Qatar Masters 2026 preview, picks & analysis
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Mon 02 Feb 2026
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The leading lights on the DP World Tour have packed their bags and headed off to America, while the LIV golfers who have been competing in recent weeks are getting their own season under way. Meanwhile, the circus moves on to the Qatar Masters and England’s Matt Wallace will be looking to make a big impression after losing his PGA Tour card in 2025.
Wallace was devastated to miss out on the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black and vowed to rededicate himself to the game.
He attended Jacksonville State University before turning professional in 2012 and won a staggering six times on the Alps Tour in 2016, including four victories in four tournaments, as he secured full playing rights on the Challenge Tour for 2017. He then won the dual-ranked Open de Portugal on 2017, his fourth event of the campaign, to gain DP World Tour membership.
Wallace then enjoyed an incredible 2018 season, winning three times - first at the Hero Indian Open, followed by the BMW International Open and finally the Made in Denmark.
He made his debut appearance in the Masters Tournament in 2019, winning the Wednesday Par 3 Contest. His best performance in a major to date also came later that year, finishing T3 at the US PGA Championship. He had been a dual member on the PGA Tour since 2020, winning his first title at the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship, just months after representing Great Britain & Ireland at the 2023 Hero Cup.
He ended a six-year wait for his fifth DP World Tour title when he defeated Alfredo Garcia-Heredia in a playoff at the 2024 Omega European Masters and represented GB&I for a second time at the Team Cup in 2025. In January he finished tied seventh at the Dubai Invitational, a performance that would have been even better had it not been for a poor second round of 73.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
Eugenio Chacarra, of Spain, was a promising footballer before deciding to focus on golf after a wrist injury. He attended Wake Forest University, where his sister Carolina also played golf, before transferring to Oklahoma State University, studying Sports Management, Finance and Psychology.
He was a member of the Spanish team that finished fourth at the 2021 European Amateur Team Championships, where he recorded the lowest individual score in the qualification round. He reached second on the World Amateur Golf Ranking before turning professional in 2022.
Playing on a sponsors invitation, Chacarra won his maiden DP World Tour title at the 2025 Hero Indian Open. He also enjoyed two other tp 10 finishes. He is a golfer who is capable of making birdies for fun but if he is going to move to the next level then he is going to have to find some consistency. He made 23 starts in 2025 but missed seven cuts.
There are many who believe that young French golfer Martin Couvra is going to be a superstar.
He enjoyed a successful amateur career, winning the French International Amateur Championship in 2022 and becoming the first player in history to win both the South African Stroke Play Championship and South African Amateur Championship, doing so in back-to-back weeks. He also became only the seventh player to win as an amateur on the HotelPlanner Tour, defeating Andrea Pavan and Dermot McElroy in a playoff at the Challenge de Espana in 2023.
Couvra finished 17th on the HotelPlanner Tour's Road to Mallorca in 2024, earning promotion to the DP World Tour for 2025. He won on only his 15th start at the Turkish Airlines Open, finishing two strokes ahead of Jorge Campillo and Haotong Li. His victory in Turkey coupled with six other top tens helped him finish 19th on the 2025 Race to Dubai and claim the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.
Patrick Reed was due to be teeing it up in Saudi Arabia at LIV Golf’s season opener but he has sensationally quit and committed himself to the DP World Tour for the rest of the season and wasted no time in entering the Qatar Masters. I have a feeling that Reed could well be challenging a certain Rory McIlroy for the Race to Dubai crown this year.
Twelve months ago, Haotong Li secured his fourth DP World Tour title in dramatic fashion, holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the final green to secure the Qatar Masters.
The Chinese golfer, who started the week ranked 300 in the world, let out a loud roar, pumped both fists and wept in the arms of his caddie after his winning putt at Doha Golf Club. It denied Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark a playoff.
"I never thought I could come back in this position," said Li, whose last win was in June 2022 at the BMW International Open. "This morning, I was really stressed."
Tournament Winners:
It was won in 2016 by Branden Grace, in 2017 by Jeunghun Wang, in 2018 by Eddie Pepperell, in 2019 by Justin Harding, in 2020 by Jorge Campillo, in 2021 by Antoine Rozner, in 2022 by Ewen Ferguson, in 2023 by Sami Valimaki, in 2024 by Rikuya Hoshino and last year by Haotong Li.
Form Guide:
Matt Wallace is capable of playing world-class golf and will feel that he has a point to prove in 2026 but the man to watch is surely Patrick Reed.
The Course:
Doha Golf Club, which has hosted the Qatar Masters since 1998, is a par 72 measuring 7,374 yards. Designed by Peter Harradine, like all courses in this part of the world, it was carved out of desert.
Prize Money:
The total prize fund is $2.75m, with 3,500 Race to Dubai points on offer.
How to Watch:
Thursday, February 5, Sky Sports Golf, 9am; Friday, February 6, Sky Sports Golf, 9am; Saturday, February 7, Sky Sports Golf, 9.30am; Sunday, February 8, Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am.
To Win:
Martin Couvra. Could be a superstar
Each Way:
Patrick Reed. In sparkling form
Each Way:
Matt Wallace. Looking to get things back on track
Five to Follow:
Martin Couvra. Has every shot in the book
Patrick Reed. Looking for another victory
Matt Wallace. Can make birdies for fun
Eugenio Chacarra. Can win anywhere at his best
Andy Sullivan. Excellent start to the season
Five Outsiders to Watch:
Oliver Fisher. Can still produce the goods
Dominic McGlinchey. Fabulous amateur
Oliver Lindell. Making good progress
Brandon Robinson Thompson. Looking to move to the next level
Ugo Cussaud. Fine French golfer
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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