This week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is intended to feature the top-70 on the Race to Dubai however not even the offer of a $US 9m tournament purse and boasting a whopping and record-setting $US 1.53m can attract all those currently within the leading 70.

In fact, and while we have been aware of this, the entry list is down to the current No. 76 on the Race to Dubai but then you want find any issues with 27-year-old American Sam Crocker.

Of course, the six not teeing-up in Abu Dhabi have their reasons and none better than Jon Rahm whose wife only recently gave birth to the couple’s third child.

Crocker is ranked 76th on the money-list but with the withdrawal of half-a-dozen players ahead of him he’s into the Abu Dhabi and a Yas Island course he’s very familiar.

American Sean Crocker wins 2022 Hero Open. Image – DPWT

Crocker captured his only Tour title at the 2022 Hero Open while in his 162 Tour Wins he’s banked close to Euro 3.4m in prizemoney.

Those six include (showing their current R2D ranking:

4 -Billy Horschel

16 – Ludwig Aberg

34 – Jon Rahm

55 – Matthieu Pavon

56 – Zander Lombard

57 – Aaron Rai

The withdrawal of the six thus opens the Abu Dhabi door on the following (showing their current R2D ranking:

71 – Matthew Baldwin

72 – Alfredo Garcia-Heredia

73 – David Micheluzzi – 73

74 – Joost Luiten

75 – Adrien Saddier

76 – Sean Crocker

Of course, if Crocker plays well enough in the UAE capital he could very well move inside the top-60 and thus qualify for next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship up the road in Dubai.

If so, it would be his third appearance having competed on the Earth Course and Jumeirah Estates in 2020 (T14) and 2021 (39th)