AWALI, Royal Golf Club: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: All is set for Laurie Canter to defend his title at Royal Golf Club this week at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

Last year’s event saw Canter securing the second DP World Tour win of his career, claiming victory in a three-way play-off over compatriot Daniel Brown and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal.

Twelve months on, Canter is hoping his knowledge of the impressive course, mixed with fond memories of a successful week, sets him up well for a strong finish afront of local fans in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

“It’s great to be back. There are obviously a lot of good memories,” said Canter. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to defend a tournament on the DP World Tour, so it was great to get out and play the front nine in the Pro-Am today.

“It’s a big buzz to come back, I think you sort of get a natural lift. You know the golf course well, but your memories are tied to what we did there. It took me over 150 events to win my first one, so those kinds of emotions are always going to be around when you’re back at a venue that that has happened.

“It was the beginning of a really good run of golf. A couple of weeks later, I had a good result in South Africa, lost in a play-off there, so that got me into the Masters and the Players’ Championship, and a few cool things at the beginning of the year. It’s cool to think it kickstarted that period of good play for me. Hopefully I can get myself going again this year early in the season.”

“They’ve made a change to 17, slightly changed where the rough and the fairway line goes there, and I think the 11th hole is about 40 yards longer as well. Other than that, it is the same, but I would say it’s in fantastic condition. They’ve done a really good job here,” Canter added, while commenting on course changes and conditions.

One player who will be aiming to stand in his way is Patrick Reed.

The American registered his first Rolex Series win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic last week, which saw him move to the top of the International Swing rankings, to second on the Race to Dubai leaderboard and become the World Number 29.

Reed, whose off-season focus centred around consistency in his ball strike, is looking to build on the confidence gained in Dubai, for what will be his second appearance in Bahrain.

“The game feels really solid and we’re looking forward to getting right back at it and getting playing here this week and just trying to take that confidence in the way I was playing last week into this week,” said Reed.

“The first couple of weeks out on the road, at the start of the season after an off-season, is really to kind of see if what you worked on during the off-season actually worked, and to come out and play the way we did, especially to go out and get a win at such a demanding golf course last week, definitely allows me to have the confidence and hopefully jumpstart to having a really good year.”

“The biggest thing was obviously hitting fairways – drive the ball a little better, get the irons a little sharper, just allow the short game to continue being short game. This year, the focus was let’s hit the ball a little better, let’s get the ball striking back, so then we can go out and shoot lower numbers and just be more consistent off the tee and on the approaches, so that I can allow the short game to be a weapon rather than a saviour,” on his off-season work, Reed said.

The pair join Major champions Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia in this week’s field, alongside a host of international stars, including Larrazabal, 2024 winner Dylan Frittelli and current Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper. Dubai Invitational winner Nacho Elvira and France’s Julien Guerrier, who has recorded back-to-back top three finishes, will also tee it up at Royal Golf Club.

Harrington, making his latest appearance in the Kingdom, spoke highly of the venue’s evolution: “The golf course has matured over the years, it has grown into a good tournament venue. When we first came here in 2011, they had to manage it a lot. Now the players are bigger, stronger and hit it further, and we can be let loose on this golf course. It’s matured into a really good tournament.

“Out here in Bahrain, they’re really putting the effort in to grow the game. You’ve got a lot of people new to the game here, there’s a lot of locals, not necessarily ex-pats. It is important that we have a good tournament and a good show. I think this course lends itself to that; the last couple of holes are very dramatic, plenty of water, so if you can get a tight finish, there will be some drama for sure.”

Larrazabal, who narrowly missed out on victory last year, returns with determination: “I have great memories from this place, from the people of Bahrain, and it’s great to be back. Today I had the pleasure of playing with his Highness, and it was a beautiful experience, and hopefully I play the same way for 71 holes, and I manage to finish on top this time.”

The $2.75 million DP World Tour tournament, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, was officially launched on Tuesday night, with an Opening Ceremony held at Royal Golf Club.

The prestigious event, attended by His Highness Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa and His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, also saw the announcement of a new multi-year partnership with the DP World Tour and the Bahrain Olympic Committee, which will secure the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the Tour’s schedule until at least 2036.

The extended agreement reinforces the Tour’s commitment to delivering world-class sporting experiences, driving innovation and sustainability, and further strengthening Bahrain’s position as a leading destination for international sport, tourism and business.