ROUND 3 | SATURDAY | JANUARY 20, 2024
COMMANDING
CAMERON
American Cameron Young took control on Friday to be sat at the top of the leaderboard as he enters moving day three shots clear in the 35th Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
World renowned coach gives an insight into tournament prep. PAGE 4
By Harry Grimshaw – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East
W
orld Number 25, Cameron Young, will take a three-shot lead heading into the weekend of the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the DP World Tour’s longest running event outside of Europe. The 26-year-old, who is making his debut in the tournament, followed up his bogey-free 67 on day one with an ‘almost bogey-free’ 64 on Friday, had it not been for a dropped shot on his final hole after his approach shot found the water. Young, who has two Korn Ferry Tour victories to his name and four top 10s in the majors throughout the past two years, puts his scoring around the Majlis mainly down to his trusty flat stick. “I putted fantastic,” he said. “I made a couple of long ones yesterday and then made a few more today that had no right going in. “I hit a bunch of good putts but just one of those days where you kind of have a couple of 30-footers and you look up and they are going right in the middle, which doesn’t happen all that often to have a bunch of them in one round.” The American seems to be settling into Emirates Golf Club very well by just doing his own thing, as the New HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
Peter Cowen
Yorker enjoyed the favourable conditions he had on Friday morning in Dubai. “I’m doing a really good job of staying out of my own way. I kind of realised it was going well early but the back nine, at the same time, it feels like you should do that to some extent, especially in the morning with not much wind. “I feel like the back nine, I just played really solidly, and then made a putt on one, made a putt on four and all of a sudden that was eight (under) or something. “Just one of those days that they kept kind of going in and I didn’t make too many mistakes.” Young is three shots clear from Dubai resident Adrian Meronk, after the Pole had a bogey-free 66, which sees him sit alongside Andy Sullivan in a tie for second after the Englishman matched his Thursday 67 with the same on Friday. Round of the day went to Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura who shot a nine under 63, highlighted with an eagle two on the par four 14th after he holed his approach shot from 169 yards. Defending champion, Rory McIlroy, could only manage a two under 70 on Friday, still, it sees him through to the weekend on three under.
@DUBAIDCGOLF
#DUBAIDESERTCLASSIC
Picture Perfect
David Cannon shares his best photos from the past 35 years. PAGE 8
Nice View
The best vantage points to watch the world’s best golfers. PAGE 16
Tournament Town
There is a busy weekend of fun for all in Tournament Town. PAGE 19
DAILY DRAW SHEET & COURSE MAP
Navigate Emirates Golf Club with your guide to the third round groups. PAGE 10-11 PATRON AND OFFICIAL PUBLISHER
DUBAIDESERTCLASSIC.COM
2
NEWS
visit golfdigestme.com for the latest coverage
Weather Watch The weather for Saturday and Sunday looks set once again to be ideal. Sunshine with highs of 26°C and lows of 19°C for both days. Please don’t forget your SPF and make sure you stay hydrated when out on the course!
Sat 20th
26/19
Sun 21st
26/19
LEADERBOARD Rank Name (Country)
Score R1 R2
1
YOUNG, Cameron* (USA)
-13 67 64
T2
MERONK, Adrian (POL)
-10 68 66
T2
SULLIVAN, Andy (ENG)
-10 67 67
T4
HØJGAARD, Nicolai (DEN)
-7
68 69
T4
HØJGAARD, Rasmus* (DEN)
-7
67 70
T4
RAMSAY, Richie* (SCO)
-7
69 68
T7
LI, Haotong* (CHN)
-6
67 71
T7
MANSELL, Richard* (ENG)
-6
68 70
T7
KAWAMURA, Masahiro* (JPN)
-6
75 63
T7
LOMBARD, Zander (RSA)
-6
71 67
T7
LORENZO-VERA, Mike (FRA)
-6
72 66
T7
COCKERILL, Aaron (CAN)
-6
71 67
T7
OLESEN, Thorbjørn* (DEN)
-6
68 70
T7
DE JAGER, Louis (RSA)
-6
68 70
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LIFELONG PARTNERS T
he DP World Tour, which marks 35 years of tournament golf in the United Arab Emirates, has thanked the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) for its continued support to the Tour and help developing the game in the region. The UAE’s governing body of golf was recognised for its contribution following the culmination of the inaugural Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort, with Keith Pelley, DP World Tour CEO, and Eric Nicoli, DP World Tour Chairman, thanking His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi, EGF Vice Chairman, for his unwavering support to the Tour. “The EGF has played a huge part in the DP World Tour’s success in the UAE for many years,” said Pelley. “We have worked closely together to develop golf, from grassroots to the professional game. At the start of three consecutive DP World Tour events in the UAE, we wanted to show our appreciation to His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi for his hard work and dedication and celebrate the Tour’s strong and enduring relationship with the EGF, which will continue for many years to come.” The DP World Tour’s long-term association with the UAE dates back to 1989 when Emirates Golf Club hosted the first Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which celebrates its 35th edition this week. Since then, events such as the Abu Dhabi
Championship, DP World Tour Championship, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, the Golf in Dubai Championship, the Aviv Dubai Championship, the Hero Cup and the Dubai Invitational have all graced UAE shores. In 2021, the Tour and EGF announced a long-term partnership aimed at developing golf in the UAE for at least a decade. Since then, the two organisations have collaborated across all levels of the sport in the UAE, from grassroots initiatives right through to the professional game, which has included the return of the Challenge Tour to the UAE for the first time since 2018. Last year’s UAE Challenge and Abu Dhabi Challenge each had 30 spots allocated to the EGF to provide a pathway for both Emirati golfers and residents of the UAE, with several members of the UAE National Team grabbing the opportunity to play with up and coming stars of the golfing world. “Given the current landscape of golf in the Middle East and across the world it is important to have partners that have the same vision as the EGF,” said His Excellency General Abdullah Al Hashmi. “At the EGF we are committed to working with all tours and governing bodies to help shape the future of the sport we love. We look forward to 2024 and working with the DP World Tour to accomplish our goals.”
NEWS
3
SULLY’S STOCK SHOT
A
ndy Sullivan believes going back to his own game may have saved his career as he searches for a first Rolex Series win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic this weekend. The Englishman won three times in 2015 and has finished inside the top 100 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex for 11 consecutive seasons. Much of that success has been built around what he calls his “lemonade”, the stock fade that is his trademark shot. Like many golfers, however, he tried to make changes to achieve even more but is now back with old coach Jamie Gough and back to playing his own game. That has resulted in back-to-back rounds of 67 around the Majlis, and the 36-year-old is pleased to be back and most importantly, comfortable.
“I don’t know how long I’d be playing professional golf without it (his stock fade)” he said. “It was just me being comfortable on the golf course and when you’re under pressure, you want to hit that little shot every time. I just didn’t have it. I was hitting some serious wides at times, which is frightening. “It was just more like my actual career depended on it. “I was good at what I did and it was good enough to contend quite a lot. You just think, ‘what if, what if I try and do this?’. You try and push the boundaries and it’s not right. “I think sometimes you’ve just got to accept what you’re good at and try and improve the little one per-centers around the greens and wedge shots and stuff and that’s what you’ve got to work with.”
Lucky Luke I
t was a day of celebrations at Emirates Golf Club on Friday for Luke Donald. The seven-time DP World Tour winner was lucky enough to card an ace during the second rounds play of the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The 2023 winning Team Europe Ryder Cup skipper made it safely through to the weekend after his brace of 67s on the Majlis, helped along of course by Friday’s hole-inone that the Englishman made on the par 3, 4th hole. “183 yards, a little down off the right. I just hit a cut 8-iron and over this little hill. My eye sight is not that good these days,” commented Donald. “I couldn’t see it, but I saw some people behind the green
jumping up and down. A shame it wasn’t on camera but nice to get one of those.” “I’ve had three in tournaments, and I think that was number 19 total. So I’ve been pretty fortunate with the hole-in-ones. Sorry for anyone out there who has never had one. I’ve obviously taken them.” “Yeah, there’s a lot of good there. I hit the ball really nicely yesterday. Didn’t get quite as much out of it on greens today. A little loose off the tee. But overall, my iron play has been really strong. I’m very happy with some new irons I put in play that seem to be working pretty well.” Here in the media centre, as is tradition in golf, we must thank Luke for buying all the journalists who are here for the event a drink on him! Cheers Luke! Here’s to many more!
4
PETER COWEN EXCLUSIVE
PREPARATION IS KEY BY PETER COWEN
5
W
ith this tournament in particular, I have been associated with it for 35 years. After playing in the first edition here in 1989, I’ve gone onto coach quite a few players that have won the Dubai Desert Classic over the years. It started with David Howell who won down at Dubai Creek in 1999, then we had Thomas Bjorn who beat Tiger Woods down the stretch in 2001 here at the Majlis. Henrik Stenson did the same thing in 2007, and of course Danny Willett in 2016 won here before going onto win the Masters a couple of months later. So I feel we’ve been able to prepare them pretty well. To prepare them properly, you have got to look at the course, the conditions, how the grass is, and what the strategy is going to be. Hitting the golf ball is easy, they can all do that. Amateurs may not know this, but professionals all still can get a bit panicky at times and get a bit of stage fright. So, you have to look at your players and try to figure out which players are and aren’t going to get stage fright. Unfortunately, at least 80% of the players will get stage fright at some point, and then the other 20% won’t. Those will be the guys that are at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday night. A huge thing here is, if you are not in control of your ball when it comes out of the rough, it can be a very difficult course to score on. So you have to got to understand it. I’ve been out on the course with Padraig Harrington, Joaquin Niemann and Guido Migliozzi, to show them how to hit a real shot out of the rough. A real “go-to shot” that will come out nice and soft onto these hard greens. You’ll be able to save your par a lot better knowing how to do that. Someone even as experienced as Padraig Harrington can still get upset with me about telling him what to do. I taught him a shot yesterday that he had never seen before. Padraig thinks he knows everything, and he said he was upset with me because I showed him something he hadn’t thought of! So I still get lucky sometimes!
EXCLUSIVE PETER COWEN
250+
Wins from players he’s coached across the PGA and DP World Tour
1989
Peter played in the very first edition of the Dubai Desert Classic
3
Players Peter is coaching this week, Padraig Harrington, Guido Migliozzi and Joaquin Niemann
80%
Of players will get stage fright - this is due to poor preperation
Then you have someone like Joaquin Niemann, he had never played this course before this week, and he absolutely loves it! He even wanted the greens to firm up even more. That then takes his shot shaping to another level. If the greens do get firm, hitting the fairway is really important for someone like him who is an ex-number one amateur in the world, he will thrive off it. Plus, he just won the ISPS Handa Australian Open last month so he’s in a bit of form. Then the other player I have here this week is Guido Migliozzi, he lives here in Dubai, but I have only been helping him the past three to four months. But still, he’s starting to shape up nicely. This course is definitely about front-nine scoring though. If a player can score level par on the front nine, he’s usually in contention, because the back nine is so much more scoreable. So, I have just got to make sure my guys are ready for it all really, which is all part of preparing for this Rolex Series tournament.
By donating your unwanted golf balls into the DP World “Second Life” Container in Tournament Town. Over the past two DP World Tour seasons, DP World has collected 280,000 golf balls, which are being distributed to grassroots golf initiatives around the world.
SMART LOGISTICS TO A TEE dpworld.com
6 PICTURE ROUND-UP Ryan Fox of New Zealand
Jens Dantorp of Sweden
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland Daniel Brown of England
Tyrrell Hatton of England
Brian Harman of USA Adam Blomme of Sweden
The Dallah trophy
7
Par for the course. For over 30 years, Emirates NBD has supported the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament. The partnership reflects the values Emirates NBD shares with golfers and enthusiasts, a commitment to fair play, hard work, endurance and performance.
emiratesnbd.com
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MEMORY LANE 1987
World renowned photographer, David Cannon, first visited Emirates Golf Club in 1987. Here he tells all about his special relationship with the Majlis.
35 Years WITH DAVID CANNON T
he first time I came out to Dubai was in 1987. I remember flying out on EK001 from Gatwick, which was their first long-haul flight – a small Airbus in those days! And that was when my first aerial photos of the course were done. I went up in a government helicopter, and the people I was working for rang Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and these helicopters just appeared over the horizon. I was no aerial photographer in those days, I was just a sports photographer, so I wish I had known how important those photos would have been. Being sat in a government helicopter with the door wide open, shooting on slide film as well so you can’t see what your pictures were like back then! It was quite a first experience! Which just kept going on from there really. The site back then was a one-squarekilometre fence, and Sheikh Zayed Road was a two-lane highway with this little roundabout at the front here. Then once you were in, there were three black lakes on the golf course, which was the rubber lining waiting to be filled up with water. You could see the odd bit of shape on the fairways and the odd bit of grass which was beginning to appear, and that was it.
TOP: Majlis course under construction in 1987 ABOVE: David Cannon with the release of his book “25 Years of the Dubai Desert Classic with Rodney Bogg” LEFT: Seve Ballesteros winning in 1992
BELOW: Ernie Els
incredible shot on the 18th hole in 2002
RIGHT: Tiger Woods
1992
2002
teeing off on top of Burj al Arab in 2004 for a PR stunt
2004
9 2008
2012
2001
We then returned the following year in 1988 with President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq from Pakistan, for the first official opening of the Emirates Golf Club. Then it was the first Desert Classic in 1989 and onwards from there really – sadly I would’ve done a complete streak of events, but because of Covid that year, when Tyrrell Hatton won, I couldn’t travel because of my age and insurance - so that was a shame. The place just became so unique instantly. In those early years, it was like “This place is sensational”. The clubhouse just sat on its own, with no trees around it. It was literally the clubhouse and just the desert. Just imagine how that stood out in those days being the first grass golf course in the Middle East. A real amazing bit of imagination by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. I photograph golf tournaments all over the world, and no golf course comes as close to being designed for photography – it is bonkers how good it is. The basic thing is the light and how it works on the holes. It’s as if the designers talked to me 35 years ago and said, “How would you like this hole to look?”
2018
2009
ABOVE: Tiger Woods fist pump in 2008 to win TOP RIGHT: Aerial view of Emirates Golf Club in 2012 RIGHT: Tiger Woods
first visit to Dubai in 2001, greeted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
2015
RIGHT: The 25th anivversary of Dubai Desert Classic with past champions in 2015 FAR RIGHT: Rory McIlroy winning his first DDC in 2009
BOTTOM: The 10th hole of the Majlis course
BOTTOM RIGHT: Rory McIlroy teeing off on the 8th in 2023
In the morning, on the front nine, you have the 3rd and the 8th hole which are straight into the sun - perfect. On the back nine, the 10th hole is straight into the golfers noses. 13 is an absolute studio with the skyline and the marina. Then in the afternoon, it all switches around, and you have the 5th and the 9th holes on the front nine which are just amazing. While on the back nine you have 14, 16 and 18 which are all just incredible. It’s an ‘all-day studio for golf photography’ as I call it.
2023
Away from the course at this tournament, there are always PR stunts done around the event. Who can forget Tiger Woods on the Burj Al Arab? A seriously high-pressure job. Sat in the helicopter, door open, harnessed in, and I’m on my knees behind a television cameraman. Then Tiger has given us strict instructions that he’s only doing 15 minutes of hitting balls. It was a real battle to get those pictures in the time we had. I think it was one of the biggest PR hits globally for Jumeriah and the Desert Classic. Then earlier this week we shot Rory on top of the new Atlantis The Royal, Dubai which was incredible. No helicopter this time! Just my pole which I can operate my camera from with my mobile phone – times have changed! When you look back at the winners here, Seve Ballesteros in 1992, Ernie Els in 1994 and Rory McIlroy in 2009 are all favourites of mine. Then you have to throw a Tiger Woods in there from 2008 when he holed that huge putt with the fist pump – those stand out by a mile. It’s just such an iconic place. It’s stood the test of time and they have really not had to do an awful lot to the golf course in major terms. They’ve lengthened holes and tightened things up but still, it’s essentially the same golf course as it was in the 80’s. It is just designed for golf photography!
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DRAW SHEET
ORDER OF PLAY
SATURDAY
JANUARY 20, 2024
Plan the day watching your favourite players with this guide to the groupings and tee times. 1. TIME 07:06 HOLE 1 ◼ Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) ◼ Jeff WINTHER (DEN)
E E
14. TIME 09:08 HOLE 1 ◼ Brian HARMAN (USA) ◼ Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP)
-2 -2
27. TIME 11:10 HOLE 1 ◼ Alejandro DEL REY (ESP) ◼ Manuel ELVIRA (ESP)
-4 -4
2. TIME 07:15 HOLE 1 ◼ Antoine ROZNER (FRA) ◼ Johannes VEERMAN (USA)
E E
15. TIME 09:17 HOLE 1 ◼ Dale WHITNELL (ENG) ◼ Niklas NØRGAARD (DEN)
-2 -2
28. TIME 11:24 HOLE 1 ◼ Alex FITZPATRICK (ENG) ◼ Stephen GALLACHER (SCO)
-5 -5
3. TIME 07:24 HOLE 1 ◼ Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) ◼ Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR)
E E
16. TIME 09:26 HOLE 1 ◼ Tom MCKIBBIN (NIR) ◼ Marcus HELLIGKILDE (DEN)
-2 -2
29. TIME 11:33 HOLE 1 ◼ Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) ◼ Marcel SIEM (GER)
-5 -5
4. TIME 07:33 HOLE 1 ◼ Jesper SVENSSON (SWE) ◼ Joost LUITEN (NED)
E E
17. TIME 09:35 HOLE 1 ◼ Michael THORBJORNSEN (AM) (USA) ◼ Tyrrell HATTON (ENG)
-2 -2
30. TIME 11:42 HOLE 1 ◼ Callum SHINKWIN (ENG) ◼ Hennie DU PLESSIS (RSA)
-5 -5
5. TIME 07:42 HOLE 1 ◼ Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) ◼ Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA)
E E
18. TIME 09:44 HOLE 1 ◼ Ryan FOX (NZL) ◼ Luke DONALD (ENG)
-2 -2
31. TIME 11:51 HOLE 1 ◼ Richard MANSELL (ENG) ◼ Haotong LI (CHN)
-6 -6
6. TIME 07:51 HOLE 1 ◼ Matthew JORDAN (ENG) ◼ Jayden SCHAPER (RSA)
E E
19. TIME 09:58 HOLE 1 ◼ Pablo LARRAZÁBAL (ESP) ◼ James MORRISON (ENG)
-2 -2
32. TIME 12:00 HOLE 1 ◼ Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) ◼ Zander LOMBARD (RSA)
-6 -6
7. TIME 08:00 HOLE 1 ◼ Casey JARVIS (RSA) ◼ Maximilian KIEFFER (GER)
E -1
20. TIME 10:07 HOLE 1 ◼ Lukas NEMECZ (AU) ◼ Guido MIGLIOZZI (ITA)
-3 -3
33. TIME 12:09 HOLE 1 ◼ Mike LORENZO-VERA (FRA) ◼ Thorbjørn OLESEN (DEN)
-6 -6
-1 -1
21. TIME 10:16 HOLE 1 ◼ Joaquin NIEMANN (CHI) ◼ Rory MCILROY (NIR)
-3 -3
34. TIME 12:18 HOLE 1 ◼ Aaron COCKERILL (CAN) ◼ Louis DE JAGER (RSA)
-6 -6
9. TIME 08:09 HOLE 1 ◼ Jeong weon KO (FRA) ◼ Nathan KIMSEY (ENG)
-1 -1
22. TIME 10:25 HOLE 1 ◼ Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) ◼ Jordan SMITH (ENG)
-3 -3
35. TIME 12:27 HOLE 1 ◼ Nicolai HØJGAARD (DEN) ◼ Rasmus HØJGAARD (DEN)
-7 -7
10. TIME 08:18 HOLE 1 ◼ Todd CLEMENTS (ENG) ◼ Daan HUIZING (NED)
-1 -1
23. TIME 10:34 HOLE 1 ◼ Scott JAMIESON (SCO) ◼ Santiago TARRIO (ESP)
-3 -3
36. TIME 12:36 HOLE 1 ◼ Richie RAMSAY (SCO) ◼ Adrian MERONK (POL)
-7 -10
11. TIME 08:32 HOLE 1 ◼ Calum HILL (SCO) ◼ Nick BACHEM (GER)
-1 -1
24. TIME 10:43 HOLE 1 ◼ Julien GUERRIER (FRA) ◼ Grant FORREST (SCO)
-3 -3
37. TIME 12:45 HOLE 1 ◼ Andy SULLIVAN (ENG) ◼ Cameron YOUNG (USA)
-10 -13
12. TIME 08:50 HOLE 1 ◼ Connor SYME (SCO) ◼ Ugo COUSSAUD (FRA)
-1 -2
25. TIME 10:52 HOLE 1 ◼ Sebastian SÖDERBERG (SWE) ◼ Paul WARING (ENG)
-3 -3
13. TIME 08:59 HOLE 1 ◼ Søren KJELDSEN (DEN) ◼ MJ DAFFUE (RSA)
-2 -2
26. TIME 11:01 HOLE 1 ◼ Bernd WIESBERGER (AUT) ◼ Adam SCOTT (AUS)
-3 -4
8. TIME 08:00 HOLE 1 ◼ Sebastian GARCIA (ESP) ◼ Shubhankar SHARMA (IND)
Main Entrance
Al Khail Metro Station
D
DR
GG
MV
KZ
Tournament Town
C
General Parking Public Access
B
A
PL
2
MC
Clubhouse
1
9
VIP
GENERAL PUBLIC
TG
MT
E
16
18
TV Compound
8
3
12
13
17
14
4 7
10
SP
6
PT
5
15
YDS
469 351 601 180 451 485 186 459 488 3670
HOLE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 OUT
11
3356
446
420
170
443
412
165
550
321
429
MTRS
35
4
4
3
4
4
3
5
4
4
PAR
YDS
3758 7428
TOTAL
564
359
463
190
434
554
476
169
549
IN
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
HOLE
6793
3437
516
328
423
174
397
507
435
155
502
MTRS
Pre booked Taxis
Taxis
Solar Panels
Jones Picnic Lounge
MV Marshals / Volunteers
SP Skyline Pavilion
72
37
5
4
4
3
4
5
4
3
5
PAR
PT Public Bar & Viewing Terrace
MT EGC Members Terrace
TG Top Golf Public Deck
MC Media Centre
VIP Hospitality
DR Driving Range by Callaway
GG Grey Goose Bar
PL Players’ Lounge
KZ Kid’s Zone
Medical
Parking Area
Walking Path
Water Dispenser
Public Grandstands
Public Catering
Scoreboard
Giant Screen
Merchandise
Toilets
General Public Access
Ticketing
SPECTATOR MAP 11
12
DAILY DIARY
Daily Diary with Joshua Grenville-Wood
“AFTER THE BREAKS I HAD, YOU START TO QUESTION WHETHER IT’S GOING TO BE YOUR DAY OR NOT”
I
t was a pretty poor day. I just didn’t get off to the start that I wanted to. The plan was to get to three of four under through the first five or six holes, because there are some very scorable holes on that back nine. And at the start of the day I knew there was a score out there because loads of the guys this morning played well and the pins were a little bit easier than yesterday.
So I wanted to be a bit more aggressive than yesterday and the goal was five or six under, which I know I could’ve done today, if I did things how I wanted to haha! I started off on the 10th hole and my second shot ended up 40 yards short of the green. I thought I’d hit a fantastic chip but it had a terrible bounce and it rolled off the back of the green and I just got an awful lie which took away a birdie opportunity. Then on the par 5 13th hole I hit a decent tee shot and it ran straight through the fairway, so again a terrible lie in the rough. I just didn’t give myself any good opportunities from there really. After those two breaks you start to question whether it’s going to be your day or not. It’s so frustrating because I just couldn’t really make anything, and as the round went on, I just kept slipping down the leaderboard and my scoring just didn’t get any better. But it is what it is. I did hit some great shots at times this week. And even though I missed the cut, I just have to take away the fact that my
13
game is getting to where I need it to be. I just need to keep putting it all together. Then I also have to get used to playing on DP World Tour course setups like this. I haven’t played on one that is set up this tough before, where the rough is five inches thick just off the fairway for example, so I have to get used to that. I’ve now had a taste of a Rolex Series event now and I just want to be able to compete at this level week in and week out. I feel like I can compete with these guys when I’m playing good so I have just got to keep working away. With the help of my family, my team, and the Emirates Golf Federation we will see what happens in the future. Next week in Ras Al Khaimah is a new week, so we’ll try again then.
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14 THE
CHAMPIONS 1989 - Mark James 277 (-11) 1990 - Eamonn Darcy 276 (-12) 1992 - Seve Ballesteros 272 (-16) 1993 - Wayne Westner 274 (-14) 1994 - Ernie Els 268 (-20) 1995 - Fred Couples 268 (-20) 1996 - Colin Montgomerie 270 (-18) 1997 - Richard Green 272 (-16) 1998 - José Maria Olazábal 269 (-19) 1999 - David Howell 275 (-13) 2000 - José Cóceres 274 (-14) 2001 - Thomas Bjørn 266 (-22) 2002 - Ernie Els 272 (-16) 2003 - Robert-Jan Derksen 271 (-17) 2004 - Mark O’Meara 271 (-17) 2005 - Ernie Els 269 (-19) 2006 - Tiger Woods 269 (-19) 2007 - Henrik Stenson 269 (-19) 2008 - Tiger Woods 274 (-14) 2009 - Rory McIlroy 269 (-19) 2010 - Miguel Ángel Jiménez 277 (-11) 2011 - Álvaro Quirós 277 (-11) 2012 - Rafa Cabrera Bello 270 (-18) 2013 - Stephen Gallacher 266 (-22) 2014 - Stephen Gallacher 272 (-16) 2015 - Rory McIlroy 266 (-22) 2016 - Danny Willett 269 (-19) 2017 - Sergio Garcia 269 (-19) 2018 - Li Haotong 265 (-23) 2019 - Bryson DeChambeau 264 (-24) 2020 - Lucas Herbert 279 (-9) 2021 - Paul Casey 271 (-17) 2022 - Victor Hovland 276 (-12) 2023 - Rory McIlroy 269 (-19)
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MOST WINS
Ernie Els: 1994, 2002, 2005 Rory McIlroy: 2009, 2015, 2023
Desert C WIRE-TO-WIRE WINNERS
Eamonn Darcy, 1990 Seve Ballesteros, 1992 Ernie Els, 1994; José Coceres, 2000 Rory McIlroy, 2009 Sergio Garcia, 2017 Lowest 18-hole score 61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994 Lowest first 18-hole score 61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994 Lowest first 36-hole score 128 (-16), Tiger Woods, 2001 Lowest first 54-hole score 195 (-21), Stephen Gallacher, 2013 Lowest 72-hole score 264 (-24), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019 Lowest under par winning score 264 (-24), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019 Lowest final round by a winner 64 (-8), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019
Play-offs 1989 1992 1997 2006 2010 2020 2022
Mark James beat Peter O’Malley Seve Ballesteros beat Ronan Rafferty Richard Green beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els Miguel Ángel Jiménez beat Lee Westwood Lucas Herbert beat Christiaan Bezuidenhout Victor Hovland beat Richard Bland
LARGEST WINNING MARGIN Bryson DeChambeau 2019
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shots
Classics All the key Hero Dubai Desert Classic facts and figures to enhance your viewing pleasure
35th Edition
The Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club, is set to host the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the 33rd time. The event was twice held at the Dubai Creek Golf in 1999 and 2000.
PRIZE PURSE
1989: €251,708.00 (Winner's share €58,324.00)
CONSECUTIVE WINS
Stephen Gallacher 2013 and 2014
2024: $9,000,000.00 (Winner's share: €1,413,349.74)
139 149 LOW CUT (-5), 2018
OLDEST WINNER
Mark O’Meara, 47 years and 54 days, 2004
YOUNGEST WINNER
Rory McIlroy, 19 years and 273 days, 2009
HIGH CUT (+5), 1989
6 shots
Biggest final round comeback by a winner: Lucas Herbert, 2020
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HOLESIN-ONE
Miguel Ángel Jiménez 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 1990 Chris Moody 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990 Mark McNulty 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990 José Cóceres 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1992 Wayne Westner 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 1995 José Cóceres 4th Hole, Rnd 1, 1996 Roger Wessels 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996 Peter Hedblom 15th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996 Stuart Cage 8th Hole, Rnd 1, 1999 (Dubai Creek) Peter Downie 16th Hole, Rnd 1, 2000 (Dubai Creek) Henrik Bjørnstad 7th Hole, Rnd 4, 2002 Brad Kennedy 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 2004 Yasin Ali 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005 Nobuhito Sato 15th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005 Stephen Gallacher 4th Hole, Rnd 4, 2005 Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 2007 Miguel Ángel Jiménez 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2008 Louis Oosthuizen 11th hole, Rnd 2, 2009 David Howell 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2011 Keith Horne 4th hole, Rnd 2, 2011 Raphaël Jacquelin 7th hole, Rnd 3, 2011 Álvaro Quirós 11th hole, Rnd 4, 2011 Stephen Gallacher 15th hole, Rnd 1, 2012 Martin Kaymer 7th hole, Rnd 2, 2012 Álvaro Quirós 4th hole, Rnd 4, 2015 Grégory Bourdy 11th hole, Rnd 3, 2017 Matthew Southgate 7th hole, Rnd 2, 2018 Alexander Levy 5th hole, Rnd 3, 2018 Kristoffer Broberg 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2019 Nacho Elvira 11th hole, Rnd 1, 2021 Ryan Fox 4th hole, Rnd 3, 2022 Luke Donald 4th hole, Rnd 2, 2024 *All at Emirates G.C. unless noted
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GOOD VIEW
ACTION SPOTS
Don’t stress about trying to figure out where the best viewing spots are to see the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Luke Donald – we’ve got you sorted. First off, as you enter Emirates Golf Club, you can see all of the player’s warmup (or down after their round) while you kick back at the Grey Goose Bar and viewing terrace at the driving range. When you want to venture out onto the Majlis Course, there are numerous grandstands dotted around to give you prime positioning. You’ve got stands on the 1st tee, 15th green and 18th green, while not forgetting the Top Golf Deck at the back of the 16th green! A special addition for this year is the public bar and viewing terrace at the back of the 14th green. From there you will be able to get a really good view of the 6th tee, 12th tee, 14th green and 18th tee!
PUBLIC VIEWING SPOTS AND TERRACES
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1st Green Grandstand
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15th Green Grandstand
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18th Green Grandstand
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TopGolf Public Deck overlooking the 16th hole
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The Range by Callaway: Featuring the Grey Goose Bar
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Public Bar & Viewing Terrace: A two-tier terrace with panoramic views of the 6th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th tee
HOW’S YOUR SWING
Swing with the pros An all-new exciting event called ‘The Range by Callaway’ will offer golf fans the chance to step onto the range at Emirates Golf Club, next to where the pros will be, and participate in a variety of Top Tracer challenges and test the newest Callaway equipment!
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SUSTAINABILITY
GOING GREEN A s part of its commitment to help build a more sustainable future, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (HDDC) is adopting many environmental measures for its landmark 35th edition of the tournament this week – the first GEOCertified event in the Middle East, and the first in the DP World Tour’s Rolex Series. Organisers have multiple sustainable practices implemented, that you will be able to see, to help make this Rolex Series event at Emirates Golf Club the most ecofriendly edition to date. GEO Certification is an industry-leading credibility standard that recognises leadership and action in environmental and social responsibility. At the Sustainability Corner in this year’s new-look ‘Tournament Town’, dedicated workshops will take today and Sunday to provide visitors of all ages with a range of fun-filled, engaging activities to improve their understanding of the environment and their role in preserving the earth. Young fans will have the chance to create their own unique seed bombs, encouraging participants to plant in a fun way while giving a new second life to plantable pots. The pots – all made from upcycled materials such as newspapers, empty food cans or plastic bottles – now can be taken home and enjoyed as a permanent souvenir.
The Urban Farming workshop will see people learn about permaculture and the companion planting concept. You will be able to identify the right plant pairs and plant them in multiple layers and have the opportunity to take home the pot and see how they grow well together. Further fun-filled activities include creating new eco-friendly products from neem trees including neem oil, neem scrub and neem soil conditioner, as well as learning how to recycle a shirt into tote bags! In addition to the activities, high-quality filtered water dispensers, provided by Liquid of Life and Al Laith will be available around
GREEN IS
GOOD
Solar Power
Clubhouse car park, Tournament Office, Media Centre, 4th hole and 11th hole areas are powered by solar panels
Bio Fuel
100% of B20 biodiesel is being used throughout the event helping Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050
Plastic Bottles By using refillable alternatives, we divert over 120,000 single use plastic bottles from landfill since 2022
Mangrove Planting
Park and Plant proceeds will go to planting mangroves at Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary
Dubai Metro
Encouraging public transport and benefits for car sharing
the venue. The installation of the dispensers aligns with Dubai Can’s sustainability initiative that aims to minimise single-use plastic bottle waste in Dubai. The tournament organisers, Falcon & Associates, have again partnered with Dulsco following its successful initiatives in 2023 to divert the majority of waste from landfills across the tournament, while Aggreko returns to install over 400 solar panels that will power the tournament office, DP World Tour office and Media Centre. Additionally, there will be a fleet of BMW electric vehicles that will transport the players to and from Emirates Golf Club while Hero, the title sponsor of this Rolex Series tournament, will display its Vida electric scooter bikes at Tournament Town. Furthermore, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the Founding Partner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, has played a vital role in helping to elevating the event and promote its sustainability. These practices are part of the HDDC’s ‘Go For the Green’ initiative, encouraging people to be more eco-friendly, and reaffirm its commitment to protecting the planet. It also reflects its recent official certification as the first GEO-Certified event in the Middle East, and the first in the DP World Tour’s Rolex Series.
ACTIVATION
T N E M A TOURN TOWN TIME
E L U D E H SC LOCATION
Saturday – 20 January
ACT
10:00 - 18:00 Tournament Town Caricature Artist 10:00 - 18:00 Tournament Town Glitter Box 11:00 Sustainability Corner DIY Workshop 11:30 Sustainability Corner Seed Bombs Workshop 12:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 12:00 Tournament Town Tall Tee Toppers 12:30 Sustainability Corner Urban Farming Workshop 13:00 Tournament Town Green Gents 13:30 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 13:30 Sustainability Corner Jenga 14:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 14:30 Tournament Town Green Gents 14:30 Sustainability Corner Diy Workshop 15:00 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 15:00 Tournament Town Tall Tee Toppers 15:30 Sustainability Corner Seed Bombs Workshop 16:00 Tournament Town Green Gents 16:30 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 16:30 Sustainability Corner Urban Farming Workshop 17:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 17:00 Tournament Town Tall Tee Toppers 17:30 Sustainability Corner Jenga 18:00 Tournament Town Stage Live Music 23:00 Finish Finish
TIME
LOCATION
Sunday – 21 January
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ACT
10:00 - 18:00 Tournament Town Caricature Artist 11:00 Sustainability Corner Diy Workshop 11:00 Tournament Town Green Gents 11:30 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 12:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 12:30 Sustainability Corner Seed Bombs Workshop 13:00 Tournament Town Green Gents 13:30 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 13:30 Sustainability Corner Urban Farming Workshop 14:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 14:30 Tournament Town Green Gents 14:30 Sustainability Corner Jenga 15:00 Tournament Town The Swingin Green Brass Band 15:00 Tournament Town Blossom Buggy 15:30 Sustainability Corner Diy Workshop 16:00 Sustainability Corner Seed Bombs Workshop 18:00 Tournament Town Stage Live Music 22:00 Finish Finish
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT