach / 8^th in GIR
  • Martin Couvra (4^th): 1^st in SG: Approach / 8^th in GIR
  • David Puig (4^th): 7^th in SG: Approach
  • Richie Ramsay (4^th): 14^th in SG: Approach / 13^th in GIR
• 2024
  • Dylan Frittelli (Winner): 2^nd in SG: Approach / 7^th in GIR
  • Zander Lombard (2^nd): 8^th in SG: Approach / 8^th in GIR
  • Jesper Svensson (2^nd): 10^th in GIR
  • Frederic LaCroix (4^th): 10^th in SG: Approach / 10^th in GIR
  • Ockie Strydom (4^th): 14^th in SG: Approach / 15^th in GIR

SG: Putting (paspalum)

Par 5 Scoring

Whilst strength with the long game has been vital, players with an ability to putt sloping paspalum greens are of obvious interest. In addition, taking advantage of the scoring opportunities on the par 5s (none of which measure over 590 yards) is key to success.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Ras Al Khaimah Championship (Al Hamra Golf Club)

Form in the Middle East looks the strongest guide this week and there are few courses in the region that possessed as much comp form as Al Hamra Golf Club. It's a flat and exposed desert course, with large paspalum greens and asks similar questions to Royal Golf Club off the tee.

Notable correlating form:

• Zander Lombard: Bahrain (2^nd) / Ras Al Khaimah (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Pablo Larrazabal: Bahrain (2^nd) / Ras Al Khaimah (3^rd)
• David Puig: Bahrain (4^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (3^rd)
• Frederic LaCroix: Bahrain (4^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (3^rd)
• Ivan Cantero: Bahrain (4^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (5^th)
• Sebastian Soderberg: Bahrain (6^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (5^th, 9^th)
• Rasmus Hojgaard: Bahrain (8^th) / Ras Al Khaimah (2^nd)

Qatar Masters (Doha Golf Club)

Doha Golf Club is another open desert layout with paspalum surfaces. These huge, firm, and undulating paspalum putting surfaces are comparably demanding, whilst it also ranks closely in driving difficulty, scrambling difficulty, and birdie/bogey averages.

Notable correlating form:

• Pablo Larrazabal: Bahrain (2^nd) / Qatar (4^th, 5^th)
• Martin Couvra: Bahrain (4^th) / Qatar (5^th)
• Joakim Lagergren: Bahrain (8^th) / Qatar (2^nd)
• Brandon Robinson-Thompson: Bahrain (8^th) / Qatar (3^rd)

Abu Dhabi Championship (Yas Links)

There is little comp form currently on offer with Yas Links. However, as a par 72 of a similar length, with wide, exposed fairways and large, heavily contoured paspalum greens, we should see links develop between these two venues.

Notable correlating form:

• Sebastian Soderberg: Bahrain (6^th) / Abu Dhabi (2^nd)
• Niklas Norgaard: Bahrain (8^th) / Abu Dhabi (10^th)

Singapore Classic (Laguna National – Classic Course)

Away from the Middle East now, and Laguna National's Classic Course mirrors several aspects of play at Royal Golf Club. Like those mentioned above, the wide open and dramatically sloping layout has generous fairways and huge paspalum putting surfaces.

Notable correlating form:

• Jesper Svensson: Bahrain (2^nd) / Singapore (1^st)
• Zander Lombard: Bahrain (2^nd) / Singapore (6^th)
• Ockie Strydom: Bahrain (4^th) / Singapore (1^st)
• Marcel Schneider: Bahrain (8^th) / Singapore (3^rd)

The Open Championship

Scottish Open

Irish Open (2024, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015)

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Nexo Championship

To finish, these classic Middle Eastern tracks have plenty in common with traditional UK and Irish links courses. They're open and exposed by nature, often with sandy, uneven turf and sloping, well protected greens that encourage play along the ground.

Notable correlating form:

• Dylan Frittelli: Bahrain (1^st) / The Open (5^th)
• Dan Brown: Bahrain (2^nd) / Irish Open (4^th), The Open (10^th)
• Zander Lombard: Bahrain (2^nd) / Irish Open (6^th, 9^th)
• Richie Ramsay: Bahrain (4^th) / Dunhill Links (2^nd), Irish Open (2^nd)
• David Puig: Bahrain (4^th) / Dunhill Links (4^th)
• Sebastian Soderberg: Bahrain (6^th) / Dunhill Links (5^th)
• Rasmus Hojgaard: Bahrain (8^th) / Irish Open (1^st)
• Joakim Lagergren: Bahrain (8^th) / Dunhill Links (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th)
• Niklas Norgaard: Bahrain (8^th) / Dunhill Links (7^th)

THE FIELD

Last week's impressive Dubai Desert Classic winner Patrick Reed tees it up again, and he is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 29 in the world.

He's one of six top-100 players among the entrants, which includes our defending champion Laurie Canter. Meanwhile, the inaugural 2024 winner, Dylan Frittelli, will also be in action.

Sergio Garcia makes just his third DPWT start in three years after receiving a sponsors invite; four-time PGA Tour winner Ryan Palmer takes advantage of the special PGA Tour category; and look out for debuting Japanese youngster Kota Kaneko, who earned his tour card after topping the Japan Golf Tour's rankings in 2025.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Jayden Schaper 11/1, Patrick Reed 14/1, Daniel Hillier 14/1, Angel Ayora 14/1, Thomas Detry 18/1

1.5 pts Alejandro Del Rey each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

I'm going with the power hitters to begin, and Spain's Alejandro Del Rey certainly ticks this box. He's made an encouraging start to the year in Dubai, where he's been electric with the driver. Having also maintained the improvements we saw from him in approach towards the end of 2025, he looks primed to correct an underwhelming record at Royal Golf Club.

Del Rey earned his breakthrough DPWT win around this time last season, claiming the Ras Al Khaimah Championship by four shots. He struggled to repeat that form during the rest of the campaign but finished the year strongly, missing just one cut in his final 12 appearances. That has continued into 2026, with a 42^nd-place finish in the Dubai Invitational followed by 26^th at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The Spaniard has driven the ball superbly in his two latest starts, ranking 4^th in SG: OTT at Dubai Creek and 3^rd at Emirates Golf Club. He's also among the 10 longest players in this field, is a solid putter, and currently producing the best approach play of his career – ranking 22^nd across the last five months – he's got an exciting profile for this challenge.

His first two rounds here in 2024 appeared to confirm that, as he shot scores of 66 and 70 to sit 4^th at the halfway point. However, a poor weekend display saw him slip to 56^th, and he then missed the cut last year.

Despite that, I'm still confident that the course suits Del Rey's game. Arriving after a career-best effort in the Dubai Desert Classic and possessing eye-catching comp – 1^st at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and 3^rd/7^th in Singapore – he has the chance to prove it this week.

1.25 pts Niklas Norgaard each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 40/1

Niklas Norgaard missed the cut when selected in the Dubai Desert Classic, but I’m happy to give him another shot this week. He improved by four shots from rounds one to two there and ranked among the best drivers in the field over the first two days. With a debut 8^th-place finish to call on at Royal Golf Club in 2024, this looks an ideal spot to kick his season into gear.

Norgaard returned to full-time DPWT action this year after struggling to make his mark on the PGA Tour in 2025, claiming just three top-25 finishes. He began this year at the Dubai Invitational, and after opening with a pair of 76s to sit 51^st of 58 players through two rounds, he improved by 16 shots over the weekend to finish 33^rd.

I was hoping he would carry that momentum to Emirates Golf Club, but he again started slowly with a four-over 76. However, he responded with a solid 72 in round two and looked solid through the bag.

The Dane is one of the best drivers in this field, ranking 3^rd over the last 12 months, and he was 2^nd in this area last week – displaying a proficient level of accuracy to match his monster power. He’s also putted strongly over these first couple of events and while his overall iron play still needs work, they didn’t look too bad in Friday’s second round.

Ranking 1^st in GIR, 2^nd in SG: OTT and 6^th in SG: Approach, Norgaard hit the ball as well as anyone here in 2024, helping him to an 8^th-place finish. His appreciation for linksy conditions is reflected by 7^th and 12^th-place finishes at the Dunhill Links, with a top-10 at Yas Links further reinforcing his comfort in these surrounds.

1 pt Casey Jarvis each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 50/1

Casey Jarvis was one of the form players at the end of 2025 and made a promising start to the year in Dubai. He performed soundly in Bahrain 12 months ago, hitting the top 25, and hopefully inspired by the recent successes of fellow South African youngster Jayden Schaper, he’s one to watch this week.

Jarvis struggled to find consistency on the DPWT throughout much of last year, but a 17^th-place finish in the DP World India Championship sparked him into life. He went on to claim his first titles on the Sunshine Tour following that, winning the Hyundai Open and Vodacom Origins of Golf Final back-to-back, and he closed out his year with a 3^rd-place finish in the Mauritius Open – an event in which he led from rounds one to three.

He began 2026 with a 56^th-place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic, which was a solid enough result after opening with a two-over 74. His short game and driving offered encouragement, and while his approach play lacked a little sharpness, that is the area in which he usually excels most, ranking 47^th in 2025.

Jarvis missed the cut here on debut in 2024 but returned to finish 21^st in 2025 – a result engineered by high-class approach play, ranking 3^rd. Two of his three best DPWT results last year came on linksy setups – 3^rd in Mauritius and 13^th in the Nexo Championship – and rating as the 10^th-best player in attendance across the last three months, he arrives in Bahrain ready to contend.

1 pt Brandon Robinson Thompson each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 70/1

Brandon Robinson Thompson was very rusty in round one of his seasonal reappearance in the Dubai Desert Classic, opening with a four-over 76 that put him in 104^th position. However, he was much better on Friday, shooting a two-under 70 to miss the cut by one. Now returning to a course at which he shot an incredible 11-under-par 61 to hold the first-round lead last year, he looks suitably sharpened to be in the mix in Bahrain.

Robinson Thompson made a fine start to his rookie DPWT season in 2025. That blistering start here ended in a commendable 8^th-place finish, and he went even closer the following week, finishing 3^rd in Qatar. He amassed a further four top-20s over his next seven starts, including a 4^th-place finish in Turkey, but he ran out of steam in the second half of the year.

He did little right in the opening round in Dubai but improved in almost every aspect on day two. Possessing an enviable all-round skillset, he gained strokes in each area in 2025, which enables him to perform on a variety of setups. This includes these linksy, Middle Eastern layouts, as evidenced by his top-10s here and in Qatar.

Robinson Thompson has gathered wins at each step of his pro career. I felt he’d be a threat this year after a full DPWT season under his belt, and back at a course where he enjoyed one of the best rounds of his career, he rates as a real danger.

1 pt Sam Bairstow each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 80/1

At the beginning of his third year as a DPWT member, Sam Bairstow is up next. Although he finished down in 61^st position, positives were easy to find last week and having performed well on each visit to Royal Golf Club, this strong driver is well placed to feature at the top of the leaderboard.

Bairstow’s 2025 campaign was a story of two halves. He hit the top 25 eight times over his first 12 appearances, including claiming top 10s in the Hainan Classic, Turkish Airlines Open, Joburg Open, and Qatar Masters. Although, he recorded just one more thereafter, finishing 10^th in the Australian PGA Championship on his third-to-last outing of the year.

The Englishman hit the ball solidly in Dubai and was also assured on the greens. This is the trademark of his game, as he gained strokes in each of these areas in 2025, and as a long hitter who finds plenty of fairways, he has the driving prowess to tackle this layout.

Bairstow is a former runner-up at The Amateur Championship and that links experience has helped him to finishes of 23^rd and 32^nd in two Bahrain Championship starts. He’s also finished 3^rd in Singapore, 10^th and 13^th in Qatar, and with two top-25s in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, this is course that clearly suits his game.

1 pt Stefano Mazzoli each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 125/1

I’m going to finish with one of the recent HotelPlanner Tour graduates, Stefano Mazzoli. He was in superb form at the end of the previous season and recording back-to-back top-25s in Australia on the DPWT, this strong-driving type looks like he could be a force at this level.

Mazzoli was on top form throughout much of 2025, missing just three cuts in 31 starts. He was especially impressive towards the end of the year, picking up nine top-25 finishes in his final 12 appearances, including finishing 2^nd in the Rolex Grand Final – the closing event of the HotelPlanner Tour season.

The Italian began his rookie season with a 25^th-place finish in the Aussie PGA Championship and was 23^rd in the Aussie Open the following week. He ranks 4^th in GIR at this early point of the season and combines power and accuracy to rank 45^th in SG: OTT. The putter is a weakness, though the naturally slower paspalum surfaces here has enabled Laurie Canter and Dylan Frittelli to win – both unreliable putters.

Mazzoli makes his debut this week, but he has got strong form in the Middle East, finishing 5^th in the Abu Dhabi Challenge and 9^th in the UAE Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2025. He’s also got plenty of links experience from his amateur days, finishing 5^th at the 2017 Amateur Championship, and as a former European Amateur champion (2015) he has the pedigree to make his mark on the DPWT.

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