The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is already underway at the Majlis Course in Dubai. The DP World Tour event has drawn a comparatively loaded field than the American Express. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland are some of the big names teeing off in the par-72 layout. The tournament has attracted a hoard of LIV Golfers as well. 

Aside from Rahm, Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, Sergio Garcia, and Tyrrell Hatton are teeing off in Dubai. The format though, is not what they are used to playing in the breakaway league. The PIF-funded league features a no-cut 54-hole event. Whereas, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic follows the traditional format. 

It is splayed over 72 holes and yes there is a 36-hole cut at the event. Only the top 65 and ties will advance beyond Friday. Last year 76 players booked a weekend spot with the cutline staying at even par. A year before that the number was 82 as the cutline stayed the same. Interestingly, both in 2023 and 2022, there was a 54-hole cut. In 2023, five players missed the Sunday round and in 2022, four missed the final round.

As of now, the projected cutline is set at even par, whereas Data Golf projects it at 1-under. That means a handful of big names including some of the LIV Golfers are on the verge of missing the cut. 

Which players are sweating it out at the cutline?

Surprisingly, Jon Rahm is one big name fighting to stay on the right side of the cutline. Currently, the former Masters champion is staying ahead of the cutline by a thin margin. Rahm, as of the moment the report went into publication, is 3-over through 7 holes. Starting on the back nine, the Spaniard made a disastrous double bogey on the 12th before picking another bogey on the 16th. Through the first two rounds, he is 2-over at the 16th. Rahm was 3-under yesterday. 

Aside from Rahm, Akshay Bhatia is also fighting for the cut. Like Rahm, Bhatia picked an early double bogey and followed it with another bogey to move to 3-over. Tyrrell Hatton, on the other hand, finished at 1-under after Thursday. The Englishman needs to follow that up with a strong performance to make the cut.

Rory McIlroy looks relatively safe after a 2-under. But golf is a fickle game. A slip-up will mean the Ulsterman will miss the cut at his first event of the calendar year. The Dubai Desert Classic has a purse of $9M with $1.53M reserved for the winner. The tournament is live on Golf Channel from 2.30 AM EST.