Out of the Rough: Dubai Invitational (2026)

The DP World Tour resumes play after a three week hiatus with this week's Dubai Invitational. 

The DP World Tour completed the “Opening Swing” in late December, capping a five event swing that was split between Australia, South Africa and Mauritius.

It now takes to the “International Swing” starting with this week’s Dubai Invitational and a four week stay in the middle east.

The Dubai Invitational is a biannual event, meaning it was last staged in 2024 and was not staged a season ago. This makes this year’s installment the second edition.

The Dubai Creek Resort in Dubai, UAE, known for its infamous sail-shaped clubhouse, will play host this week, just as it did in 2024. 

What’s unique about the Dubai Invitational is that the field consists of 60 professional golfers of the DP World Tour and 60 amateur golfers.

Starting on Thursday, the professionals will play a traditional 72-hole stroke play tournament as a three-day pro-am team event runs at the same time. Sunday will see only the professionals playing.

The Field

There is no shortage of starpower this week in the desert as some of the world’s best will be teeing it up.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy leads the charge. McIlroy was one of two runner-ups two years ago to eventual winner Tommy Fleetwood.

Fleetwood, a Dubai resident, will also be playing this week to defend his title from two years ago.

Other notable non-DP World Tour regulars playing this week include Patrick Reed, Nicolai Hogjaard, Shane Lowry, David Puig, Tom McKibbin, Ryan Fox, Padraig Harrington and Thorbjorn Olesen.

Of course, a strong DP World Tour regular field too is set to take to Dubai Creek with the likes of Jayden Schapper, Thriston Lawrence, Martin Couvra, Eugenio Chacarra, Niklas Norgaard, Ewen Ferguson, Marcel Siem, Angel Ayora, Jacob Skol Olesen, among others.

Being held just once prior, Fleetwood is the lone former champion to be playing. 

The Course

The Championship Course at the Dubai Creek Resort in Dubai, UAE plays as par 71 at 7,009 yards.

This venue opened in 1993 and staged two editions of the Dubai Desert Classic (1999 and 2000.) It also staged two editions of the Dubai Creek Open on the Asian Tour in 1996 and 1997.

The fairways featured at the Dubai Creek Resort are undulating and water is constantly a factor. There are a multitude of manmade lakes along with the creek, which is featured in the venue’s name. The creek comes into play itself on four holes.

Dubai Creek Resort is carved out of the desert and the fairways are lined with palm trees.

Golfers will have to not only navigate the multitude of water hazards but a ton of bunkers as well.

The greens featured this week are described as “magnificent” and as this event lines out to be a birdie-fest, any hopeful winner will have to set themselves apart on the greens.

As most desert tracks do, it plays with a links feel. Those who have experience on links style courses will see an advantage this week.

Along with the water and bunkers, the desert wind is one of the courses’ main lines of defense. If the winds are to pick up, the course dries out and scoring becomes much harder.

This helps those who jump out to an early lead to hold their ground as over four days of golf and the course drying out, again, scoring becomes more difficult.

The Weather

There, as most can assume, is nearly a zero-percent chance of precipitation across all four days this week. Temperatures will begin at 74-degrees on Thursday before decreasing to 73-degrees on Friday and 72-degrees on Saturday before returning to 73-degrees on Sunday. Winds will begin the week at 19 miles-per-hour on both Thursday and Friday. Winds will settle to 17 miles-per-hour on Saturday and finish the week at 15 miles-per-hour on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Birdie or Better Percentage

• Bogey Avoidance

• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT)

• Scrambling

• Greens in Regulation Percentage

Betting Card

Shane Lowry (+1700)

Lowry last played the DP World Tour Championship where he placed T11th. Prior to that he played the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where he placed T12th and also placed T3rd at the DP World India Championship. He finished last season third on the DP World tour in SG: APP, seventh in GIR%, 20th in birdie-or-better percentage, 21st in scrambling, 27th in bogey avoidance, 60th in SG: PUTT and 70th in SG: OTT. He did not play this event in 2024. He’s been flirting with a victory on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour all-year long but never got across the finish line. Now’s the time to get it done. 

Daniel Hillier (+4000)

Hillier has very quietly been on what most would classify as a ‘heater.’ He placed T6th in his last outing at the Crown Australian Open. Prior to that he placed T5th at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, T16th at the DP World Tour Championship and T5th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He did play this event in 2024 where he placed T36th. On the early season, he is currently second on Tour in bogey avoidance, third in GIR%, seventh in SG: APP, ninth in scrambling, 15th in SG: PUTT, 17th in birdie-or-better percentage and 41st in SG: OTT. 

Dan Bradbury (+9000)

So far this season, Bradbury is first on Tour in SG: OTT, ninth in bogey avoidance, 11th in SG: APP, 16th in both scrambling and GIR%, 17th in birdie-or-better percentage and 70th in SG: PUTT. He placed T62nd in his latest outing at the Alfred Dunhull Championship. Prior to that he placed T2nd at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and T13th at the DP World India Championship. He also placed T30th in this event in 2024. 

Shaun Norris (+20000)

A massive number for the Tour’s best putter. He is currently first on Tour in SG: PUTT, fourth in both birdie-or-better percentage and bogey avoidance, tenth in scrambling, 16th in SG: APP, 47th in GIR% and 71st in SG: OTT. Over his last two outings, although in South Africa, he placed second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and fifth at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

2024 Betting Card

• Nicolai Hojgaard (+1100) - T25

• Thorbjorn Olesen (+2000) - T8

• Yannik Paul (+2500) - T8

• Ewen Ferguson (+4500) - T11