Rory McIlroy set for clash with Jon Rahm and LIV Golf stars in bid to defend title
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Rory McIlroy is gearing up for a head-to-head with Ryder Cup ally Jon Rahm as he readies to lock horns with the LIV Golf convert at the loaded Hero Dubai Desert Classic, boasting a hefty purse. Returning as the reigning champ to the DP World Tour event, the Northern Irish golf maestro has clinched victory four times before. As he aims for a roaring kickoff to 2025 at the prestigious Rolex Series event from January 16-19, McIlroy, now 36, will be sizing up six LIV Golf heavyweights on the greens of Emirates Golf Club.
Alongside Rahm, lining up under the Arabian sun are Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters, and Dean Burmester. They're joined by golfing luminaries such as Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard, Viktor Hovland, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, and Padraig Harrington.
Players are eyeing a £7.4million purse in Dubai, with an eye-watering £1.9m reserved for the winner of this cash-laden contest. Plus, the tourney tosses into the pot a handsome 8,000 Race to Dubai points and a tantalising 2,000 Ryder Cup points for the taking.
With his sights set on his third successive tournament triumph, McIlroy must stave off the spirited challenge from debutant Rahm, who's expressed eager anticipation for the event: "This is an event that I have heard a lot about," he said. "I am looking forward to making my Hero Dubai Desert Classic debut in January. I have had a lot of success in Dubai in the past so it's a place that holds a lot of good memories for me, and it will be great to get back there.".
