Morikawa, McIlroy headline field for Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic

Dubai: A clutch of Major winners, Ryder Cup stars and former champions will headline a star-studded field at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, as the iconic event is elevated to the DP World Tour’s signature Rolex Series of tournaments for the first time this year.

World No.2 and reigning Open champion Collin Morikawa and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy are among the world’s best who will join defending champion Paul Casey as a new era begins at Emirates Golf Club from January 27-30.

World Number Six Viktor Hovland became the first Norwegian to play in the Ryder Cup last year. He will make his second appearance at the event, alongside teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger as well as their captain, three-time Major winner Pádraig Harrington.

The 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, who also made his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits, will join Europe’s all-time leading points scorer and fellow Major winner Sergio Garcia in the field, with the Spaniard aiming to lift the famous Dallah trophy for the second time.

Danny Willett is seeking to achieve the same feat, with the Englishman setting the precedent for Garcia by winning at the Emirates Golf Club just months before securing the Green Jacket.

It promises to be a memorable anniversary for another former winner at Augusta National, with the 2013 Masters Tournament champion Adam Scott returning to the event exactly 20 years after his last appearance in 2002. Meanwhile, the 2011 Green Jacket winner, Charl Schwartzel, makes his eighth appearance and his first since 2010.

Amongst those once again teeing it up later this month are 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson, victorious European Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjørn and Colin Montgomerie, Spanish Ryder Cup stars Rafa Cabrera Bello and Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher – the only player to have lifted the trophy in consecutive seasons.

The Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will also provide a unique opportunity for one up-and-coming star, with Texan Sam Bennett claiming a sponsor exemption as the top-ranked player in the PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking.

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director, Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, said: “This year’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic has attracted some of the world’s best golfers, and we look forward to welcoming a world-class international field for a truly memorable edition of the event. With free entry for spectators this year, a first for the tournament, there is sure to be an incredible atmosphere befitting the elevated status of a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour.”

Full field of players

MORIKAWA, COLLIN (US)

HOVLAND, Viktor (NOR)

MCILROY, Rory (NI)

HATTON, Tyrrell (ENG)

CASEY, Paul (ENG)

WESTWOOD, Lee (ENG)

FLEETWOOD, Tommy (ENG)

HERBERT, Lucas (AUS)

LOWRY, Shane (IRE)

GARCIA, Sergio (SPAIN)

SCOTT, Adam (AUS)

KANAYA, Takumi (JAPAN)

POULTER, Ian (ENG)

MACINTYRE, Robert (SCOT)

WIESBERGER, Bernd (AUT)

HIGGO, Garrick (RSA)

Category 1 / Race to Dubai / Major winners

STENSON, Henrik (SWE)

WILLETT, Danny (ENG)

Category 2: Winners of ROLEX Series events and WGCs

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Winner (TBC)

STONE, Brandon (RSA)

OLESEN, Thorbjørn (DEN)

WOOD, Chris (ENG)

Category 3 / Winners

PIETERS, Thomas (BEL)

CABRERA BELLO, Rafa (SPAIN)

HØJGAARD, Nicolai (DEN)

HØJGAARD, Rasmus (DEN)

BLAND, Richard (ENG)

BURMESTER, Dean (RSA)

CAMPILLO, Jorge (SPAIN)

VÄLIMÄKI, Sami (FIN)

MCDOWELL, Graeme (NI)

LARRAZÁBAL, Pablo (SPAIN)

BROWN, Steven (ENG)

COLSAERTS, Nicolas (BEL)

PEREZ, Victor (FR)

SODERBERG, Sebastian

VAN ROOYEN, Erik (RSA)

PAVAN, Andrea (FR)

KINHULT, Marcus (SWE)

KORHONEN, Mikko (FIN)

GALLACHER, Stephen (SCOT)

HEND, Scott (AUS)

HARDING, Justin (RSA)

Category 3a / Membership Extension

WU, Ashun (CHI)

WARING, Paul (ENG)

LI, Haotong (CHI)

Category 4 / Winners

LAWRENCE, Thriston (RSA)

HANSEN, Joachim B. (DEN)

WINTHER, Jeff (DEN)

BROBERG, Kristoffer (SWE)

VEERMAN, Johannes (USA)

HILL, Calum (SCOT)

FORREST, Grant (SCOT)

GAVINS, Daniel (ENG)

ELVIRA, Nacho (SPAIN)

CALDWELL, Jonathan (NI)

ARMITAGE, Marcus (ENG)

CATLIN, John (USA)

VAN TONDER, Daniel (RSA)

ROZNER, Antoine (FR)

Category 5 / Legends

HARRINGTON, Padraig (IRE)

MONTGOMERIE, Colin (SCOT)

JIMÉNEZ, Miguel Ángel (SPAIN)

BJØRN, Thomas (DEN)

Category 6a / Professional Invites

Invite TBC

Category 6b / Amateur Invites

BENNETT, Samuel (USA)

ABERG, Ludvig (SWE)

SKAIK, Ahmad (UAE)

Category 7 / The leading available European Tour Members otherwise exempt in the Top 10 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

TBC

Category 10 2022 Race to Dubai Finishers

BJÖRK, Alexander (SWE)

MIGLIOZZI, Guido (IT)

SCRIVENER, Jason (AUS)

CANTER, Laurie (ENG)

DETRY, Thomas (BEL)

ARNAUS, Adri (SPAIN)

DONALDSON, Jamie (WAL)

MERONK, Adrian (POL)

LAPORTA, Francesco (IT)

HORSFIELD, Sam (ENG)

CROCKER, Sean (USA)

KAWAMURA, Masahiro (JAPAN)

LAGERGREN, Joakim (SWE)

KIEFFER, Maximilian (GER)

PULKKANEN, Tapio (FIN)

MORRISON, James (ENG)

SULLIVAN, Andy (ENG)

LEVY, Alexander (FR)

MOLINARI, Edoardo (IT)

OTAEGUI, Adrian (SPAIN)

ZANOTTI, Fabrizio (PARAGUAY)

JOHNSTON, Andrew (ENG)

PAVON, Matthieu (FR)

SCHWAB, Matthias (AUT)

SHARMA, Shubhankar (IND)

SMITH, Jordan (ENG)

APHIBARNRAT, Kiradech (THAI)

SAMOOJA, Kalle (FIN)

RAMSAY, Richie (SCOT)

JORDAN, Matthew (ENG)

JANEWATTANANOND, Jazz (THAI)

HORSEY, David (ENG)

FOX, Ryan (NZ)

ORMSBY, Wade (AUS)

WALLACE, Matt (ENG)

ANTCLIFF, Maverick (AUS)

LUITEN, Joost (NED)

KARLBERG, Rikard (SWE)

BESSELING, Wil (NED)

BERTASIO, Nino (IT)

SOUTHGATE, Matthew (ENG)

VAN DRIEL, Darius (NED)

CAÑIZARES, Alejandro (SPAIN)

BJERREGAARD, Lucas (DEN)

LAW, David (SCOT)

GUERRIER, Julien (FR)

SHINKWIN, Callum (ENG)

COETZEE, George (RSA)

SYME, Connor (SCOT)

WALTERS, Justin (RSA)

WHITNELL, Dale (ENG)

JAMIESON, Scott (SCOT)

WARREN, Marc (SCOT)

LANGASQUE, Romain (FR)

DUBUISSON, Victor (FR)

SCHMID, Matti (GER)

KRUYSWIJK, Jacques (RSA)

FICHARDT, Darren (RSA)

PAISLEY, Chris (ENG)

VON DELLINGSHAUSEN, Nicolai (GER)

GARCIA RODRIGUEZ, Sebastian (SPAIN)

DRYSDALE, David (SCOT)

Category 10a Membership Extension

STERNE, Richard (RSA)