ROUND 4 | SUNDAY | JANUARY 21, 2024
CAN CAMERON’S COMEBACK CONTINUE? Cameron Young came back from a third-round momentary blip to lead by two heading into Sunday at the 35th Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
World Number Two has placed himself perfectly for the final day. PAGE 4
By Harry Grimshaw – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East
T
he American started the day with a three-shot cushion, and if he was to continue on the form he had done the previous two days it looked to be smooth sailing. But he found water off the tee on the par three seventh resulting in a double bogey, and the bad scoring wasn’t done. A further dropped shot in the eighth hole put him back to 11 under. And the tournament invitee had one eye on what McIlroy was doing…. “I saw it” said Young. “I think I was talking to my dad before we went out and played that I put the over/under about 64 1/2. I guess it was on the underside of that. “But yeah, someone like him (McIlroy), I feel like you expect him to do that. Figured he wasn’t going to be 30th for long.” Young fought back well, three birdies coming back home put him back on top of the leadboard after a whirlwind day for the man who is yet to win on a Major tour. If he was to break that duck on Sunday, he would also become just the fifth American to win this event in its 35-year history. “Obviously it’s been a while since those Korn Ferry Tour wins. It would be a nice feeling. HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
Magic from McIlroy
“It’s one of those times that you feel like kind of at peace with what you’ve done, and it’s something I would love to do tomorrow. But I’ve put myself in another great place to have a chance, and I’m happy with that. “So if I go out and go through the process that we’ve kind of set up for tomorrow and see what happens, see what happens.” Rory McIlroy had the round of the day after his sublime 63, which equals his lowest score around the Majlis, and is just two shots back from Young. There is more about that magical round from Rory on page four. The Northern Irishman is set to tee it up alongside Young in the final pairing. Dubai based Adrian Meronk is also on the same number, as the three-time winner, at 12 under. Joining the World Number Two in a tie for second after his third round of two under 70. Haotong Li and Rasmus Højgaard sit in 4th spot at nine under par, realistically a touch too far back to contend for the coveted Dallah trophy. You can find the full draw sheet for the fourth and final round on page 10. Have a great day!
@DUBAIDCGOLF
#DUBAIDESERTCLASSIC
Celeb Spotting
Musicians, F1 drivers, YouTubers have all been seen here. PAGE 6
Danny’s World
Exclusive interview with the GCCO of DP World. PAGE 12
Best Bits
Everything you might of missed throught the week. PAGE 18
DAILY DRAW SHEET & COURSE MAP
Navigate Emirates Golf Club with your guide to the final round groups. PAGE 10-11 PATRON AND OFFICIAL PUBLISHER
DUBAIDESERTCLASSIC.COM
2
CLOSING REMARKS
visit golfdigestme.com for the latest coverage
Weather Watch The weather for 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!
26/19
Sun 21st
LEADERBOARD
Hello and welcome to the final day of this year’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a historic weekend for the tournament at Emirates Golf Club. It has been an incredible week as we celebrate the 35th edition of the tournament, with spectacular moments on the Majlis Course that add to the illustrious history of the regions longest running golf tournament. The evolution of this event year-on-year is a testament to the city of Dubai, and the combined effort over the past 35 years to bring world-class sport to the UAE and showcase its unique ability to host global elite tournaments. During the past three days, we have seen incredible play on the course with the final round set to distinguish who will emerge as our latest champion of the coveted Dallah trophy. Away from the Majlis, the 35th year celebrations have featured a look back to the past with a firm eye on the future, and we thank our fans for dressing up to mark the first-ever Retro Vintage Saturday, showcasing some of fashions best looks through the decades to bring a new feeling to the biggest golfing weekend on the regional calendar. We are immensely grateful to everyone who has been with us on the journey to delivering this year’s historic edition, and we thank our title sponsor, Hero MotoCorp and our founding partner, Emirates Global Aluminium for their ongoing and passionate support for our event.
Rank Name (Country)
Par
R1 R2 R3
1
YOUNG, CAMERON (USA)
-14
67 64 71
2
MCILROY, RORY (NIR)
-12
71 70 63
MERONK, ADRIAN (POL)
-12
68 66 70
4
HØJGAARD, RASMUS (DEN) -9
67 70 70
LI, HAOTONG (CHN)
-9
67 71 69
6
NIEMANN, JOAQUIN (CHI)
-8
69 72 67
7
OLESEN, THORBJØRN (DEN) -7
68 70 71
FLEETWOOD, TOMMY (ENG) -7
69 70 70
FITZPATRICK, ALEX (ENG)
-7
69 70 70
10
HØJGAARD, NICOLAI (DEN)
-6
68 69 73
COCKERILL, AARON (CAN)
-6
71 67 72
KAWAMURA, MASAHIRO (JPN) -6
75 63 72
SHINKWIN, CALLUM (ENG)
-6
71 68 71
DEL REY, ALEJANDRO (ESP) -6
72 68 70
SCOTT, ADAM (AUS)
-6
69 71 70
JAMIESON, SCOTT (SCO)
-6
69 72 69
Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer
Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne
Group Editor and Managing Partner Ian Fairservice
Publisher David Burke
Editor Harry Grimshaw
General Manager – Production S. Sunil Kumar
Art Director Clarkwin Cruz
Production Manager Binu Purandaran
Images Supplied by Falcon and Associates, Getty Images, David Cannon
Alongside our key partners who have supported us in every step of the way, we are delighted to welcome you for the final day of play to experience what is simply ‘A Tournament Like No Other.’ Enjoy today and thank you for being part of our celebrations.
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SIMON CORKILL
Executive Tournament Director, Hero Dubai Desert Classic
london
Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London, NW1 3ER, UK Email: motivateuk@motivate.ae
NEWS
3
4
NEWS
Mcilroy Magician THE
R
oy McIlroy, produced not just one, but a masterclass of magic moments on the Majlis Course on moving day in the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The World Number Two, paired with Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, started the day 10 shots back from overnight leader, American Cameron Young. Just as McIlroy has done many times, he came out the blocks fast on Saturday by birdieing two of his first three holes to close the gap to eight strokes. Still lay a mountain of work ahead of the Ulsterman. But he responded with a string of four birdies in the same amount of holes, thanks to his approach play, from the 7th to 10th. He had now climbed himself to eight under par for the tournament. But he still wasn’t done. A further birdie on the par five 13th, a feat he has done every day so far this week, got him into double digits overall. And as McIlroy has done many times before, he left his best trick until the last. A 298-yard fairway-finding drive down the 18th, left him with just 213 yards to the pin. He struck his approach shot onto the centre of the green, as it then released onto the back fringe. You can guess what happened next. In proper Rory style, he proceeded to roll in a long left-to-right breaking eagle putt, which was welcomed with a rapturous applause from the crowds in the amphitheatre grandstands on 18. Safe to say, Rory enjoyed that round of golf! “I played some very, very good golf. Definitely better than I played the last couple of days and nice to get myself right back in the tournament. “I just thought if I could play the front nine better. I’ve played the front nine a little scrappily the last couple days. “I thought if I could get off to a good start, I was a couple under through three, and I thought if I could pick one or two more up from that tough stretch from 5 through 9, and I ended up picking 3-up, birdieing 7, 8 and 9, which was fantastic. And then just kept it going into the back nine,” said McIlroy. “I think for me, the key to this golf course is always the front nine because it is the tougher nine, and if you can play that nine well, you give yourself a ton of momentum going into the more scorable back nine.” This 63 equates to his lowest round in a Rolex Series event and matches his lowest round over the Majlis Course, last time he did that was in the opening round of this event in 2014. Rory is looking to become the only player to have won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic four times, a feat that would eclipse Ernie Els. If he does win, he would become only the second person to successfully defend their title, after Stephen Gallacher did so in 2013 & 2014. “It would be amazing. First player to get my name on it four times, yeah, it would be awesome. “I’ve had so much success in Dubai, whether it be at this tournament or over at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Race to Dubai. It’s been a really, really good place to me.” “I love coming back here. I really enjoy my time here. It would be amazing if I was able to get another win.”
NEWS
5
Haotong hunting T
he Majlis is a venue that’s a happy hunting ground for Haotong Li. Back in 2018, the 28-year-old, overcame Rory McIlroy on this very course six years ago to claim his thensecond DP World Tour title. He’s now looking for the same on Sunday after his third round of 69 with four birdies and just a solitary bogey on the 17th seeing him just five shots off the leader, Cameron Young. “Well, I played really, really solid the whole day from the first hole. Just except the 17th, I was a little bit off with my wedge shot and also on the 18th with my second shot. It was a pretty good day,” said Li. Had it not been for last weekend at the Dubai Invitational, Haotong hasn’t had a weekend golfing since April 2023. A string of 15 missed cuts prior seems to have been a thing of the past for the Chinese player. Now the three-time DP World Tour winner is riding the crest of a wave. “The momentum is from last week which just makes you feel super comfortable to play the shot. I actually don’t even feel that rusty, especially those tough years, and I have found more appreciation now with the game. “Hopefully I can get close tomorrow (Sunday) and take another trophy back home.”
6 A-LIST
ALPINE F1 DRIVER PIERRE GASLY CONTENT CREATOR MAC BOUCHER
CELEB FORMER STEPS LISA SCOTT LEE
SPOTTING
EMIRATI INFLUENCER SALAMA MOHAMED
This week at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has seen a host of celebrities and golfing influencers walking the fairways here at Emirates Golf Club. Here are some of those big names who have been spotted at the Majlis!
MUSICIAN NIALL HORAN
BROADCASTER INCI MEHMET
YOUTUBER CASPAR LEE MANCHESTER UNITED’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY
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8 PICTURE ROUND-UP
Spectators with the perfect view
Adrian Meronk of Poland Tommy Fleetwood of England Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland Marcel Siem of Germany
9
Andy Sullivan of England
Danish brothers Rasmus Hojgaard (L) and Nicolai Hojgaard Cameron Young of USA Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark
Joaquin Niemann of Chile teeing off the 17th
10
DRAW SHEET
ORDER OF PLAY
SUNDAY
JANUARY 21, 2024
Plan the day watching your favourite players with this guide to the groupings and tee times. 1. TIME 07:00 HOLE 1 ◼ Jeong weon KO (FRA) ◼ Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR)
+4 +4
14. TIME 09:02 HOLE 1 ◼ Paul WARING (ENG) ◼ Lukas NEMECZ (AU)
-1 -1
27. TIME 11:04 HOLE 1 ◼ Tom MCKIBBIN (NIR) ◼ Dale WHITNELL (ENG)
-4 -4
2. TIME 07:09 HOLE 1 ◼ Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) ◼ Niklas NØRGAARD (DEN)
+3 +2
15. TIME 09:11 HOLE 1 ◼ MJ DAFFUE (RSA) ◼ Connor SYME (SCO)
-1 -1
28. TIME 11:18 HOLE 1 ◼ Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) ◼ Maximilian KIEFFER (GER)
-4 -4
3. TIME 07:18 HOLE 1 ◼ Brian HARMAN (USA) ◼ Ugo COUSSAUD (FRA)
+2 +2
16. TIME 09:20 HOLE 1 ◼ Daan HUIZING (NED) ◼ Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA)
-1 -1
29. TIME 11:27 HOLE 1 ◼ Richard MANSELL (ENG) ◼ Søren KJELDSEN (DEN)
-5 -5
4. TIME 07:27 HOLE 1 ◼ Nathan KIMSEY (ENG) ◼ Nacho ELVIRA (ESP)
+2 +2
17. TIME 09:29 HOLE 1 ◼ Louis DE JAGER (RSA) ◼ Grant FORREST (SCO)
-2 -2
30. TIME 11:36 HOLE 1 ◼ Nicolai HØJGAARD (DEN) ◼ Aaron COCKERILL (CAN)
-6 -6
5. TIME 07:36 HOLE 1 ◼ Julien GUERRIER (FRA) ◼ Luke DONALD (ENG)
+1 +1
18. TIME 09:38 HOLE 1 ◼ Jordan SMITH (ENG) ◼ James MORRISON (ENG)
-2 -2
31. TIME 11:45 HOLE 1 ◼ Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) ◼ Callum SHINKWIN (ENG)
-6 -6
6. TIME 07:45 HOLE 1 ◼ Casey JARVIS (RSA) ◼ Jayden SCHAPER (RSA)
+1 +1
19. TIME 09:52 HOLE 1 ◼ Sebastian GARCIA (ESP) ◼ Richie RAMSAY (SCO)
-2 -3
32. TIME 11:54 HOLE 1 ◼ Alejandro DEL REY (ESP) ◼ Adam SCOTT (AUS)
-6 -6
7. TIME 07:54 HOLE 1 ◼ Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP) ◼ Jeff WINTHER (DEN)
+1 +1
20. TIME 10:01 HOLE 1 ◼ Zander LOMBARD (RSA) ◼ Hennie DU PLESSIS (RSA)
-3 -3
33. TIME 12:03 HOLE 1 ◼ Scott JAMIESON (SCO) ◼ Thorbjørn OLESEN (DEN)
-6 -7
E E
21. TIME 10:10 HOLE 1 ◼ Santiago TARRIO (ESP) ◼ Romain LANGASQUE (FRA)
-3 -3
34. TIME 12:12 HOLE 1 ◼ Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) ◼ Alex FITZPATRICK (ENG)
-7 -7
9. TIME 08:12 HOLE 1 ◼ Marcus HELLIGKILDE (DEN) ◼ Nick BACHEM (GER)
E E
22. TIME 10:19 HOLE 1 ◼ Tyrrell HATTON (ENG) ◼ Shubhankar SHARMA (IND)
-3 -3
35. TIME 12:21 HOLE 1 ◼ Joaquin NIEMANN (CHI) ◼ Rasmus HØJGAARD (DEN)
-8 -9
10. TIME 08:26 HOLE 1 ◼ Calum HILL (SCO) ◼ Todd CLEMENTS (ENG)
E E
23. TIME 10:28 HOLE 1 ◼ Matthew JORDAN (ENG) ◼ Andy SULLIVAN (ENG)
-3 -4
36. TIME 12:30 HOLE 1 ◼ Haotong LI (CHN) ◼ Adrian MERONK (POL)
-9 -12
11. TIME 08:35 HOLE 1 ◼ Joost LUITEN (NED) ◼ Jesper SVENSSON (SWE)
E E
24. TIME 10:37 HOLE 1 ◼ Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) ◼ Bernd WIESBERGER (AUT)
-4 -4
37. TIME 12:39 HOLE 1 ◼ Rory MCILROY (NIR) ◼ Cameron YOUNG (USA)
-12 -14
12. TIME 08:44 HOLE 1 ◼ Johannes VEERMAN (USA) ◼ Antoine ROZNER (FRA)
E E
25. TIME 10:46 HOLE 1 ◼ Sebastian SÖDERBERG (SWE) ◼ Pablo LARRAZÁBAL (ESP)
-4 -4
13. TIME 08:53 HOLE 1 ◼ Mike LORENZO-VERA (FRA) ◼ Marcel SIEM (GER)
-1 -1
26. TIME 10:55 HOLE 1 ◼ Ryan FOX (NZL) ◼ Michael THORBJORNSEN (AM) (USA)
-4 -4
8. TIME 08:03 HOLE 1 ◼ Manuel ELVIRA (ESP) ◼ Guido MIGLIOZZI (ITA)
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
DP WORLD
Danny Van Otterdijk, Group CCO at DP World, reflects on the past three years that DP World has had as Title Partner of the DP World Tour
DANNY’S WORLD
D
anny, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is a good way to mark the start of your third year as Title Partner of the DP World Tour, how fantastic have the past three years been? The past three years have been wonderful for DP World as the title partner of the DP World Tour. We first became the title partner of the DP World Tour Championship in 2012 and transitioned to become the new title sponsor of the tour from the start of the 2022 season. The tour is adding new global events to the schedule year after year, culminating in the season-ending finale at Jumeriah Golf Estates. The 2024 DP World Tour schedule will feature a minimum of 44 tournaments in 24 countries and across five continents. We are delighted with how the partnership is evolving year upon year, both from a brand and commercial perspective. You must be excited to welcome the world’s best golfers back to Dubai for what promises to be an incredible start to the season. It’s fantastic having the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood competing in Dubai at both the start and the end of the DP World Tour season. Dubai resident, Fleetwood, is a good friend of DP World’s, with the Tommy Fleetwood Academy being part of the DP World Golf Performance Centre at Jumeirah Golf Estates. We were incredibly proud of his victory, taking him to 11th in the world rankings. His birdie-birdie finish was superb, it showed elite performance under intense pressure.
One of our DP World colleagues was lucky enough to be competing alongside Tommy at the Dubai Invitational. They had a superb time together and I’m certain Tommy gave him a few tips!
RIGHT: Recycled golf balls initiative BELOW: Danny with Tommy Fleetwood OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: The DP World Caddie Cup and Korea Championship
How much of a significant history does the Hero Dubai Desert Classic have for the DP World Tour, especially with it being a standout event on Dubai’s sporting and social calendar? The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is blessed with an abundance of unforgettable memories in its 35-year span. Some of the greatest players of all time including Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been champions which proves how prestigious this event is at the start of the DP World Tour season. The Desert Classic is the first Rolex Series event of the season and part of a five-week swing in the Middle East, with events taking place in the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, which is great for golf in the region. A new-look DP World Tour 2024 season also sees a re-arranged tournament schedule, why was this needed? I feel the re-arranged DP World Tour schedule keeps the fans engaged throughout the season with five innovative ‘Global Swings’ from November 2023 to August 2024. The DP World Tour playoffs in the final phase of the season is an incredible way to build up the excitement ahead of the seasonending DP World Tour Championship. As in previous years, the Rolex Series tournaments make a return with the first one this week at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. How crucial are these to the backbone of the DP World Tour? The Rolex Series offers increased prize funds and attracts the best players from around the globe which makes them the stand-out events on the golfing calendar besides the majors. There are five Rolex
13
Series events throughout the season, starting with the Desert Classic this week which has USD $9million prize fund. This all leads up to the DP World Tour Championship where the top 50 players on the DP World Tour will compete to see who will be crowned the Race to Dubai champion and the DP World Tour Championship winner. We are looking forward to seeing who will lift the title this week at Emirates Golf Club. Will we see the DP World container for recycled golf balls initiative being run again? How successful has that been over the previous years in what it provides? You sure will! The DP World ‘Second Life’ Container will be returning for its third season on the DP World Tour. This initiative has been phenomenal in terms of increasing accessibility in golf and making the sport more sustainable. We have already collected over 280,000 balls in two years and are hoping this continues to improve grassroots golf around the world. The Junior Golf Foundation Kenya and the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA) have already benefitted from receiving ‘second life’ golf balls from DP World and we hope to make a more significant impact this season. We have big plans for the container in 2024.
DPINWORLD 2024
44
Tournaments in 24 countries and across five continents
280,000
Golf balls have been recycled in the DP World ‘Second Life’ Container in two years.
Sustainability is a big part of the DP World Tour, how is the DP World working with the Tour to implement this? Sustainability is always at the forefront of DP World’s strategy. This week is the perfect example of the astounding work the DP World Tour is doing with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic being a GEO-certified tournament. Spectators are encouraged to travel to the tournament via metro and use refillable water bottles rather than single-use plastic bottles. Believe it or not, the Desert Classic have diverted over 120,000 single-use plastic bottles from landfill since 2022.
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS FOUNDED IN 1979
A growing collection of iconic freehold developments
As the tournament’s Official Patron, Motivate Media Group has been there every step of the way. That’s every drive and every putt since 1989. motivatemedia.com
14
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Retro-Vintage Saturday Saturday saw organisers put on a Retro-Vintage dress code inspired by the history of the event and the 35th edition. Fans were encouraged to enter the Best Dressed competition by showing up in their favourite looks from the 1940s through to the 1990s, with a chance to win BIG! Prizes include an underwater suite at the Atlantis, The Palm worth over AED25,000, hospitality tickets for Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2025, Niall Horan concert tickets, TopGolf vouchers and lots more! Check out @dubaidcgolf to find out who wins! Results are to be announced soon…
STRAP HERE??? 15 Together, innovating aluminium to make modern life possible
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16 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)
3
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
7
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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QUICK CATCH-UP
MENTAL HEALTH IMPORTANCE LIVE MUSIC
HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC PRO-AM
RORY’S STUNT AT ATLANTIS THE ROYAL, DUBAI
THE
LUCKY LUKE DONALD MAKES AN ACE
RETRO-VINTAGE SATURDAY
BEST BITS MERONK AWARDED SEVE BALLESTEROS AWARD
FAMILY FRIDAY
ACTIVATION
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TOURNAMENT TOWN SCHEDULE TIME
LOCATION
Sunday – 21 January
10:00 - 18:00 Tournament Town 11:00 Sustainability Corner 11:00 Tournament Town 11:30 Tournament Town 12:00 Tournament Town 12:30 Sustainability Corner 13:00 Tournament Town 13:30 Tournament Town 13:30 Sustainability Corner 14:00 Tournament Town 14:30 Tournament Town 14:30 Sustainability Corner 15:00 Tournament Town 15:00 Tournament Town 15:30 Sustainability Corner 16:00 Sustainability Corner 18:00 Tournament Town Stage 22:00 Finish
ACT
Caricature Artist Diy Workshop Green Gents Blossom Buggy The Swingin Green Brass Band Seed Bombs Workshop Green Gents Blossom Buggy Urban Farming Workshop The Swingin Green Brass Band Green Gents Jenga The Swingin Green Brass Band Blossom Buggy Diy Workshop Seed Bombs Workshop Live Music Finish
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT