2024 Dubai Invitational Preview & Tips

The inaugural Dubai Invitational begins at Dubai Creek Golf Club on Thursday, where a select field of 60 players will be vying for glory in the DP World Tour's first tournament of 2024.

This event also marks the start of the International Swing section of the season, with the Opening Swing being completed in the middle of December, and there is plenty to look forward to this week.

Not only will there be a star-studded field of 60 professionals battling it out in the usual 72-hole strokeplay format, but there will also be 60 amateurs teeing it up over the first three rounds in a Pro-Am team event.

For the pros, there are 3,000 Race to Dubai points on offer and a $2.5million prize fund, with the winner being cut a cheque for a cool $425,000. Given that this is a limited-size field, a victory would give that player a good start in the R2D standings.

McIlroy the headline act

World number two Rory McIlroy will be making his first appearance since the season-closing DP World Tour Championship and he is the 3/1 favourite to claim the spoils this week, narrowly ahead of Englishman Tommy Fleetwood who is priced at 5/1.

Northern Irishman McIlroy has a fantastic record in Dubai, with his maiden DP World Tour title coming at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, where he beat Justin Rose by a stroke.

The 34-year-old has won that title a further two times, triumphing in 2015 and 2023, while he is also a two-time DP World Tour Championship winner (2012 and 2015).

If McIlroy produces anywhere near the form that has led to so much success in this part of the world, he will be tough to beat, but this is his first outing for a couple of months and the short odds don't appeal.

Meronk has a point to prove

Poland's Adrian Meronk may still feel a little stung after being overlooked for Europe's Ryder Cup side at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy last year, an event the hosts won 16.5-11.5 against the USA.

The 30-year-old won twice on the DP circuit in 2023, lifting the Italian Open and Andalucia Masters, and he will be eager to add to his collection across the course of the next 12 months.

An early victory would also help improve his world ranking of 49th, which is just inside the automatic qualification criteria for the Masters in April - an event in which he missed the cut on his debut last year.

TIP 1 - EWEN FERGUSON TO WIN AND EACH-WAY @ 45/1

While the likes of McIlroy, Meronk and Fleetwood will be attracting huge betting interest this week, the name of Scotland's Ewen Ferguson sticks out further down the list at a juicy 45/1.

Dubai Creek Golf Club is a course that demands precision, especially with approach shots, so the fact that Ferguson was sixth in strokes gained: approach last season is a huge positive.

The 27-year-old was also ninth in greens in regulation and driving accuracy, highlighting his strong tee-to-green game, while his last trip to Dubai resulted in a tied-ninth finish at the DP World Tour Championship.

TIP 2 - DAN BRADBURY TOP-10 FINISH @ 11/4

Another player worth following this week is England’s Dan Bradbury, who broke his DP World Tour duck at the 2022 Joburg Open (2023 season) and kept the momentum going with a further two top-fives and five top-10 finishes last year.

The 24-year-old performed well when finishing 17th at the DP World Tour Championship and he followed up with third-place on his Joburg Open defence.

While a victory may be out of reach this week, Bradbury has the talent to keep himself towards the top end of the leaderboard and a top 10 looks to be within his reach.

TIP 3 - NICOLAI HOJGAARD - LEADER AFTER ROUND 1 @ 20/1

Nicolai Hojgaard's last appearance ended in victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, as he fired a stunning eight-under-par 64 on the final round to triumph by two strokes.

The Dane is a terrific driver of the ball and this should give him an advantage over a large portion of the field, while his crisp ball-striking is a real asset when it comes to the approach play.

Hojgaard has a warm affinity for events in the United Arab Emirates, having also won the 2022 Ras Al Khaimah Championship, and it would be no surprise to see him start quickly on Thursday.

The 22-year-old was the joint-leader after round one of the DP World Tour Championship and the way he finished that event will only further boost his confidence heading back to the UAE.