world tour dubai desert classic

18 - 21 Jan 2024

Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE

DP World Tour Partners

2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic final results: Prize money payout, leaderboard and how much each golfer won

The 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic final leaderboard is headed by winner Rory McIlroy, who earned the DP World Tour win at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

McIlroy won the event after overtaking 54-hole leader Cameron Young, who was seeking his first DP World Tour win in the long-standing event. In the final round, McIlroy's 2-under 70 was good enough for a one-shot win over Adrian Meronk on 14-under 274.

Young finished in solo third place after closing with 74 to drop to the bronze position. McIlroy defends his title and becomes the first player to win this event four times.

McIlroy won the €1,406,040.93 winner's share of the $9,000,000 purse.

Hero Dubai Desert Classic recap notes

McIlroy earned 30 Official World Golf Ranking points with the win, with the minimum point schedule removed from the Official World Golf Ranking.

There was a 36-hole cut, with 74 of 126 starting players finishing the event in the eighth completed event of the season.

McIlroy earned 1,335 Race to Dubai points as a DP World Tour member, with its season-long Race to Dubai points race getting started for 2023-2024.

The 2024 European Tour schedule continues next week with the 2024 Ras al Khaimah Championship .

2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic final leaderboard, results and prize money payouts

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Dubai Desert Classic: Rory McIlroy blows strong start as Haotong Li part of four-way first-round lead on DP World Tour

Rory McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four holes in his opening round at the Dubai Desert Classic to give up a strong position; Haotong Li claimed a four-way share of the lead with a five-under par 67; watch the second round live on Sky Sports Golf from 4am on Friday

Thursday 18 January 2024 21:50, UK

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Rory McIlroy blew a strong start at the Dubai Desert Classic to finish the opening round four shots back from Haotong Li, who is in a four-way share of the lead.

China's Li tops the leaderboard alongside Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, Andy Sullivan from England and American Cameron Young.

McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four holes at Emirates Golf Club to shoot a one-under 71 on Thursday at one of the marquee events of the season on the DP World Tour.

Open champion Brian Harman, who like McIlroy started from the 10th hole, finished bogey-par-double to close on the same score as the Northern Irishman.

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England's Richard Mansell finished in a seven-way tie for for second place on four-under alongside Adrian Meronk, Nicolai Hojgaard, Soren Kjeldsen, Thorjborn Olesen, Louis De Jager. and Sebastian Garcia.

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McIlroy, a three-time winner of the tournament, birdied five of his first 11 holes to be on the leaderboard at four-under before he hit problems in the tough final holes of the front nine.

At the sixth, he missed a par putt from inside four feet. At the seventh, he duffed his chip from just off the green and couldn't save par from 30 feet.

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He completed a hat-trick of bogeys when he missed the eighth green from the middle of the fairway, was short again with his chip from the rough and missed a par putt from 10 feet.

Even the ninth, his final hole, involved some slight trauma. McIlroy drove into a bunker then left himself an up-and-down from 21 yards, which he just about made when his par putt squeezed into the right of the cup, prompting a sigh of relief from the four-time major champion.

Harman's round was damaged by a six on the par-four 9th that came after he hit his second shot out of the trees and into the water running down the left of the hole. The American had been on four-under after 12 holes.

Harman is playing in his first DP World tour event not co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour, with his victory at the Open in Hoylake giving him more freedom on his schedule to play overseas.

Li, the Dubai Desert Classic champion in 2018 when he held off McIlroy down the stretch, birdied his last hole to shoot 67 and break free from a group on four-under, continuing his career rebound after finishing last year with 14 missed cuts and two withdrawals in his last 16 events.

"Yeah, it happens. Just golf," he said of his form in 2023. "I don't know - hopefully doesn't happen again."

Li tied for 14th last week at the Dubai Invitational, the first event in 2024.

Tommy Fleetwood, who edged out McIlroy for victory at last week's Dubai Invitational, also finished on one-under, while European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in T19 on two-under.

Watch the Dubai Desert Classic live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday through to Sunday. Coverage of day two begins at 4am on Friday. Stream golf and more top sport with NOW.

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The Players to Watch at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Here are five golfers to keep an eye on at this first Rolex Series tournament of the year.

By Michael Arkush

The DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic , which begins on Thursday at the Emirates Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates, has delivered big-name champions over the past 35 years, including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy.

Will another marquee player walk off with the trophy this time around? Or will someone less heralded emerge from the pack to make an early statement in 2024?

Here are five noteworthy golfers:

Brian Harman

We’ll find out in the coming months whether Harman’s surprising victory in last year’s British Open, winning by six strokes at Royal Liverpool, was a fluke or if he’s able to prove that he truly is one of the game’s top players.

Harman, who turns 37 on Friday, tied for fifth at the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sentry tournament this month in Hawaii and tied for 18th a week later at the Sony Open.

“I’m excited to tee it up in Dubai for the first time,” he said in December . “It looks like a stunning venue that has identified great champions. I’d love to add my name to that list.”

The Open triumph couldn’t have come at a better time. Harman, with only two victories since joining the tour in 2012, had seemed to lose confidence.

“Earlier this year,” he admitted in 2023 , “I was asking my agent about announcing jobs already. So we all get there, we all have those thoughts. Everyone’s in a place that we operated on these razor-thin margins.”

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy, believe it or not, will turn 35 years old in May. He turned pro when he was 18.

Even harder to comprehend is that his drought in major championships is approaching a full decade, his last coming in the 2014 P.G.A. Championship.

He’s bound to pick up another major sooner or later. Isn’t he?

McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, has won the Dubai event three times, including last year when he birdied the final two holes to edge Patrick Reed by a stroke. “It’s a great start to the year,” McIlroy said at the time, “and a really good foundation to work from.”

He won, however, only one more tournament in 2023, the Genesis Scottish Open in July, when he again birdied the final two holes to outduel Robert MacIntyre.

How McIlroy, who squandered an excellent opportunity to win last week’s Dubai Invitational, will be judged in 2024 will depend on how he performs in the four majors. In 2023, he missed the cut in the Masters, but recorded a top 10 in the next three, including a second-place finish in the United States Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.

Joaquin Niemann

Niemann , 25, is playing for a lot more than this week.

He is playing to qualify for the Masters Tournament.

To accomplish that, Niemann, who is currently ranked at No. 70, will have to be 50th or better during the week before the Masters in April. He tied for 16th at the event last year.

Niemann, a member of LIV Golf, in which players receive no ranking points for LIV events, had fallen to No. 87 until he finished fifth last month in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and won the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in a playoff over Rikuya Hoshino, which qualified him for the event in Dubai. He started the final round four behind Hoshino, but closed with a 66.

“This season wasn’t the best for me,” he told the media. “I wanted to play more golf. It was huge to come up here and play good golf and get a result.”

Niemann, the top-ranked amateur in the world for 44 weeks in 2017 and 2018, has won twice on the PGA Tour, including the Genesis Invitational in 2022. He joined LIV in summer 2022.

Cameron Young

Young, ranked No. 25, has been very impressive in his first two seasons on the PGA Tour with 12 top 10s. Four of the top 10s came in major championships.

Still, there has been one thing missing: a victory.

In the 2021-2022 season, Young, 26, finished second on five occasions, including in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews and was the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year.

In 2023, he lost to Sam Burns in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas.

“There might not have been anybody beating him today the way he played,” said Young, who was 41 under par for the week.

Young, whose father was the head professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., shot a 74 in the third round of the Sentry event this month, but rebounded the next day with a 65 to finish in a tie for 33rd.

Padraig Harrington

It is safe to assume that three-time major champion Harrington, 52, won’t make a serious run at the title. He hasn’t won on the DP World Tour since 2016.

On the other hand, Harrington has played well since turning 50. In 2023, he made the cut in three of the four majors, his best finish a tie for 27th at the U.S. Open. On the PGA Tour Champions, a senior tour, he posted 10 top 10s last year in 13 appearances, including victories at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open and TimberTech Championship. There was even talk in the media of him being a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup in Rome.

“I needed to push forward,” Harrington said in August, “but I just think I haven’t played enough events to give myself a better [chance].”

Harrington didn’t give himself much of a chance at last year’s Desert Classic in Dubai. He opened with an 81.

“It was one of those days,” he said afterward. “You get them hopefully only once a year when you are a bit of a klutz all day.” Harrington, who has three top 10s in Dubai, rebounded with a 65 on day two, but missed the cut.

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Cameron Young leads by three at Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Cameron Young leads by three after an 8-under 64 on Friday at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

Adrian Meronk sits tied for second, Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard in T4 at 7 under

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Cameron Young will take a three-shot lead into the weekend at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after his 8-under 64 on Friday.

The world No. 25 and playing in Dubai for the first time, made nine birdies before he bogeyed his final hole — hitting the water on his second shot on No. 9.

“I putted fantastic," said the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. "I made a couple long ones yesterday and then made a few more today that kind of had no right going in. I didn’t make too many mistakes.”

Young was 13-under 131 overall after two rounds at Emirates Golf Club. Adrian Meronk (66), recently crowned the DP World Tour’s player of 2023, and Andy Sullivan (67) were three strokes back.

Twin brothers Nicolai Hojgaard (69) and Rasmus Hojgaard (70) joined Richie Ramsay (68) a further three shots back.

The world No. 2 Rory McIlroy birdied the 18th to get to 2-under for the day and was 10 shots off the lead. The Open champion Brian Harman (71) was a further stroke behind.

McIlroy is a three-time winner of the tournament and is coming off a second place at last week’s Dubai Invitational behind Tommy Fleetwood, who was eight shots off the lead after his 70 on Friday.

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A tournament

Like no other.

JANUARY 2025 EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

World Class Golf

Tournament town, jones the grocer picnic packages, dallah lounge hospitality.

• Sustainability

Getting there

The Dubai Desert Classic is the region's longest running and most anticipated annual golf event. Since its creation in 1989, the tournament has been bringing together global golfing stars, in a celebration of world- class sport, alongside food and entertainment.

In 2022 the Dubai Desert Classic become part of the Rolex Series, the DP World Tour’s premium category that deliver the highest quality of golf. Every year the event sees the world’s top players compete on the iconic Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club for one of the tour’s most coveted trophies and elevated prize fund of $9M.

Continuing on from the success of the 2024 edition, the 2025 competition will offer a range of hospitality and special experience packages along with free tickets access for spectators to enjoy an event like no other. The 2025 line-up is still to be announced.

The tournament has attracted a stellar line-up so far with World No.2 Rory McIlroy and defending champion headlining the field. The Northern Irishman will be searching for his fourth historic Hero Dubai Desert Classic title and will be joined by World No.9 and reigning Open Champion Brian Harman, six-time DP World Tour winner Tommy Fleetwood, World No.12 Tyrrell Hatton, and American World No.22 Cameron Young.

Also teeing off will be European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald, Rolex Series winner Ryan Fox and Major Champions Pádraig Harrington, Francesco Molinari, Adam Scott and many more.

Entertainment Like No Other

Fans and families can look forward to experiencing world class golf and the best of Dubai at this year’s Tournament Town at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

This year’s fan village will provide free outdoor fun for you and friends or all the family, with live music and performances throughout, while young golfing fans can look forward to witnessing the thrilling roaming acts featuring stilt walkers, magicians, graffiti artists and more. Enjoy the music and F&B offerings until late outside with friends as part of your weekend plans.

Open from 10am to 11pm.

Known for providing world-class entertainment on and off the course. Tournament Town promises to be a day out like no other. Expect more of your favourite food trucks, plenty of entertainment and activities for kids of all ages including bouncy castles, arts and crafts, kids’ mascots and much more.

For 2023 the fun will continue after the golf, so sit back and relax with friends and family and enjoy live music from the city’s most talented local performers who will keep you entertained until the early hours.

Jones the Grocer is hosting a Picnic Lunch with a golf twist at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2023. This is no ordinary picnic, as you will be able to watch the world's best golfers in action as you savour a delicious picnic basket in a beautiful outdoors setting. With a specially crafted picnic menu that includes salads, sandwiches, cheese & charcuterie board, fruit platter, sweets and a hot dish from our BBQ menu, select one of our drinks package for the perfect fun-filled day out.

Pink Saturday

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Don’t miss out on this early-bird special which is sure to sell out.

Join us to soak up the electric golfing action in style from the comfort of the Dallah Lounge and exclusive Sky Deck. Overlooking the action on the 9 th and 18 th green, enjoy premium hospitality, and embark on this unforgettable experience with many big names all competing for the famous Dallah Trophy.

7:00 Gate opens 8:00 Lounge opens 9:00 - 11:00 breakfast 13:00 - 15:00 Lunch 15:30 - 17:30 Afternoon tea 18:00 Lounge Closes

Going for the Green- Sustainability Initiative

As parking spaces are limited, your best option is to take the metro. If there isn’t a metro station nearby, we have found the best options for you to park and ride. The following metro stations offer free parking so you are able to drive there, park your car for free and hop on the metro to get to Al Khail Metro Station , right at the entrance of the Emirates Golf Club! It couldn’t be easier!

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Hero Dubai Desert Classic set to welcome exciting field for 35th edition

An exciting group of established stars and emerging talent is set to light up the 35 th  edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from January 18-21.

World Number Two and defending champion  Rory McIlroy  headlines the field at the first Rolex Series event of the 2024 Race to Dubai, as he seeks to lift the famous Dallah trophy for a historic fourth time.

The Northen Irishman will be joined by fellow Major winners, including reigning Open champion  Brian Harman  – who makes his debut at the iconic event –  Pádraig   Harrington, Francesco Molinari  and  Adam Scott.

Most recent Rolex Series winner  Nicolai Højgaard  – who triumphed the last time he teed it up in Dubai at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship – is joined in the field by his twin brother and four-time DP World Tour winner  Rasmus .

The Danish duo are amongst a host of multiple winners gathering at Emirates Golf Club, including  Adrian Meronk , a three-time champion in 2023, and  Ryan Fox , who claimed his fourth DP World Tour victory and first on the Rolex Series last season. Meanwhile rising PGA TOUR star  Cameron Young  is set to make his tournament debut.

Victorious European Ryder Cup Captain  Luke Donald  returns to take on the Majlis Course once again, alongside stars of that famous victory in Rome  Tommy Fleetwood  and  Tyrrell Hatton .

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic also continues to showcase up and coming stars, with PGA TOUR University Number One  Michael Thorbjornsen  returning to the event after taking low amateur honours with his top 20 finish at Emirates Golf Club last season. His fellow amateur and 2023 Walker Cup winner  Caleb Surratt  will make his DP World Tour debut, while the event also welcomes UAE player  Joshua Grenville-Wood , who impressed on Tour last season with a tied sixth place finish at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: “We are eagerly awaiting the return of the top stars from the DP World Tour to the Majlis course for this year’s historic edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. The 35 th  edition promises to be the best Dubai Desert Classic on record.”

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic will be celebrating its 35 th  anniversary and its recent official certification as the first GEO-Certified event in the Middle East, and the first in the DP World Tour’s Rolex Series. GEO Certification is an industry leading credibility standard that recognises leadership and action in environmental and social responsibility.

This year’s event combines world-class golf with a huge array of family-friendly entertainment.  Spectators can look forward to a wider variety of options off the course than ever before with something for fans of all ages to enjoy across the tournament.

Dubai Desert Classic prize money, payout information

Dubai Desert Classic prize money, payout information: Rory McIlroy enters the record books at Emirates GC.

Rory McIlroy became the first four-time winner of the Dubai Desert Classic following a successful title defence at Emirates Golf Club.

The 2024 Dubai Desert Classic marked the 35th playing of the DP World Tour event. 

McIlroy , 34, found himself 10 strokes off the pace heading into the weekend but fired a stunning 63 on Saturday before adding a 70 in the final round to see out a narrow one-stroke victory on 14-under par. 

The World No.2 is now the first player to win the Dubai Desert Classic four times (2009, 2015, 2023, 2024).

Ernie Els previously shared the record with McIlroy on three wins. 

McIlroy became the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic since Scotland's Stephen Gallacher in 2014. 

The Dubai Desert Classic is one of five Rolex Series events. 

How much did Rory McIlroy win at the 2024 Dubai Desert Classic?

McIlroy walked away with a first prize of €1,406,040.93

The total prize purse for the Dubai Desert Classic was €8,245,800.00

GolfMagic has listed all of the payout information below.

Dubai Desert Classic prize money, payout information:

WIN - Rory McIlroy - €1,406,040.93

• 2nd: Adrian Meronk - €909,791.19
• 3rd: Cameron Young - €521,062.23
• T4: Pablo Larrazábal - €351,234.54
• T4: Aaron Cockerill - €351,234.54
• T4: Joaquin Niemann - €351,234.54
• T7: Adam Scott - €201,394.69
• T7: Masahiro Kawamura - €201,394.69
• T7: Nicolai Højgaard - €201,394.69
• T7: Haotong Li - €201,394.69
• T11: Michael Thorbjornsen - Amateur
• T11: Callum Shinkwin - €147,220.76
• T11: Rasmus Højgaard - €147,220.76
• T14: Tom McKibbin - €129,852.02
• T14: Tommy Fleetwood - €129,852.02
• T16: Johannes Veerman - €111,821.61
• T16: Antoine Rozner - €111,821.61
• T16: Shubhankar Sharma - €111,821.61
• T16: Zander Lombard - €111,821.61
• T16: Alex Fitzpatrick - €111,821.61
• T21: Joost Luiten - €94,907.76
• T21: Richie Ramsay - €94,907.76
• T21: Bernd Wiesberger - €94,907.76
• T21: Thorbjørn Olesen - €94,907.76
• T25: Guido Migliozzi - €82,294.75
• T25: Daan Huizing - €82,294.75
• T25: Mike Lorenzo-Vera - €82,294.75
• T25: Santiago Tarrio - €82,294.75
• T25: Romain Langasque - €82,294.75
• T25: Richard Mansell - €82,294.75
• T31: Jesper Svensson - €66,166.63
• T31: Sebastian Garcia - €66,166.63
• T31: Tyrrell Hatton - €66,166.63
• T31: Maximilian Kieffer- €66,166.63
• T31: Ryan Fox - €66,166.63
• T31: Rafa Cabrera Bello - €66,166.63
• T31: Scott Jamieson - €66,166.63
• T38: Jayden Schaper - €55,414.55
• T38: Dale Whitnell - €55,414.55
• T38: Alejandro Del Rey - €55,414.55
• T41: Nacho Elvira - €44,662.48
• T41: Casey Jarvis - €44,662.48
• T41: Calum Hill - €44,662.48
• T41: Manuel Elvira - €44,662.48
• T41: Dylan Frittelli - €44,662.48
• T41: Paul Waring - €44,662.48
• T41: Jordan Smith - €44,662.48
• T41: Matthew Jordan - €44,662.48
• T41: Sebastian Söderberg - €44,662.48
• T41: Søren Kjeldsen - €44,662.48
• T51: Todd Clements - €32,256.23
• T51: Marcus Helligkilde - €32,256.23
• T51: Connor Syme - €32,256.23
• T51: Grant Forrest - €32,256.23
• T51: Hennie Du Plessis - €32,256.23
• T56: Jorge Campillo - €25,639.57
• T56: Nathan Kimsey - €25,639.57
• T56: Adrian Otaegui - €25,639.57
• T56: Lukas Nemecz - €25,639.57
• T56: Marcel Siem - €25,639.57
• T56: James Morrison - €25,639.57
• T56: Louis de Jager - €25,639.57
• T63: Niklas Nørgaard - €21,504.16
• T63: Nick Bachem - €21,504.16
• T63: MJ Daffue - €21,504.16
• T66: Jeff Winther - €18,609.37
• T66: Luke Donald - €18,609.37
• T66: Stephen Gallacher - €18,609.37
• T66: Andy Sullivan - €18,609.37
• T70: Jeong weon Ko - €14,266.43
• T70: Brian Harman - €14,266.43
• T70: Ugo Coussaud - €14,266.43
• T70: Julien Guerrier - €14,266.43
• 74: Ricardo Gouveia - €12,400.24

Dubai Desert Classic field:

• Marcus Armitage
• Adri Arnaus
• Nick Bachem
• Matthew Baldwin
• Thomas Bjørn
• Adam Blomme
• Dan Bradbury
• Daniel Brown
• Julien Brun
• Rafa Cabrera Bello
• Jorge Campillo
• Laurie Canter
• Kevin Chappell
• Todd Clements
• Aaron Cockerill
• Ugo Coussaud
• Sean Crocker
• Jens Dantorp
• Louis De Jager
• Alejandro Del Rey
• Luke Donald
• Jamie Donaldson
• Hennie Du Plessis
• Manuel Elvira
• Nacho Elvira
• Ewen Ferguson
• Ross Fisher
• Alex Fitzpatrick
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Grant Forrest
• Simon Forsström
• Dylan Frittelli
• Stephen Gallacher
• Sebastian Garcia
• Daniel Gavins
• Gavin Green
• Joshua Grenville-Wood
• Julien Guerrier
• Chase Hanna
• Brian Harman
• Padraig Harrington
• Tyrrell Hatton
• Marcus Helligkilde
• Angel Hidalgo
• Daniel Hillier
• Nicolai Højgaard
• Rasmus Højgaard
• Rikuya Hoshino
• Daan Huizing
• Scott Jamieson
• Casey Jarvis
• Matthew Jordan
• Masahiro Kawamura
• Maximilian Kieffer
• Nathan Kimsey
• Marcus Kinhult
• Soren Kjeldsen
• Frederik Kjettrup
• JeongWeon Ko
• Espen Kofstad
• Romain Langasque
• Pablo Larrazábal
• Thriston Lawrence
• Zander Lombard
• Mike Lorenzo-Vera
• Joost Luiten
• Matteo Manassero
• Richard Mansell
• Rory Mcilroy
• Tom Mckibbin
• Adrian Meronk
• Guido Migliozzi
• Edoardo Molinari
• Francesco Molinari
• James Morrison
• Lukas Nemecz
• Joaquin Niemann
• Niklas Nørgaard
• Thorbjørn Olesen
• Adrian Otaegui
• Yannik Paul
• Andrea Pavan
• Marco Penge
• Eddie Pepperell
• Richie Ramsay
• Antoine Rozner
• Adrien Saddier
• Kalle Samooja
• Lorenzo Scalise
• Jayden Schaper
• Marcel Schneider
• Matthias Schwab
• Jason Scrivener
• Shubhankar Sharma
• Callum Shinkwin
• Marcel Siem
• Jordan Smith
• Sebastian Söderberg
• Clement Sordet
• Matthew Southgate
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Dubai Desert Classic 2024: Preview and Tee Times | DP World Tour

Published: 17 January 2024

Rory McIlroy is hoping to defend his Dubai Desert Classic title as the DP World Tour heads to Emirates Golf Club for the first Rolex Series event of 2024.

Rory McIlroy is favorite to win the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for a fourth time as the DP World Tour heads to Emirates Golf Club for the first elevated Rolex Series event of 2024.

McIlroy returns to the tournament as defending champion having beaten Patrick Reed by one shot last January thanks to a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole. It’s a tournament that holds fond memories for the Northern Irishman having been his first DP World Tour (then European Tour) victory back in 2009. His second win came in 2015.

The four-time Major champion looked set to start 2024 with a victory at the inaugural Dubai Invitational , heading to the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, only to find the water with his tee shot and hand victory to the Englishman. Read our in-depth guide to Fleetwood’s winning bag .

This week sees a larger field of 126 players and far larger purse with $9,000,000 on offer, with the winner taking home $1.53m. That’s the same amount as 2023, but the prize fund has grown by $5.75m since 2021 and a whopping $8.55m since its inception in 1989.

The inaugural Dubai Desert Classic was the first European Tour event to be played on the Arabian Peninsula and since then it has been won by some of the game’s biggest names, including McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Serve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, and Bryson DeChambeau.

Once again in 2024, the event has attracted some of the game’s biggest names with McIlroy joined by Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Brian Harman, Cameron Young, Nicolai Hojgaard, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, and Ryan Fox.

How does the DP World Tour schedule work?

2024 sees the  DP World Tour schedule  expanded and split into five ‘swings’. The opening swing saw six events played in Australia, South Africa and Mauritius at the end of 2023. The International Swing runs until March 10, with events in the UAE, Bahrain, Kenya, and South Africa, before a five-event Asian Swing, six-event European Swing, and five-event closing swing.

As the name suggests, ‘The Back Nine’ will see further nine events played across Europe, including the British Masters, Irish Open, and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, before the season concludes with the new big-money DP World Tour Play-offs – the Abu Dhabi Championship and DP World Tour Championship.

2024 will see five Rolex Series events, starting with this week’s Hero. Dubai Desert Classic. The Genesis Scottish Open, BMW PGA Championship, the Abu Dhabi Championship, and the season-closing DP World Tour Championship are the other elevated events where big purses will be on offer.

Who is playing in the Dubai Desert Classic?

Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Brian Harman, Cameron Young, Nicolai Hojgaard, Adrian Meronk, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, and Ryan Fox are the star attractions at this year’s event.

See the full list of the 126 pros who are teeing it up at Emirates Golf Club and how they qualified  here .

What is the format of the Dubai Desert Classic?

It is a standard strokeplay event played over 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes (two rounds) that sees the leading 65 players and ties make the final two rounds. The player who achieves the lowest score over four rounds will win the tournament.

Where is the Dubai Desert Classic played?

It is played at Emirates Golf Club on the edge of the city of Dubai. Barring 1999 and 2000, when the tournament was played at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Emirates GC has hosted every edition since the its inception in 1989.

The event is played across the world-famous Maljis course, a par-72 layout that measures 7,301 yards, and is widely considered among the best golf courses in the Middle East . Designed by American architect Karl Litten, it was also the first grass course in the Middle East and takes its name from the Arabic word for ‘meeting place’.

Ernie Els holds the course record with an 11-under-par 61, dating back to January 27, 1994.

Who will win the Dubai Desert Classic?

Rory McIlroy is the bookmakers’ favorite to lift the impressive trophy for the fourth time and defend the crown he won in 2023.

The Northern Irishman, who won his first DP World Tour title at this event 15 years ago, is the highest-ranked player in the field.

Fellow Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton, looking for his fifth Rolex Series victory, is second-favorite, with Tommy Fleetwood 11/1 to lift his second trophy in a row.

Selected odds (correct at 10.30am GMT on Jan 15, 2024)

Rory McIlroy 7/2

Tyrrell Hatton 10/1

Tommy Fleetwood 11/1

Joaquin Niemann 16/1

Brian Harman 16/1

Cameron Young 18/1

Adam Scott 20/1

Nicolai Hojgaard 20/1

Adrian Meronk 25/1

Thorbjorn Olesen 28/1

Rasmus Hojgaard 301

Ryan Fox 33/1

Yannik Paul 35/1

Thriston Lawrence 40/1

Jordan Smith 45/1

Laurie Canter 66/1

Alex Fitzpatrick 70/1

Padraig Harrington 90/1

Luke Donald 250/1

How much does the Dubai Desert Classic winner receive?

The winner takes home $1.53m, which is the same amount McIlroy received in 2023. The total purse on offer is $9,000,000 – only the season-ending DP World Tour Championship pays more with a $10m prize fund.

There are also 8,000 Race to Dubai points available, which could prove significant in reaching the end-of-year play-off tournaments.

The prize fund has increased significantly in the event’s 35-year history, as shown below.

Dubai Desert Classic Tee Times

ROUND 1 (All times local. GMT +4. EST +9.)

ROUND 2 (All times local. GMT +4. EST +9.)

About the Author

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Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.

He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge when it comes to golf balls, golf trolleys, and golf bags, testing thousands down the years.

Rob uses a  Callaway Paradym driver ,  TaylorMade M5 5-wood ,  TaylorMade P790 driving iron ,  Callaway Paradym irons  (4-AW),  TaylorMade MG3 wedges  (52º, 58º),  Odyssey Tri-Hot 5k Double Wide putter , and  Callaway Chrome Soft X golf ball .

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Joaquin Niemann had to fight to get to this Masters. Now he wants to stay

MIAMI — It was exactly what he wanted. To be nervous. To back himself into a corner and force himself out. It was why Joaquin Niemann was there in the first place, flying across the world for two weeks in Australia. The Chilean golfer has always been one of the most talented players on any course he walks onto. But he was young. He was relaxed. And then he went to LIV.

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He kept backing himself into that corner at the Australian Open. He gave up a two-shot lead in the final holes to allow a playoff. Then he missed a makeable birdie on the first playoff hole that would have won it. Nerves. Pressure. Good. From the fairway on the next playoff hole, Niemann stuck it, the ball five feet from the pin. Made the putt. Won the Australian Open.

That shot probably played Niemann into the 2024 Masters.

Joaquin Niemann is the hottest player in men’s golf not named Scottie Scheffler. He is 25. He just won three tournaments in six starts. He was top-five in three more. He’s got a win at Riviera and five professional wins in total. He shot a 59 at a former PGA Tour course. So you might assume he’s a star, right? But despite being No. 9 in the world on DataGolf (which ranks all players from all tours), he’s No. 91 in the Official World Golf Ranking (which does not rank LIV pros).

Niemann chose two years ago to leave the PGA Tour and captain an all-Latin American team with LIV Golf called Torque GC. He reportedly got paid $100 million to do it. And he struggled. “I didn’t play the best,” he said. He finished just 21st in the 2023 LIV standings and was out of exemptions for future majors.

So Niemann made plans during his “offseason” to go to Australia. And Dubai. And then Oman. It was a long shot, but the plan was to jump from 87th in the world to the top 50 and earn a spot in Augusta. And somewhere in these five months, Niemann might have become the golfer he was supposed to be.

“I feel like you could see a change in him,” Torque teammate Mito Pereira said.

Niemann has dug deep and found a version of himself who thrives under pressure. The question is if he can do it on the biggest stage.

Amid the celebration on the 18th green, the mics picked it up. Niemann had just won LIV’s season-opening event in February in Mexico via a playoff, two days after shooting a 59, and before the interview could even start, Niemann muttered: “But I’m not in the majors.”

Some saw it as crass. Some thought it was awesome. But it started the conversation. Niemann’s offseason trips were noticed, but it was still an under-the-radar storyline. He finished fourth at the Australian PGA Championship. He won the Australian Open. Then in January, he finished T4 at the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. It was an incredible three weeks in competitive fields, but he was still only 59th to end the year. Niemann understood that. He figured he had to win both Australian tournaments to move into the top 50.

The greater point was that he was more focused. Pereira, a childhood friend from Chile, said Niemann has always been great but has also always been a relaxed person. The type to never think two hours ahead. But last fall Niemann started to realize he wouldn’t be in the majors in 2024, and suddenly a player who had goals of being world No. 1 had to change something. It wouldn’t matter how good Niemann was if he couldn’t play on the biggest stages. Pereira noticed him working harder, going to the gym more, pushing himself and putting himself in situations where he had to succeed.

“I think I liked that kind of pressure,” Niemann told The Athletic last week before LIV’s pre-Masters tournament. “I feel like it pushed me to be better, in a certain way to be more focused, to prepare better, to have my game in better shape.”

Two weeks after Mayakoba, Augusta National gave Niemann one of three special invitations to the Masters without mentioning his play on the breakaway tour. That same week, he played at an Asian Tour event in Oman and placed third. Niemann won again one week after that at LIV’s event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This time, an LIV course reporter interviewed Niemann and suggested he would be one of the favorites to win a major championship.

A sarcastic Niemann dryly said: “How is that possible if I’m like 100 in the world?”

If Jon Rahm is the best player at LIV, and maybe Brooks Koepka is the most important, and Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson really got the project rolling, and even Cameron Smith won an Open Championship just before coming, then Niemann is the most interesting LIV player entering this Masters. Because Niemann represents something new. He is the first young player to become a top player while playing in the little-watched LIV Golf league. And golf hasn’t figured out what to do with that.

No matter how you feel about LIV or Official World Golf Ranking or Niemann’s candid comments on it all, it’s clear that Niemann cares about the majors. He cares about his place in golf. He said multiple times that he doesn’t mean to be antagonistic, and he’s not somebody who gains motivation from beating other players or making enemies. His motivation is internal, and his frustration is with his ambition and concern he won’t have opportunities to reach it. The reality is the majors carry more weight than ever in a divided tour.

“I want to win the majors,” Niemann said. “That’s the message that I want to give to myself, and that’s the approach I want to have going into these tournaments.”

And Niemann at least gains street cred for going out and earning it, while fellow LIV golfers like Talor Gooch — who won the LIV individual title last year — have criticized the Masters for not giving spots to top LIV players. That has not gone unnoticed among Niemann’s old PGA Tour peers.

“(Joaquin) has been chasing his tail around the world to get this, play his way into Augusta or show enough form to warrant an invite.  I don’t know if the same can be said for Talor,” Rory McIlroy said in February.

This is the challenge for Niemann and LIV going forward. Niemann, Gooch and the 50 others on LIV made choices, and they knew there would be consequences. It’s why Niemann changed his mind nearly every day in August 2022 before leaving the PGA Tour. On the other hand, Torque teammate Carlos Ortiz told Golf Magazine’s “Subpar” podcast that players were given assurances they would receive OWGR points.

It leaves the career of players like Niemann in a fascinating spot. Most of the other stars and team captains already won their majors, earned their fame and became household names before joining LIV. Their success and acclaim were why LIV wanted them. Rahm could feel more comfortable making his move after winning a Masters and a U.S. Open, giving him exemptions for several years. Niemann’s potential and international reach are why LIV wanted him. Yes, he was once the No. 1 amateur in the world, convincingly won the Genesis Invitational and finished 11th in the Tour Championship after four years on tour, but he was just on the way to becoming a force in golf. Still very far from being one.

While Niemann was able to earn his way into most majors this season (he’s not in the U.S. Open yet but can play his way in, either via his Masters and PGA Championship performance or through open qualifying), there’s no guarantee he’ll be back next year unless he thrives in this year’s majors or takes the same route he did this winter. For reference, Koepka finished second at the 2023 Masters and won the PGA Championship but only ranks No. 31 in OWGR. Cameron Smith is No. 62. Major success doesn’t keep one ranked high forever.

LIV CEO Greg Norman withdrew the application for world ranking points in March, ending the hope to change that discussion anytime soon. The expected path for LIV to pursue now is in conversations with the four bodies that govern the majors to provide a certain amount of spots to the top-ranked players in the LIV standings, but there are no indications yet that’s realistic. And while the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (which funds LIV) remain in negotiations to mend the sport, there’s still no actual timeline to do so. And there’s little knowledge of what a deal would mean for unification.

“It’s weird because we’re playing to get better and not for people to say, ‘Hey, you’re really good, you’re gonna get this,’” Pereira said, “but obviously if you’re that good of a player and you’re not getting anything, it’s a little bit unfair.”

The more interesting element with Niemann is simply attention. Eyeballs. Understanding. If a golfer becomes one of the 10 best players in the world and nobody sees it, is he a top-10 player in the world? When LIV had the golf world’s attention to itself in February thanks to a rainout of the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the rerun of the PGA Tour’s third round on CBS still garnered 11 times more viewers than LIV on the CW Network. Niemann is legitimately good, but he’s not earning OWGR points, he doesn’t have a clear path to majors, and his play is hardly being seen.

Golf fans already knew who Rahm, Mickelson, Koepka and Johnson were. How will the casual fans learn about Niemann?

Which brings us to this week’s Masters.

Most of these discussions are broader issues that will be determined over years and years. Right now, Niemann will play the Masters for the fifth time. He ranks No. 9 on DataGolf and has the eighth-highest odds to win at BetMGM. The respect for Niemann is there. And the best way for him to announce himself is with a great week at Augusta.

But even before the qualification dilemma, Niemann hasn’t always thrived at the majors. He has just three top-25 finishes in 19 majors, and his T16 at last year’s Masters remains his best-ever major finish. Then again, he’s made three straight Masters cuts. This is a place where guys improve over time.

The hope is that this is a different Niemann. This is the guy who went to his friends last fall and said, “I need to get into the majors.” The one who spent more time in the gym, who practiced with more focus, who understood he needed pressure on himself, and once he had it he rose to a new level.

This version of Niemann understands that OWGR No. 1 is no longer the goal it used to be.

“There’s no world rankings,” Niemann said, thinking about how to put it. “If you want to be the best, you have to win more majors than anybody else.”

This week, he’ll approach the first tee at Augusta, and his heart rate will get a little higher. His hands will get a little shakier. He’ll be nervous. And we’ll find out if Niemann is ready.

(Top photo illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic ; photo: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images)

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Brody Miller covers golf and the LSU Tigers for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A South Jersey native, Miller graduated from Indiana University before going on to stops at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Indianapolis Star, the Clarion Ledger and NOLA.com. Follow Brody on Twitter @ BrodyAMiller

Masters 2024 preview: Full schedule and how to watch golf major action live

The 88th Masters Tournament gets underway at Georgia’s Augusta National on Thursday (11 April) with Jon Rahm defending his Green Jacket.

Much of the build-up to the first men’s golf major of 2024 has revolved around the Spaniard who signed a multi-million dollar deal in December to leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series .

Last June, the rival tours had announced plans for a merger. But negotiations remain ongoing with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monaghan admitting last month that a deal would take time.

Rahm has joined fellow major winners Brooks Koepka , Phil Mickelson , Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith in the three-day team format although LIV results are still not recognised in the Official Golf World Rankings.

And the former world number one, who played a key role in Europe’s triumph at last October’s Ryder Cup in Rome, risks losing his DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) card which would make him ineligible for the next edition in September 2025.

One of the traditions of Masters week is that the defending champion chooses a menu for the Champions Dinner on the Tuesday. With the help of world-famous chef and humanitarian Jose Andres , Rahm is serving up a veritable Basque feast including his own grandmother’s ‘Classic Lentil Stew’.

Augusta will be the first time Rahm has teed it up alongside his former PGA Tour colleagues this year. Since his departure, Scottie Scheffler has consolidated his position at the top of the world rankings with seven top-10 finishes including back-to-back wins in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the PLAYERS Championship.

Scheffler, who won the Masters in 2022, became the first golfer to retain the PLAYERS Championship title after a final round 64 saw him overturn a five-stroke deficit to reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele .

Amen Corner, the infamous stretch of Augusta’s back nine from the 11th to the 13th, has been key to the destination of the Masters title in the past.

The 13th, known as 'Azalea', was lengthened ahead of last year's tournament and became the toughest of the four par-5s on the course. Expect Amen Corner to witness more drama this year in the battle for the Green Jacket.

Jon Rahm wins Masters 2023 - results

• How to qualify for golf at Paris 2024

Who is playing at the 2024 Masters golf tournament?

Unlike the other three men’s majors, the Masters is an invitation event which means no qualifying tournaments or alternates.

Automatic invites go to the top 50 in the world plus previous Masters champions and winners and high-finishers in recent professional and amateur competitions as well as last year’s majors.

Schauffele and Rio 2016 gold medallist Justin Rose are both in the field thanks to being ranked in the world’s top 50.

Germany’s two-time winner Bernhard Langer , who had previously announced that this would be his last Masters, misses out having torn an Achilles tendon while playing pickleball in February.

Five years after his last of five triumphs at Augusta, Tiger Woods could make his 26th Masters appearance despite having played just once this year - a short-lived outing at February’s Genesis Invitational where the 48-year-old pulled out during round two with influenza.

PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA - MARCH 24: Xander Schauffele of the United States reacts on the 17th green during the final round of the Valspar Championship at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 24, 2024 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

2024 Masters Tournament - Schedule

Wednesday 10 April : Par 3 contest starts at 12pm (Eastern Daylight Time/EDT).

Thursday 11 April : First round, start time to be announced, preceded by honorary starters hitting opening drives

Friday 12 April : Second round, followed by the cut after 36 holes, with only the top 50 players and ties making the weekend.

Saturday 13 April : Third round. First tee-time will be around 10am in Georgia.

Sunday 14 April : Fourth round, followed by Green Jacket ceremony and trophy presentation after the final player has completed the 18th hole.

2024 Masters Tournament - Players to watch

Scottie scheffler.

Scheffler remains in incredible form this year. Having retained his PLAYERS Championship title, he almost made it three wins in as many tournaments at the Texas Houston Open before losing out by one shot to Germany’s Stephan Jaeger .

The 27-year-old holds a comfortable lead at the top of the world rankings from Rory McIlroy , but his 2022 Masters win remains his only major triumph.

When it comes to ball-striking, Scheffler is simply peerless in this era. Only Tiger Woods has gained more strokes from tee to green over a two-year span , and had a better PGA Tour season average than Scheffler’s 68.63 in 2023.

As McIlroy told Golf.com in February, “He’s hit the ball as good, if not better, than Tiger hit it in 2000, which is the benchmark for all of us.”

For the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler - whose putting had long been the weakest part of his game - switched to a mallet putter. And the man who was ranked just 144th out of 186 in putting strokes gained on last year’s PGA Tour was suddenly transformed.

He did not miss a single putt from inside 15 feet on the weekend as he surged to victory, and then followed up in the PLAYERS Championship despite a neck injury which stopped him swinging the club at full speed.

Based on his recent showings, and form over the past couple of years, he will take some stopping in Augusta.

Ludvig Åberg

With Rahm’s form something of an unknown, McIlroy failing to make the top-10 since his win in January’s Dubai Desert Classic, and Viktor Hovland out of form, Europe’s best hope at the Masters could be tournament debutant Ludvig Åberg .

After turning professional last June, the 24-year-old Swede - who was named best college player in the United States two years in a row - won two tournaments in the second half of 2023. His first, at the RSM Classic, saw him tie the lowest total in PGA Tour history (253) and set a new record for three consecutive rounds (64-61-61).

This year, he was second in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and eighth in the PLAYERS Championship. His accuracy and length off the tee plus a solid all-round game look tailor-made for the Augusta National.

In August 2023, he told DP World Tour , ”In the next three years, I would like to be a winner on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. I would love to be a top-10 player in the world and I would love to play the Ryder Cup.”

Åberg's eighth place at the PLAYERS Championship saw him rise to number nine in the world rankings, and ensured he ticked off all of those goals just over nine months after turning pro .

Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 was the last of three men to win the Masters on debut with Keegan Bradley , at the 2011 PGA Championship, the last of six players to triumph in their first major appearance. And Åberg, a serial winner at amateur and professional level, has as good a shot as anyone of joining them.

Hideki Matsuyama

Japan’s only male major champion is back to try and regain the Green Jacket he won in 2021 .

After his fifth place at last year’s PLAYERS Championship, Hideki Matsuyama went 21 tournaments without a top-10 finish and dropped outside the top 50.

But playing pain-free after a neck injury which had hampered him for two years, he ended that run in style with victory at February’s Genesis Invitational . Trailing by six strokes after 54 holes, Matsuyama carded a 62 - the second-lowest round in course history - to clinch his first title for over two years by three shots.

Having finished tied for 16th last year, even with a bad neck, the 32-year-old from Shikoku Island could well be in the mix again on Masters Sunday.

2024 Masters Tournament - Tee times

The full schedule of groups and their starting tee times will be confirmed by Masters organisers on the eve of the first round.

Further information of the pairings can be found on the official Masters website .

2024 Masters Tournament - How to watch live action

Event coverage is available in over 200 countries with digital livestreams and TV broadcasts in most regions.

In the United States , ESPN will broadcast the first two rounds with CBS screening highlights. For rounds three and four, CBS takes over the live coverage. Masters.com will live stream featured groups and Amen Corner , plus action from other holes, with some of those streams available to viewers outside of the host nation.

In the UK, Sky Sports are the exclusive rightsholders. Check local listings for details elsewhere.

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Scottie Scheffler wins The Masters 2022 ahead of Rory McIlroy

Five things you may not know about Matsuyama Hideki: The first Japanese man to win a golf major

Men's Individual Stroke Play - Round 4 - Golf | Tokyo 2020 Replays

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2024 Masters odds, picks, field, predictions: Golf insider fades Rory McIlroy at Augusta National

Sia nejad reveals his masters 2024 picks, props and sleepers with an elite field set to tee off at augusta national golf club on thursday, april 11.

Is Xander Schauffele the golfer to back when you enter your 2024 Masters picks? The Southern California native has had success at Augusta National Golf Course before, finishing second in 2019 and third in 2021. He is also off to a strong start to his season ahead of the Masters 2024, which starts Thursday from Augusta National Golf Course, and has finished in the top 10 in six of his eight starts. Schauffele has yet to win a major event in his career, however, so he is currently an 18-1 longshot in the 2024 Masters odds.

Defending Masters champion Jon Rahm is 12-1 among the 2024 Masters golfers, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the 13-4 favorite. Rory McIlroy, who needs a green jacket to complete his career grand slam, is 10-1. Before locking in any 2024 Masters picks, make sure you see the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from golf betting and fantasy expert Sia Nejad .

Nejad specializes in betting and DFS in golf, among other sports. He's had incredible success in the outright and first-round leader markets as well as betting head-to-head matchups. He's been profitable with his head-to-head matchups since last year's Charles Schwab Challenge, going 35-21-2 and returning 10.00 units. That's a $1,000 profit for $100 bettors since May 2023.

Nejad also nailed 75-1 longshot Wyndham Clark as the outright winner at the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2023, SportsLine debuted "The Early Wedge," and in the first three months of the show, he hit two first-round leaders and three outright winners.

Now, Nejad has focused his attention on the 2024 Masters field and has locked in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. See who they are at SportsLine .

Top 2024 Masters expert picks

One surprise: Nejad is completely fading Rory McIlroy, even though he's a four-time major champion and one of the top favorites in the 2024 Masters odds. The Irishman looked primed for a strong 2024 campaign when he finished second at the Dubai Invitational and won the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. That success hasn't translated over to his PGA Tour season, where he has yet to finish in the top 10.

Not all of McIlroy's game has turned sour, as he is second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: off the tee (0.938). That being said, he is 119th in strokes gained: approach to green (-0.176) and 94th in strokes gained when putting (0.036). Since putting is so important when competing at Augusta, it's no huge surprise Nejad doesn't have a lot of confidence in McIlroy ahead of the Masters 2024.

Instead, Nejad is high on the chances of Hideki Matsuyama, even though he's a +2000 longshot. Matsuyama has had past success at Augusta, finishing in the top 20 in his last two starts there and winning his first green jacket in 2021. His performance in 2023 was hampered by injuries, but he is off to a much better start this season with a win at the Genesis Invitational, a T12 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T6 at the Players Championship.

"His Masters history is excellent and he's done it by showcasing elite ball striking," Nejad told SportsLine. "He's also starting to trend very well in the short game department and appears to have shaken off whatever nagging injuries ailed him over the last year."  See who else to back at SportsLine .

How to make 2024 Masters picks

Nejad has locked in his early best bets for the 2024 Masters and is backing several longshots, including one priced at more than 150-1. This player "has been playing well in 2024 and has a decent track record at the Masters."  You can see Nejad's PGA Tour picks only at SportsLine .

So, which players should you target or avoid for the 2024 Masters, and which player in the Masters 2024 field could bring a huge payday at more than 150-1? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Sia Nejad's top picks for the 2024 Masters, all from the expert who is 35-21 on golf head-to-head picks .

2024 Masters odds, field

See Nejad's picks, best bets and predictions here

Scottie Scheffler +325 Rory McIlroy +1000 Brooks Koepka +1100 Jon Rahm +1200 Wyndham Clark +1500 Xander Schauffele +1800 Will Zalatoris +2000 Hideki Matsuyama +2000 Jordan Spieth +2000 Viktor Hovland +2200 Ludvig Aberg +2500 Joaquin Niemann +2500 Cameron Smith +2800 Justin Thomas +2800 Patrick Cantlay +2800 Collin Morikawa +3000 Dustin Johnson +3300 Tony Finau +3500 Bryson DeChambeau +3500 Brian Harman +3500 Shane Lowry +4000 Max Homa +4000 Cameron Young +4000 Jason Day +4000 Matt Fitzpatrick +4000 Min Woo Lee +5000 Sam Burns +5000 Sahith Theegala +5000 Tommy Fleetwood +5500 Sergio Garcio +6000 Tyrrell Hatton +6000 Byeong-hun An +6500 Chris Kirk +7000 Tom Kim +7000 Russell Henley +7000 Patrick Reed +7000 Rickie Fowler +7500 Akshay Bhatia +7500 Corey Conners +7500 Sungjae Im +7500 Si Woo Kim +8000 Denny McCarthy +9000 Adam Scott +9000 Justin Rose +9000 Phil Mickelson +10000 Tiger Woods +10000 Stephen Jaeger +12500 Sepp Straka +12500 Nick Taylor +12500 Erik Van Rooyen +15000 Eric Cole +15000 Adrian Meronk +15000 Jake Knapp +15000 Keegan Bradley +15000 Matthieu Pavon +15000 Nicolai Hojgaard +15000 J.T. Poston +15000 Emiliano Grillo +15000 Harris English +15000 Thorbjörn Olesen +17500 Lucas Glover +17500 Luke List +17500 Adam Hadwin +17500 Taylor Moore +20000 Ryan Fox +20000 Kurt Kitayama +20000 Bubba Watson +20000 Nick Dunlap +20000 Peter Malnati +20000 Cam Davis +20000 Austin Eckroat +22500 Ryo Hisatsune +25000 Lee Hodges +27500 Adan Schenk +30000 Danny Willett +35000 Charl Schwartzel +35000 Gary Woodland +50000 Grayson Murray +50000 Camilo Villegas +50000 Zach Johnson +75000 Christo Lamprecht +75000 Fred Couples +100000 Mike Weir +100000 Neal Shipley +150000 Vijay Singh +150000 Stewart Hagestad +150000 Jasper Stubbs +200000 Jose Maria Olazabal +200000 Santiago de la Fuente +250000

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DP World Tour Schedule

The Associated Press

April 8, 2024, 3:01 PM

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Nov. 23-26 _ Joburg Open (Dean Burmester)

Nov. 23-26 _ Fortinet Australian PGA Championship (Min Woo Lee)

Nov. 30-Dec. 3 _ ISPS Handa Australian Open (Joaquin Niemann)

Nov. 30-Dec. 3 _ Investec South African Open Championship (Dean Burmester)

Dec. 7-10 _ Alfred Dunhill Championship (Louis Oosthuizen)

Dec. 14-17 _ AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (Louis Oosthuizen)

Jan. 11-14 _ Dubai Invitational (Tommy Fleetwood)

Jan. 18-21 _ Hero Dubai Desert Classic (Rory McIlroy)

Jan. 25-28 _ Ras Al Khaimah Championship (Thorbjorn Olesen)

Feb. 1-4 _ Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies (Dylan Frittelli)

Feb. 8-11 _ Commercial Bank Qatar Masters (Rikuya Hoshino)

Feb. 22-25 _ Magical Kenya Open (Darius Van Driel)

Feb. 29-March 3 _ SDC Championship (Jordan Gumberg)

March 7-10 _ Jonsson Workwear Open (Matteo Manassero)

March 21-24 _ Porsche Singapore Classic (Jesper Svensson)

March 28-31 _ Hero Indian Open (Keita Nakajima)

April 11-14 _ Masters Tournament, Augusta, Ga.

April 18-21 _ Korea Championship, Incheon, South Korea

April 25-28 _ ISPS HANDA – Championship, Omitama, Japan

May 2-5 _ Volvo China Open, Shenzhen, China

May 16-19 _ PGA Championship, Louisville, Ky.

May 23-26 _ Soudal Open, Antwerp, Belgium

May 30-June 2 _ European Open, Hamburg, Germany

June 6-9 _ Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, Helsingborg, Sweden

June 13-16 _ U.S. Open, Pinehurst, N.C.

June 20-23 _ KLM Open, Amsterdam

June 27-30 _ Italian Open, Ravenna, Italy

July 4-7 _ BMW International Open, Munich

July 11-14 _ Kentucky Championship, Nicholasville, Ky.

July 11-14 _ Genesis Scottish Open, Gullane, United Kingdom

July 18-21 _ The Open Championship, Troon, United Kingdom

July 18-21 _ Barracuda Championship, Truckee, Calif.

Aug. 15-18 _ D+D Real Czech Masters, Prague

Aug. 22-25 _ Danish Golf Championship, Aarhus

Aug. 29-Sept. 1 _ Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom

Sept. 5-8 _ Omega European Masters, Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Sept. 12-15 _ Horizon Irish Open, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Sept. 19-22 _ BMW PGA Championship, Virginia Water, United Kingdom

Sept. 26-29 _ acciona Open de Espana by Madrid, Madrid

Oct. 3-6 _ Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Oct. 10-13 _ Open de France, Guyancourt, France

Oct. 17-20 _ Andalucia Masters, Sotogrande, Spain

Nov. 7-10 _ Abu Dhabi Championship, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Nov. 14-17 _ DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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