Dubai Desert Classic next for DP World Tour
Elvis Smylie – newly recruited to LIV Golf, but plays in Dubai this week – image PGA of Australia
The DP World Tour stays in Dubai this week for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic but moves location to the Emirates Golf Club, where an extended field of 126 face the starter on Thursday.
Following last week’s Dubai Invitational, where just two Australasians were in the field, six will tee it up in the US$9 million event.
Last week’s runner-up, Daniel Hillier, will be joined by his fellow countryman and leading Australasian in the world ranking, Ryan Fox, recent LIV Golf recruit, Elvis Smylie, Kazuma Kobori, David Micheluzzi and Jason Scrivener.
After missing his first two cuts in the event, Hillier finished runner-up last year, earning nearly US$1 million, and he heads into this week with his confidence high after his runner-up finish last week and four top-six finishes in his last five DP World Tour starts.
Ryan Fox has only one top ten in nine starts in the event, that coming last year when 10th. Fox is, however, a significantly more credentialed player than was the case last year and with a rust moving event last week, he heads into this week as one of the more favoured entrants.
Elvis Smylie is a recent recruit to LIV Golf, but the relationship between the DP World Tour and LIV Golf is a lot less toxic than that between LIV and the PGA Tour and he gets the chance to continue his membership of the DP World Tour.
Smylie made the cut in the event last year but finished well back in 58th place.
Kobori’s first season on the DP World Tour in 2025 was very impressive, making it all the way to the Tour Championship in Dubai. He will play the event for the first occasion.
The field includes Roy McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry.
In 15 starts in the event, McIlory has won on four occasions and been inside the top ten on all but three of those starts.
