It’s as if you have to see it to believe it. Even Rory McIlroy himself gets that feeling a fair bit. The Ulsterman loves playing in the Middle East. His relationship with Dubai, which hosts the Dubai Invitational, Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and the DP World Tour Championship, is mutual. 

The Northern Irishman has finished outside the top ten only thrice in Dubai, a stretch going back to the 2011 Dubai Desert Classic. In addition, McIlroy has five titles to show for himself. But his relationship with DPWT’s other Middle East stop, Abu Dhabi? That’s a bit complicated. 

The Ulsterman is now in the UAE Capital for what will be his 11th appearance in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The four-time major winner has finished outside the top three only twice in his career, a T12 in 2022 and an MC in the 2013 iteration. He has yet to win the tournament, however. 

Speaking ahead of the tournament, the 35-year-old said, “I‘ve played really well in Abu Dhabi and obviously in Dubai. I’ve been able to get the job done in Dubai few more times than here. But I’ve had plenty of chances. But when we played at Abu Dhabi National, seemed like Martin Kaymer was sort of the man over there and I felt like I finished second or third to him quite a lot.”

McIlroy finished right behind Kaymer in the 2011 edition. The year before that, he managed a solo 3rd as Kaymer went on to win. It might have been a flattery to his German colleague. But there is, of course, truth in McIlroy’s words. It becomes more strange when you consider his Race to Dubai Ranking dominance. 

Rory McIlroy has won the season-ending Harry Vardon Trophy a whopping five times. Should the Ulsterman lift the silverware this year as well, it will be his third straight Harry Vardon Trophy. That will tie him with Seve Ballesteros and leave him only two behind the all-time record holder, Colin Montgomerie. Chances are the Ulsterman would expand his collection of the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Can Rory McIlroy break his Abu Dhabi curse?

McIlroy has an almost unassailable lead as well. He is 1573 points ahead of the second-placed Thriston Lawrence. The Ulsterman needs to miss the cut to make way for either Lawrence or third-placed Rasmus Hojgaard to topple him. Going by his record requires a fair stretch of the imagination. 

But there is little doubt that a victory in the Yas Links is equally important for the 35-year-old. Rory McIlroy added in the press conference, “I’d love to get a win in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been so close so many times. It would be nice to finally get over the line.” The only time he teed off in the Kyle Phillips-designed layout, McIlroy settled for a T12. 

His sincerity was evident on the driving range. Rory McIlroy was spotted practicing a new drill to improve his backswing and wedge game. He placed a water bottle right by his golf club. The Ulsterman tried to control his backswing so that he could swing through that narrow space between the bottle and the bag.

Fans would’ve preferred him to focus more on his putting, but hey, Hank Haney loved that drill. The $9M purse Abu Dhabi Championship starts on November 7. Golf Channel will broadcast the tournament on Stateside.