Dubai, UAE: Defending champion Rory McIlroy says he has been “working on having fun” during his two-month break ahead of this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where he is seeking a fifth title at Emirates Golf Club.
The World Number Three returns to competitive action this week in a world-class field, as he also looks to become the first player to lift the famous Dallah trophy three times in a row.
“I’ve been working on having fun,” said McIlroy. “Took a couple of trips on my time off. Went to a Borussia Dortmund game on Friday night
“Just doing things that I’ve always wanted to do. You know, went to New Zealand for a few days, which was a lot of fun which I’ve wanted to do for a while.
“Honestly just trying to enjoy myself. It’s the only part of the year I feel like I can really unwind and do that.
“It’s always been nice to start my year in Dubai. It’s something that I’ve done most of my professional career. The last couple years to come here to Dubai, open the season, have success, obviously it’s really nice to get off to a strong start to the season. That’s the plan again this year.
The Northern Irishman is also seeking to become just the fifth player to win the same DP World Tour event, excluding WGCs, three years running, joining an elite group that includes Ian Woosnam (Monte Carlo Open, 1990-92), Sir Nick Faldo (Irish Open, 1991-93), Colin Montgomerie (BMW PGA Championship, 1998-2000), and Ernie Els (Heineken Classic, 2002-04).
“I think I talked about it the end of last year, and obviously winning the Seve Ballesteros Award, I think to be able to put my name up alongside the European greats of golf, Seve (Ballesteros), Faldo, (Bernhard) Langer, Woosie (Ian Woosnam), (Sandy) Lyle, like all these guys, it’s amazing,” he added.
“My goal is to go out and try to get the best out of myself and play as good as I can, and thankfully that’s ended up in winning a few tournaments here and there.
“But I understand that the window is very slowly closing, and I want to make sure I do everything I can to have the best career I possibly can.”
Earlier in the day, the 35-year-old was presented with the 2024 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year by his peers on the DP World Tour for the fourth occasion.
He was presented with the trophy by one of Seve’s sons, Javier, who travelled to Dubai ahead of this week’s opening Rolex Series event, won by his father more than 30 years ago, and by McIlroy on four occasions in 2009, 2015, 2023, and 2024.
Also returning to the Majlis Course this week is McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland, who claimed victory in the 2022 edition of the tournament and is back in Dubai for the first time since that triumph.
“I love this place,” said Hovland.
“Even in 2019 when I played my first time, absolutely loved it. It’s iconic. The tournament has been around for a long time. There’s some history here. Great winners, and super honoured to be a part of the history. Good to be back. It’s three years. It goes by so quick. So yeah, super pumped.”
Established in 1989, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is the oldest golf competition in the Middle East and next year’s event will be the 36th edition of the tournament. A key fixture on the DP World Tour and a part of the esteemed Rolex Series, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic was instrumental in introducing golf to the Middle East and producing some of the sport’s most memorable moments. The 2025 event will mark its second consecutive year being GEO Certified®, having become the only tournament to do so in the Middle East and on the DP World Tour Rolex Series.
About Hero Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic was founded in 1989 as the first DP World Tour event to take place in the Gulf, and the first and only GEO-certified golf event in the Middle East, highlighting the event’s continued dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainable golf events. Regarded as one of the most significant events on the DP World Tour, and part of the prestigious Rolex Series, it has been credited with paving the way for golf’s presence in the Middle East, as well as creating some of the most iconic moments in golfing history.
Promoted and organised by Falcon and Associates, the tournament played on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club, is fondly referred to as the ‘Major of the Middle East’, due to its legacy and world-class players drawn to the tournament every year.
The tournament is supported by title sponsor, Hero MotoCorp, and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), a founding partner of the Dubai Desert Classic. The 36th edition of the event will take place from 16 to 19 January 2025 in Dubai.
To learn more about the tournament, visit www.dubaidesertclassic.com and follow Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, (@dubaidcgolf), or download the new app (Desert Classic) for all the latest event information.
About Hero MotoCorp Ltd.
The New Delhi (India)-headquartered Hero MotoCorp is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles for 23 consecutive years, in terms of unit volumes sold by a single company in a year. The Company has sold over 120 million products in cumulative sales since its inception. Hero MotoCorp currently sells its products in 48 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Hero MotoCorp has eight state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, including six in India, and one each in Colombia and Bangladesh. Hero MotoCorp has two world-class, state-of-the-art R&D facilities — the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) in India and Tech Centre Germany (TCG) near Munich. Hero MotoCorp is one of the world’s largest corporate promoters of multiple disciplines of sports, including, Golf, Football, Field Hockey, Cricket and Motorsports. Hero MotoSports Team Rally is India’s flag-bearer in global rally racing. Iconic golfer Tiger Woods is Hero MotoCorp’s Global Corporate Partner. Press Contact: corporate.communication@heromotocorp.com
About the DP World Tour
The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group.
Our 2025 global schedule features a minimum of 42 tournaments in 26 different countries across three distinct phases of the season: five ‘Global Swings’ from November 2024 to August 2025; the ‘Back 9’ from August 2025 to October 2025; and the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’, comprising two consecutive Rolex Series events in November 2025.
Overall, the 2025 season features five Rolex Series events – the premium category of events on the DP World Tour – and four Major Championships, all of which count towards the Race to Dubai Rankings, the Tour’s season-long competition which concludes at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, has been the title partner of the DP World Tour since the start of the 2022 season, the Tour’s 50th season following its formation in 1972.
About the Rolex Series
The Rolex Series is the premium category of events on the DP World Tour, comprising five tournaments in 2025, staged in a variety of world-class golfing locations around the globe, each with a minimum prize fund of US$9 million.
Showcasing innovation, enriched media, content and broadcast coverage, and a superior event experience for both fans and for the world’s top players, the list of Rolex Series Champions includes some of golf’s most distinguished names.
The Rolex Series was launched in 2017, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s enduring partnership with the European Tour group.
In 2025, the Rolex Series comprises; the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 16-19), the Genesis Scottish Open (July 10-13) the BMW PGA Championship (September 11-14), the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (November 6-9) and the DP World Tour Championship (November 13-16). The latter two events comprise the DP World Tour Play-Offs and feature the leading 70 and 50 players from the Race to Dubai respectively.
