Grant Forrest happy to be back in Ras al Khaimah for DP World Tour double-header

Grant Forrest played his first event as a professional outside Scotland at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras al Khaimah before signing off his Challenge Tour career on a return visit to the UAE venue.

Grant Forrest in action during last week's Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

Now the 28-year-old Haddington-based player is hoping to use a DP World Tour double-header at the Peter Harradine-designed course to really kickstart his 2022 campaign.

After missing the cut in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in his first outing of the year, Forrest made it to the weekend in last week’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.

But, after landing his maiden win on the circuit in last year’s Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews, he’s looking to do better than a top-50 finish, even allowing for the fact that it was in a Rolex Series event.

“I’m not really pleased where I am (in the Race to Dubai) after two events, so it’s a disappointing start to the season,” said Forrest, who is attached to The Renaissance Club in East Lothian.

“But it is what it is and there were a lot of positives in Dubai, especially long-game wise compared to Abu Dhabi.”

Forrest is among 11 Scots teeing up in the Ras al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital, with the Ras al Khaimah Classic starting seven days later on the same course.

In 2016, having made his professional debut in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship a few weeks earlier, Forrest tied 32nd in a Challenge Tour event at Al Hamra.

“The latter was the year I earned my step up to the main tour, so I certainly have good memories from being here,” he admitted. “Going into that week, I had already had my card secured, so it was a nice feeling to play without any pressure.

“It’s nice to now be back here to play on the main tour and I think there will be a few more birdies than last week (smiling).

“There are some tough holes, but I don’t think the greens will be as firm as they were in Dubai and the pins should also be a little bit more accessible.”

This particular double-header came about due to the Qatar Masters being postponed, with similar arrangements already having been in place on the DP World Tour in the Covid-19 world.

“I’ve not really had much success in the double-headers so far,” declared Forrest. “I think when they both start on a Thursday, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands in between.

“When it’s on the same golf course for two weeks, it can get a bit dull. But I get it. It’s convenient and, if it’s a decent golf course, I certainly don’t mind.”

Joining Forrest in flying the Saltire this week are Bob MacIntyre, Stephen Gallacher, Colin Montgomerie, Richie Ramsay, David Law, Connor Syme, Marc Warren, Scott Jamieson, David Drysdale and Craig Howie.

Ewen Ferguson had also been due to play, but he tested positive for Covid on Saturday and has been forced to withdraw.

A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.