The European Tour will halt in Dubai for its extended stay in the Middle East nation. This time, however, the Emirates Golf Club will play host. The purse size of the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic is the highest for the regular tournaments, almost touching the $10 million mark that the DP World Tour Championship is rumored to offer this year. But aside from the hefty purse, the tournament is significant for other reasons as well.
Hero Dubai Desert Classic became the entry point for the DP World Tour in the Middle East back in the 1990s. In the past, eleven Major champions have teed up the city of Dubai. The ledger of past champions glitters with the names of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Seve Ballesteros, Sergio Garcia, and, of course, Rory McIlroy. Like previous years, this year’s field also boasts big names. And as for the purse? Albeit staying the same, it has undergone a $5.75 million overhaul in the last three years. So…
How much will the competitors in Dubai earn?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The total purse size of $9 million is the heaviest on the European Tour this year. The winner will receive a whopping $1.53 million paycheck. Last year, Rory McIlroy pipped Patrick Reed to pocket the hefty sum. Before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic kicks off, here is the full prize money breakdown.
1st | $1,530,000 |
2nd | $990,000 |
3rd | $567,000 |
4th | $450,000 |
5th | $381,600 |
6th | $315,000 |
7th | $270,000 |
8th | $225,000 |
9th | $201,600 |
10th | $180,000 |
11th | $165,600 |
12th | $154,800 |
13th | $144,900 |
14th | $137,700 |
15th | $132,300 |
16th | $126,900 |
17th | $121,500 |
18th | $116,100 |
19th | $111,600 |
20th | $108,000 |
21st | $104,400 |
22nd | $101,700 |
23rd | $99,000 |
24th | $96,300 |
25th | $93,600 |
26th | $90,900 |
27th | $88,200 |
28th | $85,500 |
29th | $82,800 |
30th | $80,100 |
31st | $77,400 |
32nd | $74,700 |
33rd | $72,000 |
34th | $69,300 |
35th | $66,600 |
36th | $63,900 |
37th | $62,100 |
38th | $60,300 |
39th | $58,500 |
40th | $56,700 |
41st | $54,900 |
42nd | $53,100 |
43rd | $51,300 |
44th | $49,500 |
45th | $47,700 |
46th | $45,900 |
47th | $44,100 |
48th | $42,300 |
49th | $40,500 |
50th | $38,700 |
51st | $36,900 |
52nd | $35,100 |
53rd | $33,300 |
54th | $31,500 |
55th | $30,600 |
56th | $29,700 |
57th | $28,800 |
58th | $27,900 |
59th | $27,000 |
60th | $26,100 |
61st | $25,200 |
62nd | $24,300 |
63rd | $23,400 |
64th | $22,500 |
65th | $21,600 |
66th | $20,700 |
67th | $19,800 |
68th | $18,900 |
69th | $18,000 |
70th | $17,100 |
Considering that the prize money considerably reduces with every added finishing position, the fight for the top spot will undoubtedly be intense. This brings up the question: Who might be the players to stay on the lookout for?
Watch This Story | Inspired by Tiger Woods’ Billion Dollar Switch Up 6x LPGA Tour Champion Praises the 3640000000 Giant for a Proud Centurial Triumph in the Sport
Stars to watch for at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Rory McIlroy is obviously in the lineup. Over the years, Majlis has become the stomping ground for the 34-year-old. The Northern Irishman has won three times, the first of which is still a tournament record for the youngest champion. Furthermore, the Ultersman also has six top-ten finishes here. McIlroy is coming after a gut-wrenching defeat to his Ryder Cup teammate, Tommy Fleetwood, who is also on the field.
Notably, the PGA Tour has also started its West Coast swing with the American Express in La Quinta. But Brian Harman has traveled from Hawaii to Dubai instead. The 2023 Open Champion carded a fifth-place finish at the Sentry and grabbed an 18th spot in the Sony Open leaderboard.
Alongside the best of @DPWorldTour, few interesting names listed in #DubaiDesertClassic next week:
– Brian Harman
– Cam Young
– Joaquin NiemannMy old home golf club. Where I fell in love with the game. Favourite tournament outside #TheMasters#DDC2023 #RolexSeries #DPWorldTour pic.twitter.com/tJzskls8yN
— David Bieleski (@deepdivegolf) January 11, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, none will grab the limelight quite like Joaquin Niemann. The LIV Golf pro’s Masters fate hangs on his performance at Majlis. The Chilean international qualified for the 2024 Dubai Desert Classic after winning the ISPS Handa Open last month. Niemann has slipped to 70th in the OWGR, making him ineligible for the first Major of the season. The two-time PGA Tour winner needs to climb back to the top fifty before the week of the Masters.
Also teeing up is Cameron Young, another rising star who has many accolades in his CV, except for a win. The 26-year-old will be hunting for his first silverware in the desert country.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The first of five Rolex Series events starts on January 18. You can catch the action live on Golf Channel and Peacock from 2:00 to 8.30 AM.
Read More: 2024 Dubai Desert Classic: Round 1 Tee Time for Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Co.