Dubai: Pat Perez will join Rory McIlroy and defending champion Sergio Garcia in headlining a top-class field for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from January 25 to 28.
The 29th edition of the longest-running European Tour event in the region will also see Henrik Stenson, Matt Fitzpatrick and current Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood, among other top draws, further bolstering a star-cast, promising a fascinating spectacle of golf at the Majlis Course.
Potential storylines are aplenty, but none would be more compelling than ‘Volcano’ Perez, who will be making his first appearance in the event.
Riding high on confidence after picking up his third career PGA Tour victory at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last month, the 41-year-old American will be hoping to keep momentum rolling into Dubai.
Perez’s win, which earned him automatic entry into next year’s Masters, took on a special significance as it came after a long recovery from a career-threatening shoulder injury.
“It’s been an amazing 12 months. I can’t explain it, but I hope it continues,” said Perez, who also won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on the PGA Tour in November last year. “I have always wanted to play the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. It looks incredible and I have heard it’s run amazingly well.”
Returning to the site of his first professional win on tour will be Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, who will be aiming to match the feat of Ernie Els, as the event’s record three-time winner.
He was forced to pull out of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year due to injury, but otherwise enjoys an incredible record here going 96 under-par over his last seven appearances, resulting in two wins and five top-10s.
Defending champion Garcia will also be watched with interest. He earlier became the second player after Danny Willett to follow the Desert Classic with a Masters win in the same year last season.
Making his eighth appearance in Dubai last year, Garcia racked up his 12th career win, becoming the sixth Spaniard to inscribe his name on the Dallah ‘coffee pot’ trophy. A successful defence of his crown will see the 37-year-old become the event’s second back-to-back winner after Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who achieved the feat in 2014.
Hoping to conjure up old magic will be Ryder Cup legends Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie and Thomas Bjorn. The starting line-up will also have a distinct Mena Tour flavour with the top three professionals on the Order of Merit, Jamie Elson, Henric Sturehed and Luke Joy, along with leading amateur Todd Clements.
India’s Rayhan Thomas, who took the Mena Tour route to climb to World No. 35 in the rankings, has also been handed a special invite to hone his competitive edge as the 17-year-old Dubai-based prodigy continues to pursue a career in golf.
Tickets are available for sale online at www.omegadubaidesertclassic.com, daily tickets cost Dh175, while a season pass will cost Dh500. All those aged Under-16 can enter free if accompanied by an adult holding a valid ticket for the day.
