Rory McIlroy returns to Emirates GC this week as one of the headline names in a star-studded Dubai Desert Classic field. The four-time Major champion and two-time Dubai Desert Classic winner made one of his first ever European Tour starts in this tournament back in 2006 as a 16-year-old, where he saw "one of the best golf shots I've ever seen" from Tiger Woods.
McIlroy said that he managed to get a media pass to watch Woods inside the ropes during the 2006 tournament where Tiger went on to defeat Ernie Els in a playoff.
"I had a better view than most being able to get inside the ropes and have a media credential and Tiger to this day, hit a 5-iron out of the right rough on 10 and landed on the green and stopped it on the green and to this day it was one of the best golf shots I've ever seen," McIlroy said. "Just sticks out in my mind and I was right there for it.
"But it's cool. I watched a lot of golf events as a teenager, and went to Mount Juliet for the World Golf Championships, went to The Open at Troon, went to the World Match Play at Wentworth a bunch of times. I loved getting up close and watching those guys play and try to learn something from them and get inspiration. If there's young kids running around this week, they can feel the same way or feel the same things as what I thought back then, then that's a pretty cool feeling."
McIlroy's maiden pro win came at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic
McIlroy missed the cut that week in 2006 but did go on to win his maiden European Tour title three years later at the Dubai Desert Classic thanks to a one-stroke victory over Justin Rose. His second Dubai Desert Classic win came in 2015 when he finished three clear of Alex Noren. The Northern Irishman has also won three Race to Dubai titles at Jumeirah Golf Estates and previously lived in Dubai for four years.
He makes his first start in this event since 2018 when he finished runner-up to Haotong Li.
