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The 2023 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters is set to begin on Thursday, October 26 at Doha Golf Club.
From the last chance to earn a DP World Tour Card to a spot in the season finale in Dubai, this year's Qatar Masters is going to have a few storylines to follow.
Here are four major storylines to follow at the 2023 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
The top four must-follow storylines at the 2023 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
1) One last opportunity to earn Tour cards
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The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will be the final counting event of the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings season. It means it is the last chance for the players to earn a card for the next season.
The top 116 players in the standings after the end of the season will secure their cards. There are a few names that are in contention but, at the moment, are just outside the top 116. 2017 champion Jeunghun Wang is 123rd in the standings.
Marc Warren and Alfredo Garcia-Heredia are 117th and 118th, and a good week at Doha will earn them an opportunity to play next season. Dane John Axelsen is on the fence at 116th and will be looking to improve further.
2) Eyes on the season finale in Dubai
The Doha event is a 132-player field with Race to Dubai points in contention. The penultimate event of the season is also the last chance for a few players to make it to Dubai.
Matt Wallace and Aaron Rai are ranked 62nd and 65th in the Race to Dubai Rankings, respectively. Richard Mansell is 58th in the standings. Jens Dantorp and Jeff Winther are also just outside the top 50.
3) Will Ewen Ferguson defend his title?
Last year, Ewen Ferguson claimed the Commerical Bank Qatar Masters, his maiden DP World Tour title, after beating Chase Hanna by a one-stroke margin. It was his 37th start on the tour and his sixth since becoming a full member in 2021. He then went on to win the ISPS Handa World Invitation. It will be interesting to see if he is able to defend his title this week.
The 27-year-old Scot has two top tens in his last five starts and is 49th in the DP World Tour rankings.
4) Will the course record break this time?
In the history of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, no player has gone lower than 61 in the final round of the event. In 2008, Adam Scott shot 61 in the final round to jump four spots and win the event for the second time in his career.
Not many players have shot below 61 in the fourth round to win the DP World Tour event. So far, only Ian Woosnam (1990 Torras Monte Carlo Open), Jamie Spence (1992 European Masters), Rafa Cabrera Bello (2009 Austrian Golf Open), and Brandon Stone (2018 Scottish Open) have achieved this feat. It will be interesting to see if anyone joins this exclusive club this Sunday.
