Steve Palmer's free Dubai Desert Classic tips and prediction
Golf tips, best bets and predictions for the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour
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When to bet on the Dubai Desert Classic
When to bet By 3.05am on Thursday
Where can I watch the Dubai Desert Classic
Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 4am on Thursday
Steve Palmer's Dubai Desert Classic predictions
Tyrrell Hatton
5pts each-way 9-1 Betfair, Power
Laurie Canter
1.5pts each-way 60-1 Betfair, Power
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Steve Palmer's Dubai Desert Classic preview
Rory McIlroy makes his first start of the year this week, seeking to win a third consecutive Dubai Desert Classic title at the Emirates Club. The four-time Emirates victor, who won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in his last event, deserves clear favouritism.
The McIlroy negatives are that he has not competed since November 17 and has been busy promoting the Tech Golf League (TGL). He may take a round or two to see off the Christmas rust in Dubai, while the presence of lots of LIV players in this week's field, including Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed, could prove a distraction.
McIlroy can be much preferred to Rahm, who has not been in action since October 20 and is making his Emirates debut. After almost three months away from competition, facing a venue many in the field know extremely well, the Spaniard seems a short price.
Steve Palmer's top tip
Tyrrell Hatton 9-1
A determined Tyrrell Hatton looks good value to topple McIlroy, Rahm and the rest of the Dubai Desert Classic field this week. He scored three and a half points from four matches in the Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, warming up nicely for Dubai.
Hatton defeated a tough opponent in Thorbjorn Olesen in his singles match on Sunday, thrilled with how sharp he was after the Christmas break. Hatton's ball counted towards his team's score on 11 of the 16 holes he played alongside Tom McKibbin in the Friday fourballs, then he was six under par alongside Matt Wallace in the Saturday morning foursomes.
A tip-top Hatton partnered Wallace again in the afternoon foursomes and they were two under par. The Team Cup saw a continuation of the stellar form Hatton showed at the end of last year. He won LIV Nashville at the end of June and closed his LIV campaign with four top-fives in his final five starts.
Victory in the Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour at the start of October was followed by second spot in the Abu Dhabi Championship, sixth in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and fifth in the Saudi International.
Hatton has a magnificent record in the Gulf region, winning the Abu Dhabi Championship in 2021. His Desert Classic form figures from his last eight visits are 8-3-3-38-22-4-38-31, and he has since admitted that his head was all over the place for his last Emirates start, which was his final DPWT appearance before joining LIV.
Appealing his DPWT ban has allowed Hatton access to the Tour and Ryder Cup points. He is eager to maintain his streak of automatically qualifying for the Ryder Cup, so rare DPWT appearances such as this one are crucial to that aim.
Next best bet
Laurie Canter 60-1
Another member of Sunday's triumphant Great Britain and Ireland side may lay down the greatest challenge to Hatton. Laurie Canter loved being on Justin Rose's side and has been welcomed back to the DP World Tour.
Canter is a popular member of the DPWT and his peers have been understanding about why a spell making fortunes on LIV Golf appealed to him. The Bath man was an emotional wreck after making an overdue DPWT breakthrough in the European Open last June.
That victory came on a long, drivers' track, and the Emirates also puts a premium on strong hitting from the tee. Canter is one of the best in the business in that department and can build on an excellent Team Cup performance.
A Friday fourballs success alongside Jordan Smith was followed by Canter's only defeat of the week – a foursomes loss to buzzing French duo Matthieu Pavon and Romain Langasque. Canter and Paul Waring combined for the heaviest win of the competition in the afternoon foursomes – a 6&4 thrashing of Antoine Rozner and Matteo Manassero – then Canter crushed Langasque 5&4 in the singles.
Having finished fourth on his Dubai Desert Classic debut in 2021, Canter has already confirmed his game is suited to the Emirates. He has a good record in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, which is a similar test. Having moved to Dubai for a few months at the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 while work was being done on his Bath base, the 35-year-old is extremely comfortable at this week's venue.
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Course guide for the Dubai Desert Classic
- Course Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Prize money $9m ($1.5m to the winner)
- Length 7,428 yards
- Par 72 – four par-fives; ten par-fours; four par-threes
- Field 126 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
- Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Rory McIlroy (3), Viktor Hovland (8), Tommy Fleetwood (10), Robert MacIntyre (14), Tyrrell Hatton (17)
- Course records - 72 holes 264 Bryson DeChambeau (2019) 18 holes 61 Ernie Els (1994)
- Course winners taking part Rory McIlroy (four times), Haotong Li, Viktor Hovland
- When to bet By 3.05am on Thursday
- When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 4am on Thursday
- Time difference Dubai is four hours ahead of the UK and Ireland
- Course type Desert
- Course overview Emirates Golf Club has been used for the Desert Classic since 1989 apart from a two-year switch to Dubai Creek from 1999 to 2000. Traditionally the Emirates has been a low-scoring track where something approaching or passing 20 under par has been required for victory. The back nine is the scoring half, with three par-fives (the tenth, 13th and 18th) and two relatively short par-threes (11th and 15th). Water comes into play on ten holes, but fairly straightforward, flat greens mean the competitors can relax once they have got putter in hand
- The story of last year Rory McIlroy successfully defended his title, winning at the Emirates for a fourth time
- Weather forecast Sunny, warm and generally calm, with gentle afternoon breezes
- Type of player suited to the challenge The Emirates has traditionally been a big-hitters' track and the champions usually make their score on the par-fives. Those who can hit it long and fairly straight, and are comfortable in desert conditions, should thrive
- Key attribute Power
Steve Palmer's Dubai Desert Classic key stat
Eight of the last 12 Dubai Desert Classic winners finished in the top ten of the driving distance stats
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