A peculiar situation unfolded at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational as Richard Mansell injured his ankle.

In his stead, Brandon Robinson-Thompson (operating as a marker) teed it up in the second round. But what’s in it for the 33-year-old Englishman?

A DP World Tour spokesperson clarified, "Brandon is playing as a ‘marker’ after Richard Mansell’s withdrawal, so he is not officially part of the tournament, doesn’t receive points or prize money, and his scores don’t count.”

Robinson-Thompson didn’t make the cut for the limited-field Dubai Invitational. However, he was present at Dubai Creek as a reserve.

Since a Pro-Am tournament was running concurrently, Mansell needed someone to play in his stead alongside an amateur. Additionally, Robinson-Thompson’s scores were also unavailable on the professional leaderboard. 

"Usually, the marker role would be filled by a club pro, but as Brandon was on site as a reserve, he stepped in on this occasion,” the spokesperson continued. 

Robinson-Thompson will be back at the course for the third round of the Pro-Am competition. And even though he doesn’t receive any significant reward, the Englishman found it to be a “strange” but favorable move. 

Brandon Robinson-Thompson Considers It a “Bonus” Move

Brandon Robinson-Thompson was on Dubai Creek to practice for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. But as a marker for Mansell, he got the chance to actually gain an advantage for his competition in the coming week. 

The 33-year-old said. “It’s a really great golf course, tricky conditions today. But yeah, first one of the year, just to see where we are at and almost like a little warm up for next week.”

“I was here anyway. I was going to be practicing onsite, but to get out on the golf course and hit some shots is a real bonus.”

While this marker assignment won’t affect the official order of merit or earnings lists, it highlights how flexible tournament operations must sometimes be when managing limited fields and unexpected withdrawals.

In an unusual but timely turn, Robinson-Thompson turned an administrative role into meaningful preparation. While the record books remain untouched, the on-course exposure offered tangible competitive value ahead of a crucial week.

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu