The Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner Tyrell Hatton (left) with Dr. Pawan Munjal (right) – Executive Chairman, Hero MotoCorp)
The $9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic, held at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai from January 16-19, opened the International Swing of the 2025 European (DP World) Tour and presented a stern challenge for the only 2 Indian golfers with playing rights on the tour–2-time European Tour winner Shubhankar Sharma and 2024 Hero Indian Open runner-up Veer Ahlawat. Both players fell short of making the weekend cut, underscoring the challenging waters on tour.
Veer (left) and Shubhankar (right) fell short of the cutline in the opening International Swing of the DP World Tour in Dubai
Sharma posted rounds of 76-73, finishing with a total score of 5-over 149. This placed him tied for 112th, 5 shots outside the cutline. Ahlawat, making his debut on the DP World Tour after an impressive 2024 season that saw him top the PGTI Rankings, carded rounds of 74-76, ending at 6-over 150, in a tie for 118th.
For Veer, this reflects the acclimatisation required to perform while Sharma’s performance highlights his ongoing quest to recapture the form that earned him victories at the Maybank Championship and the Joburg Open in 2018. His consistency at this level remains crucial as he seeks to secure his first win in over seven years.
PGA TOUR and LIV Golf Tour winner Tyrrell Hatton earned his 8th DP World Tour title and moved alongside his LIV Golf’s Legion XII captain Jon Rahm with a record-equalling fifth Rolex Series title after a one-stroke thriller against New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier. Hatton, one of the tour’s standout players in recent months with two individual wins since October, described his victory as “a dream come true.”
The Englishman’s consistent play under pressure has boosted him to the top of Team Europe’s Ryder Cup Rankings.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who aimed for a third consecutive Hero Dubai Desert Classic win and a fifth overall, finished tied for fourth, three strokes behind Hatton. This extended his remarkable streak of 12 consecutive top-ten finishes at the event, a run that began with his maiden victory in 2009. Reflecting on this achievement, McIlroy remarked, “That’s pretty cool,” while acknowledging that his slow start left him with too much ground to cover.
Sharma and Ahlawat will look to gain ground and regain lost footing this week in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at the Al Hamra GC, which will be playing in sublime condition after hosting the Men’s Asia-Pacific and European teams for the Bonallack Trophy, and the Ladies Teams at the concurrently held Patsy Hankins Trophy earlier this month.