With the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the US PGA at his beloved Quail Hollow, and a blockbuster of a Ryder Cup to be held in New York, 2025 threatens to be a huge year for Rory McIlroy.
And of course there will also be the long build-up to The Masters in April, when the world number three will yet again attempt to complete the career Grand Slam and end an 11-year wait for Major glory.
That build-up starts in Dubai on Thursday when the DP World Tour season swings into action with the Desert Classic around the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club.
This is an event McIlroy loves just as much as the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow, having picked up his first professional victory here in 2009, with last year’s success his fourth in all.
Indeed, Europe’s top dog will go for a third successive Desert Classic win this week, and is a warm order at no bigger than 4/1 to hold off a top-class DP World Tour field and complete the hat-trick.
McIlroy always starts his seasons well, but it is worth noting that he has only won his first event once in 17 years on tour – here in 2023 – and he warmed up with a second in the Dubai Invitational last term before taking this title.
Having not played since winning the DP World Tour Championship at the nearby Earth Course in November, there might just be a bit of rust to shake off over the first couple of days before hopefully making a charge at the weekend.
Jon Rahm makes his debut in this event as he seeks to fulfil his Ryder Cup criteria and is seen by the bookies as the biggest danger to McIlroy at 11/2, and there is little doubt this course should suit as it rewards excellence off the tee and tidy approach play.
However, Rahm has had an even longer lay-off than McIlroy and it might just pay to look past them both, although recent history of this event suggests a top-class victor will emerge.
Before McIlroy’s back-to-back wins in 2023 and last year, a top-class Viktor – Hovland – took the title in 2022, while Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia are also on the roll of honour over the last decade.
Hovland is back this time but is working on swing changes, while Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood should be ideal for the Majlis course but has an underwhelming record.
All of which leaves Tyrrell Hatton as the pick of the leading lights, and he is the main selection at 9/1 this week.
While Rahm has been resting up, his LIV Golf team-mate has been keeping busy in his own quest for Ryder Cup and world ranking points, and has been in excellent form.
Hatton went unbeaten as GB&I hammered Continental Europe in last week’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, with those who took part there surely having an edge in sharpness.
He was also playing well into December on the Asian Tour, signing off for 2024 with a fifth in the Saudi International.
Since winning the Alfred Dunhill Links in October, Hatton has played four times in the Middle-East, also finishing second in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship and sixth in the DP World Tour Championship.
He is driving the ball very well and always putts beautifully, and is warmed up and ready to go.
With a pair of Desert Classic thirds in 2017 and 2018, and a fourth in 2022, he knows his way around the Majlis course, and should definitely go close again.
Rasmus Hojgaard could maintain hot run of form
Rasmus Hojgaard was swimming against the tide in the Team Cup, but he did play well in the only fourballs session and finished strongly to get a half with Aaron Rai in Sunday’s singles, so he is worth backing at 22/1 (Sky Bet).
The Dane had a superb end to 2024, seeing off McIlroy in the Irish Open at Royal County Down before the top two positions were switched in the DP World Tour Championship.
A runner-up finish there once more underlined Hojgaard’s comfort in the Gulf region, with top-10s to his name in Bahrain, Qatar and Ras Al Khaimah in the last couple of years.
He has also improved at the Desert Classic, with three top-20s in his last four outings, and has never been more confident. A long hitter, Hojgaard will want to get Ryder Cup points on the board before embarking on a first PGA Tour campaign and could be a major player.
At bigger prices, I’ll also put up two more members of the GB&I team from last week in Laurie Canter (66/1, Paddy Power) and Paul Waring (100/1, Sky Bet).
Canter was superb in the singles on Sunday, swatting aside the previously unbeaten Romain Langasque, and with his LIV Golf adventure behind him, he can concentrate fully on the DP World Tour.
The Englishman won his first title on a driver’s course in Germany last term and went close in this one in 2021, finishing fourth a couple of months after a fifth at the Earth course.
He has been putting well of late to go with his established excellence off the tee, and has to be of interest at 66/1.
Waring, meanwhile, is riding the crest of a wave after seeing off the best Europe has to offer in Abu Dhabi two months ago.
He is reaping the benefits of living in Dubai, and followed that victory with a 16th at the Earth Course, when he just ran out of gas over the weekend.
Waring started 2025 in fine fettle with 3.5 points out of four in the Team Cup, while he was third in the Desert Classic back in 2019.
So often two wins come close together when a player is right at the peak of his powers, and at three-figure prices Waring has to be on the radar here as a big 2025 on the DP World Tour gets going.
HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC SELECTIONS
Tyrrell Hatton, e/w, 9/1 (General);
Rasmus Hojgaard, e/w, 22/1 (Sky Bet);
Laurie Canter, e/w 66/1 (Paddy Power);
Paul Waring, e/w, 100/1 (Sky Bet)
