McIlroy relishes tougher test at Dubai Desert Classic

The Majlis Course promises to present a tougher challenge for the 36th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic—a prospect that four-time champion Rory McIlroy is relishing.

Few know the Majlis Course as intimately as the Northern Irishman, who first teed off there as a 16-year-old amateur in 2006. Since claiming his maiden victory in 2009, McIlroy has achieved ten top-ten finishes in as many appearances, securing three more titles in that time.

With that track record, the four-time Major champion has a sharp eye for changes around the course. Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, McIlroy revealed that players can expect a sterner test this year, thanks to some subtle adjustments to the iconic venue.

“It's amazing, I love the setup,” said McIlroy, shortly after he was awarded the 2024 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year by his peers on the DP World Tour for the fourth occasion.

“I've probably slightly criticised the European Tour on their setups. If you look at the ninth green there, the fringes here over the years, the greens got smaller and the fringe got bigger.

“So, say you had a pin that was cut three yards off the right-hand side of the green. Well, it's really cut off six yards until you get yourself into trouble, whether it's a bunker or the rough or whatever. I found it wasn't easy to short-side yourself. So, it made around the greens a little easier, and then I think what happens then, it really bunches the field together.

“Where if you look now, the fringes been shrunk. The rough has come closer to the green. There's more of that element of short-siding yourself. So then that goes back to the approach play - players are going to think twice about taking on a shot. They are going to play a little safer into the middle of the green, and I think it becomes a really good test that way.

“I love the thick rough. I love the setup of the golf course. The greens are quite a bit firmer today than they were on Monday. So as the week goes on, I think it's going to be a great test of golf, which I think we all want to play and I think that's what you all want to watch.”

When McIlroy triumphed at last year’s event, he became the first player to claim the title of the ‘Major of the Middle East’ four times, breaking the record he previously shared with Ernie Els, who had three victories at Emirates Golf Club.

This week, the reigning Race to Dubai champion has another opportunity to make history. McIlroy could become only the fourth player - joining legends Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie and Els - to win a regular DP World Tour event three years in a row.

“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, Faldo, Langer, Woosie, Lyle, like all these guys, it's amazing,” he said.

“And I don't go out there, that's not my goal. 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 my mindset has never been, ‘Oh, if I do this, I will equal him or if I do that’. I want to win tournaments, and it's really cool on Sunday nights to sit there with a glass of wine and look at all the names that are on the trophy and think that my name is alongside them. That's really cool.”