- Rory McIlroy will play the 2027 Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from 21–24 January.
- A win would give McIlroy a record-extending fifth Dallah Trophy.
- General admission is free on Thursday and Friday, with early bird weekend tickets.
The world number two has committed to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from 21–24 January, and he arrives as the most successful player in the event’s history.
McIlroy has four Dallah Trophies already, and a fifth would put more daylight between him and the rest of the tournament’s winners.
He will also be a six-time major champion when he tees it up. His successful Masters defence in April made him only the fourth man to win back-to-back green jackets, after Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, and took him level with Faldo’s six majors.
A long history at Emirates Golf Club
McIlroy first played the Majlis course as a 16-year-old amateur in 2006. Three years later, aged 19, he won there for his first professional title.
The second Dubai win came in 2015. The third, in 2023, was a classic: he birdied the last two holes to beat Patrick Reed by a shot in the first Monday finish in the tournament’s history, holing from 15 feet on the 18th after his drive had stopped a foot short of the water. He went back-to-back in 2024.
In 2025 Tyrrell Hatton won by a shot from Daniel Hillier, with McIlroy a further two back in a share of fourth. This year it was Reed, who won by four shots and used that week to launch a seven-month stay at the top of the Race to Dubai.
“I love coming to Dubai and the UAE, and I’ve always considered Dubai a second home,” said McIlroy. “It’s where my professional career really started, and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic will always mean a lot to me. The support from the fans at Emirates Golf Club is always incredible, and I can’t think of a better place to start the year.”
Twelve months to remember
The Masters was the headline of McIlroy’s year, and having his parents at Augusta to watch it made it all the more special.
He won the Ryder Cup with Europe at Bethpage Black, the team’s first away victory since 2012. He also took a seventh Race to Dubai title, moving past Seve Ballesteros.
An eighth would equal Colin Montgomerie’s record, and it is still within reach. McIlroy sits third in the standings behind Eugenio Chacarra and Reed, with the top five all confirmed for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links from 5–8 November. He has also committed to the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth course a week later. Whatever happens in that fortnight, he will be back in the UAE barely two months later.
Tickets and hospitality
Tournament director Simon Corkill said McIlroy’s return launches the 38th edition of the event. The organisers are adding a new rooftop venue and a bigger premium lounge for the occasion.
Early bird tickets are on sale now for a limited period. The main prices are:
- General admission is free on Thursday and Friday with a registered ticket.
- Weekend tickets cost AED 85 during the early bird window, rising to AED 110 before the event and AED 135 on the day.
- Children aged 17 and under, as well as companions and carers, go free on all four days.
That weekend price undercuts Abu Dhabi’s AED 90 advance ticket.
The new addition is Rooftop18, which replaces The Social on Sixteen and is open all four days. It looks over the 18th, ninth and 16th greens and the 17th tee, with the Dubai skyline behind. The five-hour brunch package includes a buffet and unlimited house drinks. Early bird prices are AED 595 on Thursday, AED 795 on Friday and AED 895 at the weekend, rising to AED 695, AED 895 and AED 995 at standard rates.
The Dallah Lounge has been enlarged and redesigned, with more capacity and views of the ninth and 18th greens. Early bird prices start at AED 1,980 on Thursday, AED 2,800 on Friday and AED 3,050 on Saturday and Sunday. An early bird season ticket costs AED 10,500. Clubhouse Hospitality starts from AED 500.
Off the course
Tournament Town is open to all ticket holders and returns with live music, entertainment and family activities, including Family Friday. Eat Street, which debuted this year, is back with more international food stalls. The line-up and outlets will be announced nearer the event.
Fans can take part in the Step FORE It Challenge and have health checks. Players get the Mental Fitness & Recovery Zone, which is back for a fourth year.
On sustainability, Emirates Global Aluminium becomes presenting partner of the ‘Go for the Green’ initiative. EGA has backed every edition of the tournament since the first in 1989. The tournament also holds GEO Certification, now for a fourth consecutive year.
A Green Incubator Challenge run with Deloitte was won by Notpla. Its seaweed-based packaging will be used at every food and drink outlet in 2027. Other new measures include more sustainable signage, a push to cut food waste and mangrove planting.
For anyone travelling in, Al Fardan Exchange Metro Station sits at the entrance to Emirates Golf Club.
To register for free general admission on Thursday and Friday, buy weekend and premium fan experience tickets, and for the latest event updates, click HERE.
Related: Race to Dubai Top Five All Confirmed for Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.