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Emirates Golf Club is great venue for big hitters
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McIlroy 7/24.50 chases Emirates hat-trick and fifth title in all
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Tournament Notes
Following on from last week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, the DP World Tour travels 65 miles north-east to tee-up in Dubai
The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is the first of four back-to-back stroke play tournaments in the Persian Gulf.
First played in March 1989, it is the oldest European Tour event in the region, with Emirates Golf Club hosting 33 of the 35 Desert Classics to have been staged so far.
This week's tournament is also the first of this year's five Rolex Series events, three of which take place in the Middle East.
Betfair Exchange latest betting for Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Course Notes
Opened in 1988, the Majlis Course at Emirates is largely flat and located a few miles south of Dubai City centre.
Designed by American architect Karl Litten, it was the first grass course to be opened in the Middle East.
For the professionals, water comes into play on six holes, while the greens are reasonably tame and uncomplicated.
Four years ago all 18 greens returned to their original dimensions, which resulted in a collective 33% increase regarding overall size.
The game's longer hitters have generally thrived in the dry desert conditions at Emirates, with the course now measuring over 7,400 yards from the back tees.
Good Course Form
The one stat which immediately jumps straight out of the page is Rory McIlroy's 7/24.50 remarkable record at the Emirates.
The 35-year-old is not only seeking a third straight win in this event, he's also chasing a fifth victory in all. His last 11 visits have all yielded top-10s, with nine of these inside the top-six.
McIlroy last teed-up in mid-November, when he won the DP World Tour Championship, which was staged less than 10 miles from this week's venue.
One other player with a strong course history is Tyrrell Hatton 9/110.00, who currently plies his trade on the Saudi-backed LIV Tour.
The Englishman has posted a hat-trick of top-four finishes here and he warmed up by remaining unbeaten (three wins and one tie) at last week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi. Hatton finished fourth on last year's LIV standings, which included a victory in Nashville.
Thorbjorn Olesen 25/126.00, a member of last week's Continental Europe team which was thrashed in the Team Cup, has a respectable record at the Emirates with four top 10s.
He also ended last year in great form by posting four T10s from his final five starts, including a podium in the UAE. This booked the Dane's spot on the 2025 PGA Tour.
Betfair Sportsbook latest betting for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Good Current Form
Tommy Fleetwood 10/111.00 will be full of confidence having won all four of his matches at last week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi.
The world No 10 and Olympic silver medallist is one of the most consistent pros of his era, but probably doesn't win as much as he should.
With so many players having taken a well-earned Christmas break, it's tough to evaluate their current states of mind, as well as their swing.
One golfer who hasn't allowed the grass to grow under his feet during the early weeks of 2025 is Robert MacIntyre 20/121.00.
Scotland's world No 14 has teed-off twice in Hawaii and, despite two mediocre performances, will still be better prepared than the majority of his rivals this week.
He stood on the Emirates podium in 2021 and is therefore a decent each-way option in Dubai.
Spain's Jon Rahm 9/25.50 makes a first-ever visit to the Emirates, and is one of a handful of LIV Tour pros in the field.
He topped the LIV standings in 2024 but hasn't played competitively since 20 October. That said, the former world No 1 cannot be ruled out.
And if you're looking for someone just outside the top group to emerge from this week's fairly strong field, then perhaps go for Rasmus Hojgaard 25/126.00.
The young Dane played in last week's Team Cup event and just two months ago he finished runner-up to McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship.
Stroke Averages
Lowest 10 At Emirates (2019-24)
Average .... (Rounds)
68.33: Rory McIlroy (12)
69.90: Adrian Meronk (10)
70.19: Thorbjorn Olesen (16)
70.29: Tommy Fleetwood (24)
70.45: Tyrrell Hatton (20)
70.45: Thomas Pieters (20)
70.58: Johannes Veerman (12)
70.64: Robert MacIntyre (14)
70.73: Romain Langasque (22)
70.82: Ashun Wu (22)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table
MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut
Note: List Contains Leading Reserves