Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is returning to the Emirates Golf Club in January in a bid to win his third Dubai Desert Classic title.
The Northern Irishman is back at the event for the first time since 2018 – when he finishing one shot behind winner Li Haotong. McIlroy has an enviable record over the Majlis Course with a further six top-ten finishes in 11 previous appearances.
McIlroy’s appearance adds further star power to the field, which will also include Collin Morikawa, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Paul Casey.
Slync.io, a logistics technology provider, is the tournament’s headline sponsor, while it will be first year the Dubai Desert Classic will be elevated to Rolex Series status, becoming part of the DP World Tour’s premium series of events.
The Dubai Desert Classic will be the second of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the region, following the season-opener in Abu Dhabi. These tournaments in January form part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in 2022,” said McIlroy. “I have so many wonderful memories from playing in Dubai over the years, and particularly over the Majlis Course, where I’ve been able to win twice. I look forward to coming back to Dubai and aiming to get my hands on that incredible trophy again.”
Chris Kirchner, chairman and CEO of Slync.io, said: “As a fan of golf, it’s important that we bring a field that other fans will enjoy. Rory is one of my favourite players and I’m thrilled to have him as part of the inaugural title partnership for Slync.io.”
The tournament’s organisers have also confirmed that general entry will be free to all over the four days.