Australia's Adam Scott tees off on the first hole during the DP World Tour Championship golf tournament on November 14, 2024. — AFP
European Ryder Cup stars Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton, along with Major winner Adam Scott, have confirmed their return to the Dubai Desert Classic. Meanwhile, PGA Tour winner Akshay Bhatia will make his debut at the Emirates Golf Club from January 16-19. The four players will join defending champion Rory McIlroy, who aims to lift the iconic Dallah Trophy for a record fifth time, as well as Major winner Jon Rahm and Olympic silver medallist Tommy Fleetwood in a star-studded field at the prestigious $9 million Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour’s 2025 Race to Dubai.
MacIntyre made his Ryder Cup debut alongside McIlroy, Fleetwood, Rahm, and Hatton in Europe’s victory in Rome in September 2023. Since then, he has had a remarkable 2024 season. The Scot secured his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open in June and added a third DP World Tour title—his first on the Rolex Series—with a triumphant victory at the Genesis Scottish Open on home soil. MacIntyre, who has two top-ten finishes in four previous appearances at the Dubai Desert Classic, expressed his excitement: “I’m eager to return to the Emirates Golf Club in January. It’s a course where I’ve performed well in the past, and I’d love to kick off the new season on a high note.”
Hatton, who claimed his seventh DP World Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, has four previous top-ten finishes at the Dubai Desert Classic. The Englishman has also experienced success in the region, winning in Abu Dhabi in 2021, and is aiming for his fifth Rolex Series win. “I always look forward to coming to Dubai and the Emirates Golf Club. I’ve had success in the region before, so I’m excited to start 2025 strong in the desert,” Hatton said.
Scott is no stranger to success in the Middle East, with the 2013 Masters champion boasting two wins in Qatar throughout his illustrious career. The Australian concluded one of his best seasons on the DP World Tour with a tied third-place finish at the DP World Tour Championship last month, securing a top-ten finish on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
The trio will be joined by rising American star Bhatia, who will make his debut at the Dubai Desert Classic. The 22-year-old was a decorated amateur, representing the United States in the Junior Presidents Cup, Junior Ryder Cup, and Walker Cup before turning professional in 2019. He claimed his first DP World Tour and PGA Tour title at the co-sanctioned Barracuda Championship in 2023, adding a second PGA Tour title earlier this year at the Valero Texas Open. “I’m thrilled to make my debut at the Dubai Desert Classic. I’ve heard so much about the tournament and the experience in Dubai, and I can’t wait to be part of it,” Bhatia said.
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