Hero Dubai Desert Classic Odds, Picks And Predictions

As the DP World Tour campaign resumes following its early-season break, a bumper field is preparing to assemble for the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.

A plethora of current and former Ryder Cup stars are in the field at Emirates Golf Club, with Rory McIlroy leading the betting odds ahead of likely teammates at Bethpage Black in Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm.

Among the other strong contenders are Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard, Matt Wallace, and Robert MacIntyre - plus a whole heap of LIV golfers such as Patrick Reed, Adrian Meronk and Dean Burmester.

If that's not enough to whet your appetite pre-tournament, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, and Akshay Bhatia have ventured over from the PGA Tour to compete in one of the best Dubai Desert Classic fields since its inception in 1989.

Below, a handful of the Golf Monthly team have selected a couple of names each who we believe will be in contention for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic trophy on Sunday.

Dubai Desert Classic: The Course

Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course - designed by American architect Karl Litten - was opened in 1988 ahead of the first Dubai Desert Classic a year later. It was the first grass golf course anywhere in the Middle East.

It was initially created to be a little more than 7,300 yards but will play 7,428 yards in 2025. Much like many of the other layouts in the region, the Majlis Course has wide fairways with large, undulating greens and plenty of water to combine with the vast bunkers. Its signature hole is the eighth, with a stunning view of Dubai's skyline far ahead of the players as they tee off.

Bryson DeChambeau set the tournament record in 2019 when he ended on 24-under, but the single-round record was achieved by Ernie Els on his way to winning back in 1994. The great South African shot 61 in the opening round.

Over the past six iterations, the winning total has fluctuated significantly, with McIlroy triumphing on 14-under a year after winning on 19-under. In the four preceding tournaments, the winning score varied between nine-under and 24-under-par.

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC PREVIOUS WINNERS

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC BETTING ODDS

The odds to win outright are via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Rory McIlroy (+360)
• Jon Rahm (+500)
• Tyrrell Hatton (+900)
• Tommy Fleetwood (+1100)
• Viktor Hovland (+1400)
• Robert MacIntyre (+2200)
• Adam Scott (+2500)
• Thorbjorn Olesen (+3000)
• Rasmus Hojgaard (+3000)
• Akshay Bhatia (+3500)
• Min Woo Lee (+3500)
• Dean Burmester (+3500)
• Patrick Reed (+4000)
• Matt Wallace (+5000)
• Jordan Smith (+5000)
• Johannes Veerman (+6500)
• Nicolai Hojgaard (+6500)
• Thomas Pieters (+7000)
• Romain Langasque (+7500)
• Keita Nakajima (+8000)
• Niklas Norgaard (+8000)
• Matthew Jordan (+9000)
• Laurie Canter (+9000)
• Thriston Lawrence (+9000)
• Tom McKibbin (+9000)

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC BETTING PICKS

Elliott Heath

FAVORITE: Tommy Fleetwood (+1100)

The Englishman comes into this week’s event after a superb showing in the Team Cup just down the road in Abu Dhabi where he won all four of his matches for GB&I.

Fleetwood, who is a Dubai resident, has three career victories in the UAE after winning in Dubai last January. He has been inside the top-17 at Emirates GC in six of the last seven years although, surprisingly, has never cracked the top-five. That will surely change come Sunday after showing red-hot form last week to follow on from an excellent 2024 that included a win and four other top-three finishes.

OUTSIDER: Tom McKibbin (+9000)

The Northern Irishman is one of the brightest prospects in the game and he’ll be very keen to put in a good display this week to earn some Ryder Cup and OWGR points ahead of his widely reported move to LIV Golf - which he certainly didn’t deny when asked by reporters.

McKibbin was T14th here last time out in only his second start and is another to have played well at the Team Cup, with three wins from four matches. I expect him to put in a good showing and be up there in the top-10 come the final round.

Barry Plummer

FAVORITE: Tommy Fleetwood (+1100)

Tommy Fleetwood is an absolute must-pick when teeing it up in this part of the world, and I genuinely believe his price is fair based on some of the other favourites in this field. Fleetwood was 16th at the DP World Tour Championship, sixth in Abu Dhabi, 14th in this event and won the Dubai Invitational in 2024, but he also holds a strong resume in Dubai over the years.

His performance at the Team Cup last week demonstrates the form he is in right now, and a hot Tommy Fleetwood could spell danger for the rest of his competitors in a year that I believe could see the popular Englishman finally break his Major duck!

OUTSIDER: Matt Wallace (+5000)

Matt Wallace also played in the Team Cup last week and will be desperate for a strong year with a Ryder Cup spot in sight. His performances in this part of the world have been impressive in recent years, finishing 11th and 3rd in his last two starts of the 2024 season, as well as coming runner-up in the DP World Tour Championship in 2023 and runner-up in this event in 2019.

He is plenty long enough off the tee, and is arriving in strong form, so I can see him starting 2025 with a bang at a decent each-way price.

Matt Cradock

FAVORITE: Patrick Reed (+4000)

Captain America is in fine form of late, with Reed claiming victory at the Hong Kong Open before backing it up with top-20 finishes at the International Series Qatar and Saudi International.

Returning to the course for the first time since his runner-up finish in 2023, I believe that Reed has all the tools to compete at Emirates GC and, given he is one of the most consistent performers in world golf right now, I feel his overall game and steady play will put him into contention come Sunday.

OUTSIDER: Andy Sullivan (+12000)

The Englishman seems to have rediscovered some form in 2025, with Sullivan claiming a tie for 14th at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and a share of seventh at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

I'll be honest, looking back at his form in this event it's difficult to argue that it's great, with multiple finishes between the 40th - 70th mark. However, Sullivan hasn't missed a cut at the Dubai Desert Classic since 2017 and, in that time, he has produced a tie for sixth, so he does know how to play well round here.

Ultimately, it will be down to his approach play, if he is switched on with the irons I can see him going low at Emirates GC.

Jonny Leighfield

FAVORITE: Tyrrell Hatton (+900)

Tyrrell Hatton is arguably *the* in-form player in golf over the past few months, with a win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship kicking off a run of consecutive top-six finishes on either the DP World Tour or the Asian Tour. He was second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, sixth at the DP World Tour Championship, and fifth at the Saudi International.

Then, at last week's Team Cup, he garnered 3.5 points from a possible four with relative ease, exhibiting his prowess with the putter and control with his longer clubs. If anyone can finish ahead of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood this week, it's Tyrrell Hatton.

OUTSIDER: Paul Waring (+10000)

Waring shot to notoriety after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last year, and he now has a PGA Tour card tucked away as a result. That win appears to have given him a real boost of confidence with a couple more top-25 results to cap off 2024.

Anyone who wondered whether that sequence was flash in the pan need only take note of Waring's performance at the Team Cup, where the Englishman matched Hatton's points haul of 3.5 from four. If his putter lights up, Waring could crash the big names' party come Sunday.

HOW TO WATCH DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

USA (ET)

• Thursday, January 16 - Round One: 2:30am - 8:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
• Friday, January 17 - Round Two: 2:30am - 8:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
• Saturday, January 18 - Round Three: 2:00am - 8:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
• Sunday, January 19 - Round Four: 2:00am - 8:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)

UK (GMT)

• Thursday, January 16 - Round One: 6:00am - 1:30pm (Sky Sports Golf)
• Friday, January 17 - Round Two: 6:00am - 1:30pm (Sky Sports Golf)
• Saturday, January 18 - Round Three: 6:00am - 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
• Sunday, January 19 - Round Four: 6:00am - 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)