Over the past two decades there have been a couple of staple truisms about the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The first is that Rory McIlroy will more than likely be contending for the title.
The second is that he will, at some point over the course of the week, be quizzed about his prospects of finally winning the Masters.
Having been confirmed as returning to play at the Majlis Course at the start of next season, he will be hoping the former remains true, safe in the knowledge the latter is no longer pertinent.
Ahead of his first tee shot at Emirates Golf Club on Thursday, January 22, he will be announced as the Masters champion. He will have been hearing that for nine months by that point, but he is unlikely to tire of it any time soon.
“For him to be a Grand Slam champion at such a young age is amazing,” said Simon Corkill, the tournament director of the Desert Classic.
“It had been bearing down on him, wanting to win it, and he hadn’t won a major for a while. For him to tee off as the Masters champion, we will be very proud to have him.”
That is a common sentiment within golf in Dubai: the sense of pride in their association with McIlroy.
January’s tournament will mark 20 years since the Northern Irishman first came to play at the Desert Classic, as a precocious if somewhat less starry 16-year-old amateur.
It would be untrue to say he was completely unknown back then. But it was only really serious golfing anoraks, as well as sports fans local to McIlroy back at home who knew exactly the extent of the teenager’s talent.
Corkill recounts a story of when he was working at the Australian Masters when McIlroy came to play that tournament early in his career. The tournament director was in conversation with Lyndsay Stephen, the Australian golf commentator, and Andrew Cotter, from the BBC.
“We were chatting in the media centre beforehand and Lyndsay said, ‘Who’s this Rory bloke – is he any good?’” Corkill said.
“Andrew, in his dulcet Scottish tones, turned and said, ‘Lyndsay, he is going to be one of the best in the world that you will ever see.’
“Greatness was predicted for him then, and he has gone on to do that now with his five majors, which is amazing. Hopefully he can make it five Desert Classics this year.”
When McIlroy first started at the Majlis, he could go about his golf unencumbered by the attention he has now.
Back in 2006, his viewing public was not much more than his dad carrying his bag, and his mum beyond the ropes.
Now, the galleries that follow him are usually the biggest in the sport. So vast are they at the Desert Classic, Corkill says there is a special action plan in place for when McIlroy is on the course.
Security is upped, in consultation with McIlroy’s own personal guard. Even the concession stands in the tournament village are put on notice, “to make sure they know the stampede is coming”.
“You can see the sandstorm in the distance as his group goes round,” Corkill said.
“When he finishes, there is a big rush towards the tournament town, and we have to make sure everything is ready, cooked, and prepared, otherwise that surge of crowd is disappointed if you don’t cater for it.”
January’s tournament will be McIlroy’s 16th appearance in the Desert Classic since his debut in 2006. He made the cut for the first time as a professional the following year, while in 2009, it was the venue for his first win as a pro.
That first of what has become four wins at the tournament was by one stroke from Justin Rose, the same player he beat in a play-off at Augusta in April to win the Masters, and become just the sixth golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam.
He won the Dallah Trophy again in 2015, then back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. Although Tyrrell Hatton came between him and a hat-trick at the start of this season, Corkill said the Northern Irishman already had it in mind to come back.
“He didn’t win, but he played very well on the last day [finally finishing tied-fourth, three strokes behind Hatton],” Corkill said.
“I spoke to him at the end, saying, ‘Do you want to do this again next year?’ He said, ‘If the crowd and atmosphere is just like this, then count me in.’
“He essentially committed on the Sunday of the tournament last year. Let’s hope he is up there [again in January], and there are lots of players giving him a run for his money, because he is tough to beat around the Majlis.
“He is the Master of the Majlis, and it is very appropriate that he will continue to be that this year, with his Masters crown.”
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Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
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Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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