Dubai Desert Classic Golf Betting Tips – who wins the first Rolex Series event?
By Matt Coles
It’s the biggest tournament of 2024 to date, but who takes home the first Rolex Series title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic?
The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is the first Rolex Series event of the year, but who are our betting tips for glory in the first big golf tournament of the year.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is the defending champion after securing the crown in 2023, and he will be aiming for an early victory this year as well.
Who will take the spoils at Emirates Golf Club? Matt Coles gives us his betting tips for the first Rolex Series event of 2024.
Hero Dubai Desert Classic golf betting tips and preview
Venue: Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date: January 15-18, 2024
Course stats: Par 72, 7,428 yards
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy (-19)
Tyrrell Hatton @ 10/1 with Oddschecker
Tyrrell Hatton simply loves the big stages. His last four DP World Tour victories have all come in Rolex Series events, and his other two both came on the Old Course at St Andrews.
The Englishman has won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship twice, while his Rolex Series wins include the BMW PGA Championship and that incredible six-man play-off under the lights at the Turkish Airlines Open.
He has also tasted success in the United Arab Emirates, winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2021. Can secure a record-equalling fifth Rolex Series crown this week? 10/1 says he will…
Best of the rest…
Rory McIlroy: The Northern Irishman is the defending Hero Dubai Desert Classic champion after edging out Patrick Reed to win the title last year. He will be rueing his drive down 18 on Sunday at the Dubai Invitational, and will battle back this week to fight for another title. McIlroy is 7/2 to win.
Tommy Fleetwood: Perhaps the obvious pick after Sunday’s birdie-birdie finish to take the Dubai Invitational title. However, the Englishman is in great form and is a two-time Rolex Series champion already. Fleetwood is 11/1 to go back-to-back in Dubai.
What else is going on in the world of golf this week?
Following a two week stint in Hawaii, the PGA Tour moves back to mainland United States this week. The American Express takes place at both PGA West and La Quinta Country Club with three courses being played on.
Spaniard Jon Rahm was the victor in 2023, and he will not be back to defend his title following his big-money move to LIV Golf.
The 2024 LPGA schedule gets underway as well this week, with the Hilton Tournament of Champions being played in Florida. Who will win these two golf tournaments – check out our betting tips below.
Min Woo Lee @ 28/1 to win The American Express with Oddschecker
With the form that he is in, I don’t think you can bet against Australia’s Min Woo Lee from securing a maiden PGA Tour title this week.
The Aussie has won twice in his last six tournaments, with a win at the SJM Macau Open followed by a victory on home soil at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. He has only finished outside the top 15 once since the Open Championship back in July.
Lee is 28/1 to take a third victory in four months, and to finally grab that first victory on the PGA Tour.
Brooke Henderson @ 9/1 to win the Hilton Tournament of Champions with Oddschecker
It is an all-star cast for the season opener on the LPGA Tour, with the likes of Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull all in action.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson is going to be my call for this week, though. The Canadian simply loves playing at Lake Nona.
She is the defending Hilton Tournament of Champions champion, and finished runner-up two years ago as well. Henderson is the third favourite at 9/1 to win this title once more.
FAQs
What is the International Swing?
The 2023-2024 DP World Tour season has a different look to compared to previous years. Instead, there will be several ‘Swings’.
The ‘International Swing’ is the second part of the 2024 DP World Tour season, and includes eight events – visiting the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kenya and South Africa. For more on how the 2023-2024 season will run, read our full run-down here.
What is the DP World Tour?
The DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) is the leading men’s professional golf tour in Europe. Its headquarters are based at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, and the tour has 44 tournaments across 24 countries over its 2024 season.
What does the DP stand for in DP World Tour?
DP stands for Dubai Port. DP World are the title sponsor of the tour. They are a multinational logistics company, specialising in cargo logistics, maritime services and free trade zones.
How can I watch the DP World Tour?
Action from the DP World Tour is shown live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. The DP World Tour operates a world feed which is then sent to television stations around the world.
What is the PGA Tour?
The PGA Tour is the leading golf tour in the men’s game. The tour mainly features events in the United States, including the likes of the PLAYERS Championship and the Memorial Tournament in its 38-event calendar for the 2024 season.
What does the PGA stand for in PGA and LPGA Tour?
PGA stands for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The PGA of America has almost 30,000 members and it is an organisation of golf professionals in the country. The PGA Tour came from the PGA of America. The LPGA is the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association, and is exactly the same as the PGA of America.
What is the LPGA Tour?
The LPGA Tour is the leading golf tour in the women’s game. The tour mainly features events in the United States and there are 31 tournaments across the 2024 calendar.
How can I watch the PGA and LPGA Tours?
Action from both the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour is shown live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, while the action is mainly on the Golf Channel and CBS in the United States. Both tours operate a world feed which is then sent to television stations around the world.
Fancy a punt on this week’s action? Take a look at the latest odds with Oddschecker.
What do you think about our betting tips for this week’s golf at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic? Who is going to do well at Lake Nona? Who wins at the American Express? Let me know with a post on X!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
