Antoine Rozner in action at the Doha Golf Club.
Antoine Rozner holed a sensational 60-foot putt to win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Education City Golf Club (EDGC) last year.
The Frenchman has returned to the $2m DP World Tour event, hoping for another success in Doha to become only the second golfer in tournament’s 25-year history to successfully defend his title. South African Branden Grace achieved the feat by winning the “Mother of Pearl” trophy in 2015 and 2016.
Major champions Adam Scott (2002, 2008) and Paul Lawrie (1999, 2012) are the only other players to have won the prestigious tournament twice.
The silver jubilee edition of Qatar Masters is set to begin today at the Doha Golf Club, which is hosting the event after a two-year gap. A total of 140 professionals and four amateurs will compete at the course, which underwent major renovation.
Rozner is upbeat as he starts his title defence, with the sweet memory of his triumph 12 months ago still fresh in his mind.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime putt to win a tournament,” Rozner said yesterday.
“You don’t get a putt to win a tournament every week in our job but to have a 60-foot putt to win is even more special so it was definitely the biggest putt of my career,” he added.
Qatar Golf Association General Secretary Fahad Nasser Al Naimi.
“It was massive for me, it was huge, it got me into the Match Play two weeks later and to get a second win so quickly after my first win in Dubai was just a big achievement for me and I was really proud of myself that week,” the Frenchman said.
Rozner was hopeful for a strong start at the course that has four greens redesigned.
“I think you have to find a good technique that you’re comfortable with around the greens chipping wise, and see how the ball reacts when you roll it, maybe the grain will affect it or not, so you’ve just got to get used to this grass, find a good technique and that’s it.”
After finishing second in last week’s Steyn City Championship, South African Dean Burmester is also looking forward to a good show at his maiden appearance at The Masters.
“I’ve been playing solid. I take a lot of positives out of that. I was tied for the lead with two holes to go, had a chance to win a tournament on Sunday and that’s what we practice for really. I’m here in Qatar trying to do it again,” said Burmester, who arrived in Doha at a career-high 64th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
A general view during the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Pro-Am tournament at Doha Golf Club yesterday.
“The course is in great nick. They’ve re-laid the greens, all the surfaces, the fairways, the rough is up a little bit, it will make for good viewing, that’s for sure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jorge Campillo, who won the 2020 edition at EDGC, predicted a tough test for golfers at the new-look course.
“They’ve changed the greens so they look a little bit bigger to me and they are firmer. The rough is quite high so it’s going to be a tough test, especially if it’s a little windy,” the Spaniard said.
“The way the rough is and the greens are quite hard, so it’s going to be definitely different to the last two weeks in South Africa where you can fly the ball into the hole and the ball stops. Here, you have to think a little bit more about where to land the ball and the shots you’re going to hit,” Campillo added.
Temperatures are expected to reach the high 30s on the opening day but conditions are forecasted to be windy in the last two days of the tournament.
