The DP World Tour season kicks off in style with the first Rolex Series event of 2025, the Dubai Desert Classic from the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tyrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood head a magnificent field.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Driving Distance
- Strokes Gained: Off The Tee
- GIR
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Scrambling
- Strokes Gained: Around The Green
- Putts Per GIR
- Birdie or Better
Emirates is a course that favours long hitters so typically attracts the best who can belt it from the tee box.
Finding greens is important but so to is getting up-and-down around the greens so a player with good touch chipping is prized.
Key Correlation Courses
- Yas Links
- Doha Golf Club
- Al Hamra Golf Club
- Gary Player Country Club
BEST BET
JON RAHM
There is no player in the field harder to get a grip on than Jon Rahm but given his profile, he has to be the top selection.
Rahm finished 2024 ranked top on the DP World Tour in Scrambling, Strokes Gained: Around The Green, Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and Strokes Gained: Off The Tee while he led LIV in GIR.
Also ranks Top 11 in Putts Per GIR and Driving Distance on the DP World Tour.
Won two of the last three LIV events for the year and has finished Top 10 in 10 straight events including The Open and the Olympics.
Looks more comfortable now with his decision to defect to LIV and expecting a big 2025.
BEST VALUE
THORBJORN OLESEN
Dane who loves desert golf and has a great record both here and in the key correlation events.
Olesen has four Top 10s in this event in his last 10 cracks along with four other Top 35 finishes.
Won at Al Hamra last year after finishing fourth in 2023 while he has finished Top 5 at the last two Nedbank Golf Challenges, Top 20 at the last two Abu Dhabi Championships and T-9 at the 2023 Qatar Masters.
With his quality short game he is sure to feature.
MATT WALLACE
Englishman Matt Wallace is absolutely flying at the moment and looks an outstanding bet at a big price.
A five-time DP World Tour winner, Wallace won the European Masters in September and since has five Top 24 finishes including a T-3 in the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Also has good form at the Qatar Masters and Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Ranks fourth in Strokes Gained: Around The Green, 11th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 15th in Birdie or Better.
BEST ROUGHIES
BERND WIESBERGER
Veteran Austrian who has always loved this event.
Has eight Top 25 finishes here since 2012 including in his last four visits and naturally profiles very well here again.
Ranks third in Strokes Gained: Around The Green, fifth in Scrambling, seventh in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 12th in GIR.
IVAN CANTERO
Big hitting Spaniard who found a little bit of form in Australia late last year.
He finished 2024 ranked 10th in Driving Distance and 15th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee.
Finished Top 42 in four straight events and can post a decent finish here.
TOP AUSTRALIAN
ADAM SCOTT
Five Aussies tee it up but the value is with favourite Adam Scott.
Scott is a monster off the tee who ranks 10th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and 12th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green.
TOP FRENCHMAN
FREDERIC LACROIX
Happy to take on the French contingent who played in the Team Cup last week.
Lacroix ranks 14th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and has finished third at Ras and 21st at Gary Player in the last year.