ANCER, Abraham
Flying high at 12 in the world after a breakout year, winning his first PGA Tour title as many felt he would: from off the pace, with some help, as both Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau faltered at Southwind. Still, deserves real credit for the birdie which secured victory there and had previously been unlucky to come up short of a hot-putting Rory McIlroy at Quail Hollow. More wins surely likely and arrives here with his reliable long-game in check, short-game woes keeping him away from the spotlight in Dubai. That's been a good way to prepare for this and some encouragement taken from his performances in the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour. That said, course is probably bigger and wider than he'd like and really will need his iron play to be on if he's to win on his debut at Albany.
He really ought to have won the DP World Tour Championship, paying the price for not making birdie at the par-five seventh and 14th holes from what were ideal positions. That said he was undeniably unfortunate at the 15th hole after an excellent drive and he knew the game was up when three-putting the following hole.
Remember, these two also fought out the finish of the CJ Cup, McIlroy this time coming off best, and this course is somewhat similar. Certainly five par-fives are a plus and I like the way he hit his irons for the most part two weeks ago, in a tournament which has produced the last two winners of this.
McIlroy seems back on the right path with his long-game and, already twice a winner in 2021, after his Dubai debacle there's plenty of incentive to put things right. He looks the man to beat.
Finau was beaten only by Rahm and champion Henrik Stenson over those final 54 holes of his return visit, only by Rahm the first time, and is plainly at ease here at Albany. It is a big-hitter's paradise and while wind is not in the forecast, should it arrive then we know he's equipped.
Reed has been second, third and fifth here in five appearances, undone by a second-round 77 in 2018 and then, infamously, by his own unique take on the rules of the sport a year later.
Any additional focus in light of that cheating scandal probably goes down as a positive for this us-versus-the-world rascal, and though not in the best of form, it's worth noting that this was also the case in 2014 (third at Isleworth), 2016 (10th) and 2017 (fifth), and his performance in Dubai prior to the 2019 renewal was similar to that which he produced a fortnight ago.
Encouragingly, Reed's iron play did take a step forward there and while his wayward driver kept him away from the action, there's more room at Albany. If he can remain competitive off the tee at a course where nobody in this field has a better, deeper bank of form, he could well make headlines here once more.
Posted at 1800 GMT on 29/11/21
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