No Point In Skipping Roope

For my final selection in Qatar I’m taking a bit of a punt on Roope Kakko.

The Finnish golfer doesn’t owe us anything after he won in Madeira but has the skill set to thrive this week. Doha is usually the windiest of the three stops on the Desert Swing and having won on the island of Madeira, the wind shouldn’t phase Kakko.

Go further back and Kakko actually has some decent form in the desert. In 2013 he won the Oman Classic on the Challenge Tour and although he finished 70th last week, making the cut in a strong field was a good effort.

Last season Kakko ranked fifth in driving distance and he should create birdie opportunities on the par-5s and the driveable par-4 16th.

At 250/1 (Paddy Power) he is worth the risk with ¼ odds for a top-5 finish.