Dubai Desert Classic

Coordinates: 25°05′10″N 55°09′40″E / 25.086°N 55.161°E / 25.086; 55.161
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Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Tournament information
LocationDubai, United Arab Emirates
Established1989
Course(s)Emirates Golf Club
Par72
Length7,428 yards (6,792 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$9,000,000
Month playedJanuary
Tournament record score
Aggregate264 Bryson DeChambeau
To par−24 as above
Current champion
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy
Location Map
Emirates GC is located in United Arab Emirates
Emirates GC
Emirates GC
Location in the United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Desert Classic is a European Tour golf tournament held on Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 1999 and 2000 it was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, all other editions have been held at Emirates Golf Club.

History[edit]

When founded in 1989, it was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Arabian Peninsula, but is currently one of six.[1]

The tournament is part of a wider strategy, via a government program called "Dubai Golf", to develop both professional and casual golf tourism in Dubai. It has historically had one of the strongest fields on the European Tour due to "promotional" money paid to top golfers.[2]

The 1995 edition is notable for being the first live event broadcast on the Golf Channel, an American pay-television network.[3]

In September 2021, it was announced that the event would gain a new title sponsor, Slync.io, in 2022.[4] The event was also added to the Rolex Series, with an increased prize fund of US$8,000,000.[5] The deal was terminated in September 2022.[6]

In January 2023, it was confirmed that Hero MotoCorp would become the new title sponsor of the event, beginning in 2023.[7]

Winners[edit]

European Tour (Rolex Series) 2022–
European Tour (Regular) 1989–2021
# Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
(US$)
Winner's
share ($)
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
35th 2024 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (4) 274 −14 1 stroke Poland Adrian Meronk 9,000,000 1,530,000
34th 2023 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (3) 269 −19 1 stroke United States Patrick Reed 9,000,000 1,530,000
Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic
33rd 2022 Norway Viktor Hovland 276 −12 Playoff England Richard Bland 8,000,000 1,333,330
Omega Dubai Desert Classic
32nd 2021 England Paul Casey 271 −17 4 strokes South Africa Brandon Stone 3,250,000 528,514
31st 2020 Australia Lucas Herbert 279 −9 Playoff South Africa Christiaan Bezuidenhout 3,250,000 541,660
30th 2019 United States Bryson DeChambeau 264 −24 7 strokes England Matt Wallace 3,250,000 541,660
29th 2018 China Li Haotong 265 −23 1 stroke Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy 3,000,000 500,100
28th 2017 Spain Sergio García 269 −19 3 strokes Sweden Henrik Stenson 2,650,000 441,755
27th 2016 England Danny Willett 269 −19 1 stroke Spain Rafa Cabrera-Bello
England Andy Sullivan
2,650,000 441,755
26th 2015 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (2) 266 −22 3 strokes Sweden Alex Norén 2,650,000 441,755
25th 2014 Scotland Stephen Gallacher (2) 272 −16 1 stroke Argentina Emiliano Grillo 2,500,000 416,750
24th 2013 Scotland Stephen Gallacher 266 −22 3 strokes South Africa Richard Sterne 2,500,000 416,750
23rd 2012 Spain Rafa Cabrera-Bello 270 −18 1 stroke Scotland Stephen Gallacher
England Lee Westwood
2,500,000 416,750
22nd 2011 Spain Álvaro Quirós 277 −11 1 stroke Denmark Anders Hansen
South Africa James Kingston
2,500,000 416,750
21st 2010 Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez 277 −11 Playoff England Lee Westwood 2,500,000 416,750
Dubai Desert Classic
20th 2009 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy 269 −19 1 stroke England Justin Rose 2,500,000 416,750
19th 2008 United States Tiger Woods (2) 274 −14 1 stroke Germany Martin Kaymer 2,500,000 416,750
18th 2007 Sweden Henrik Stenson 269 −19 1 stroke South Africa Ernie Els 2,400,000 309,862
17th 2006 United States Tiger Woods 269 −19 Playoff South Africa Ernie Els 2,400,000 309,862
16th 2005 South Africa Ernie Els (3) 269 −19 1 stroke Wales Stephen Dodd
Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez
2,200,000 366,667
15th 2004 United States Mark O'Meara 271 −17 1 stroke Republic of Ireland Paul McGinley 2,000,000 333,333
14th 2003 Netherlands Robert-Jan Derksen 271 −17 1 stroke South Africa Ernie Els 2,000,000 333,333
13th 2002 South Africa Ernie Els (2) 272 −16 4 strokes Sweden Niclas Fasth 1,500,000 250,000
12th 2001 Denmark Thomas Bjørn 266 −22 2 strokes Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington
United States Tiger Woods
1,500,000 250,000
11th 2000 Argentina José Cóceres 274 −14 2 strokes Republic of Ireland Paul McGinley
Sweden Patrik Sjöland
1,300,000 216,667
10th 1999 England David Howell 275 −13 4 strokes England Lee Westwood 1,300,000 216,667
9th 1998 Spain José María Olazábal 269 −19 3 strokes Australia Stephen Allan 1,300,000 216,667
8th 1997 Australia Richard Green 272 −16 Playoff Australia Greg Norman
Wales Ian Woosnam
1,200,000 200,000
7th 1996 Scotland Colin Montgomerie 270 −18 1 stroke Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez 1,000,000 166,667
6th 1995 United States Fred Couples 268 −20 3 strokes Scotland Colin Montgomerie 700,000 116,667
5th 1994 South Africa Ernie Els 268 −20 6 strokes Australia Greg Norman 700,000 116,667
4th 1993 South Africa Wayne Westner 274 −14 2 strokes South Africa Retief Goosen 500,000 83,333
3rd 1992 Spain Seve Ballesteros 272 −16 Playoff Northern Ireland Ronan Rafferty 650,000 108,333
1991 Cancelled due to the Gulf War[8]
Emirates Airlines Desert Classic
2nd 1990 Republic of Ireland Eamonn Darcy 276 −12 4 strokes Northern Ireland David Feherty 450,000 75,000
Karl Litten Desert Classic
1st 1989 England Mark James 277 −11 Playoff Australia Peter O'Malley 450,000 75,000

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Dubai Desert Classic history". European Tour. 31 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Dubai Golf History". Dubai Golf. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. ^ "1/17/1995: By a ceremonial flip of a switch, The Golf Channel launches by Co-Founders Arnold Palmer & Joe Gibbs". Golf History Today. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  4. ^ Jeans, David (20 July 2022). "Golf Tournaments, A Private Jet And A Red Ferrari: A Tech CEO Lived Large While His Employees Went Unpaid". Forbes. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Slync.io becomes new title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic". European Tour. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ Murray, Ewan (12 September 2022). "Dubai Desert Classic loses sponsor amid Chris Kirchner fallout". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Hero MotoCorp to become Title Partner of the Dubai Desert Classic". MENA FN. 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Sport in brief | Golf". The Guardian. London, England. 16 January 1991. p. 16. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

25°05′10″N 55°09′40″E / 25.086°N 55.161°E / 25.086; 55.161