Golf’s biggest stars head to Dubai this week as the DP World Tour kicks off its 2025 International Swing with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Rory McIlroy is chasing history as he aims for an incredible fifth Dubai Desert Classic title – and his third straight win at the event. The World No.3 could take home a cool $1.53 million from the tournament’s massive $9 million prize pool.
But it won’t be easy. The field at Emirates Golf Club is stacked with talent, including rising star Akshay Bhatia, fan favorite Tommy Fleetwood, and LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
This is a pretty special tournament in pro golf’s calendar. Since it started in 1989, legends like Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, and Bryson DeChambeau have all lifted the trophy here.
It’s also the first of five prestigious Rolex Series events in 2025. The $9 million purse is actually bigger than this week’s PGA Tour event in California – The American Express is offering $8.5 million.
There’s more than just money on the line too. Players are fighting for 8,000 Race to Dubai points and 2,000 valuable Ryder Cup points.
The winner’s share breaks down like this:
- 1st place: $1,530,000
- 2nd place: $990,000
- 3rd place: $567,000
- 4th place: $450,000
- 5th place: $381,600
The field is a fascinating mix of golf’s top tours. You’ve got DP World Tour regulars like Robert MacIntyre, PGA Tour star Viktor Hovland, and several LIV Golf players including Patrick Reed, Adrian Meronk, and Thomas Pieters – who just switched from Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats to Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team.
For LIV players like Rahm and Hatton, these DP World Tour appearances are crucial as they try to earn spots on Team Europe for September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
The Dubai Desert Classic kicks off what promises to be an exciting year of international golf, with three more $9 million Rolex Series events coming up – the Genesis Scottish Open, BMW PGA Championship, and Abu Dhabi Championship. The season wraps up with November’s $10 million DP World Tour Championship.
