The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual golf tournament organised by the European Tour. It is staged early each year and held on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Like the vast majority of golf tournaments, the Dubai Desert Classic takes place over four days and boasts a staggering prize fund of $8,000,000. Read on for more on Dubai Desert Classic betting.
Tournament Structure for Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Golf Classic, once known as the Karl Litten Desert Classic, takes place over four days, eliminating approximately half of the field after the second day’s play. This is known as the ‘cut', with the top performers making it through while those eliminated are said to have missed it.
On each day’s play, players’ respective par scores are carried over to build a tournament total-par score. The lowest – and therefore, best of these – will belong to the tournament winner. In the event of a tournament tie, a three-hole playoff will be undertaken to determine a winner.
The event, which from 2022 will be part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, has a prize fund of $8 million. The tournament is held on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This is one of five European Tour events to be held in the Arab Gulf in what is known as the Middle East Swing.
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#1
 Ladbrokes
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#2
 Unibet
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 bet365
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#4
Paddy Power
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 Coral
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Best Dubai Desert Classic Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
#1 Ladbrokes
#2 Unibet
#3 bet365
#4 Paddy Power
#5 Coral
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Odds, Promotions, Tips & Predictions
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Odds 2022
| Player | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | 15/2 | bet365 |
| Viktor Hovland | 9/1 | Paddy Power |
| Collin Morikawa | 10/1 | Betfair |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 16/1 | Coral |
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Tips & Predictions 2022
- Thomas Pieters stunned the field at the Abu Dhabi Championship last weekend when he finished on -10 to claim a one-shot victory. The Belgian – who is perhaps best known for his exploits at the Ryder Cup – sealed his sixth European Tour title, however, this was the biggest triumph of his career to date, and he will now move back into the world’s top 50. Although there will be more attention on him than previously, he’s valued at a decent looking 25/1 with most leading bookmakers.
- Rory McIlroy may be the shortest-priced player here in the outright market, garnering a price of 15/2, however, the Ulsterman, a two-time champion of this event, needs to get off to a quick start if he wants to be in contention. The 32-year-old nearly missed the cut on Friday, but he scrambled back to shoot three-under-par for his final round, and he ended up in a tie for 12th. McIlroy is always box-office viewing, however he struggles to string together four impeccable rounds of golf, and he could well come up short in the end.
- Tyrrell Hatton could well end up being the highest-placed British player, but this weekend could be where Viktor Hovland makes a statement. The Norwegian has been on an upward trajectory over the past 12 months, and he is superb with the irons. It looks at times like he has ice running through the veins, and he could scoop the coveted prize. Hovland has only won once before on the European Tour, and he’s at 9/1 to be in the winners’ circle come Sunday. He will be the one to watch over the course of the week.
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Promotions 2022
- Claim up to £50 in free bets, plus an odds boost token, 20 free spins and a £10 casino bonus when you sign up to Sportingbet today!
- You can also enhance your Dubai Desert Classic betting with a £30 sport and casino welcome offer, available over at NetBet.
5 Reasons to Bet on the Dubai Desert Classic
- This event is now part of the Rolex Series.
- It provides a good form guide for the new season.
- The tournament gives us an idea of what the season will bring.
- There is an $8 million prize fund on the line.
- The European Tour’s finest players will be there.
Dubai Desert Classic Betting Sites With Live Streaming
- Unibet
- bet365
- Betfair
- Paddy Power
- Coral
Popular Dubai Desert Classic Betting Markets
As a sport, golf makes for quite a decent array of betting options – plenty for the hungry punter to get their teeth into. Below is just a small taster.
Tournament Outright Winner Betting
Outright betting in golf works in exactly the same way as it does in other sports, in that you are wagering on a player to be the outright tournament winner. Golf tournaments typically have a lot of entrants, so there should always be a large field to select from.
Best Dubai Desert Classic betting site for Tournament Outright Winner: 888sport
Each-Way Betting
Again, each-way betting in golf is the same as any other sports market. Just like as when selecting your outright winner, make your pick from a list of participants and add their name to your betting slip. Enter your stake and tick the each-way button, at which point your stake will double, as an each-way bet consists of two parts.
One half of your stake goes towards an outright victory, while the other goes towards a place – which, in golf, typically means a top-four finish at 1/5 of the odds. Remember, though, many bookmakers run specials on each-way places, either increasing the paid number of finishers or paying at ¼ of the odds.
Best Dubai Desert Classic betting site for each-way betting: QuinnBet
Two- and Three-Ball Betting
The two-ball and/or three-ball market varies in size depending on the size of the player groupings in a round of a tournament. Here, instead of betting on a player to win the competition, you are backing a player to win his two-man or three-man group, which lasts for one round of golf. This is popular because the chances of picking winners are increased, while the odds of an outsider doing well in the group are also appealing due to the few players contesting with them.
Best Dubai Desert Classic betting site for two- and three-ball betting: Novibet
1st Round Leader Betting
First round leader bets allow you to back a player to be top of the leaderboard after day one has finished. It isn’t important if that player goes on to win the tournament or even misses the cut two days later (unlikely, we know) – so long as they are in the leader’s position after the first round, you’ll be quids in. Of course, it’s better to put your money behind a player known to come out of the blocks strong and who is not a slow burner.
Best Dubai Desert Classic betting site for 1st Round Leader: bwin
History of the Dubai Desert Classic
The European Tour, who would normally open their season in Spain or Italy in April after the Masters had finished at Augusta in Georgia (US), had been looking to expand beyond its borders for some time due to the European winter climate. Running from 1982 through 1986, the Tunisian Open was the first trialled tourney outside Europe which was followed in 1987 by a Moroccan tournament which lasted one year. Despite enjoying little success in North Africa, the tour wouldn’t give up and soon turned to the Arab Gulf.
When this tournament was first staged in 1989, Dubai looked very different to the skyscraping neon desert metropolis that it is today. Back then it was just a relatively small fishing port, just beginning to introduce itself as a tourist destination with miles and miles of nothing but sand all the way to Abu Dhabi. The Emirates Golf Club, host venue for the inaugural Dubai Desert Classic and first grass turfed golf course in the Middle East, was almost about 15 miles from Dubai’s outer limits with nothing between the course and the city.
In 1989, the tee for the 8th hole was played towards an empty horizon, save for sand-covered views of the Persian Gulf. In contrast, today the fairways are played towards Dubai’s famous skyline dominated by high rise buildings and hotels. At this point, the only amenities included one hospitality tent, two small grandstands and a scoreboard.
That first year was won by Mark James from England when he beat Australian Peter O’Malley in a playoff. Thanks to Dubai Sheikh money, James has since been followed by the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, and a host of other names. Four players have won the trophy more than once, Ernie Els who has won it three times, and Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Stephen Gallacher, who have all won it twice. The youngest-ever winner of the Dubai Classic was Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who was only 19 years old when he won in 2009.
With the exception of the 1999 and 2000 events when it was hosted by the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, it has always been played at the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club; however, the 1991 edition was cancelled due the Persian Gulf war. Unlike many sporting events in 2020 which were cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, the Dubai Desert Classic was staged as normal.
Recent Dubai Desert Classic Winners
| Year | Winner | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Paul Casey | England |
| 2020 | Lucas Herbert | Australia |
| 2019 | Bryson DeChambeau | United States |
| 2018 | Li Haotong | China |
| 2017 | Sergio García | Spain |
| 2016 | Danny Willett | England |
| 2015 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland |
| 2014 | Stephen Gallacher | Scotland |
| 2013 | Stephen Gallacher | Scotland |
| 2012 | Rafael Cabrera-Bello | Spain |
| 2011 | Álvaro Quirós | Spain |
Dubai Desert Classic Key Stats
- Having won the event three times, South African Ernie Els has won the Dubai Desert Classic more than anyone else.
- Ernie also shot a tournament record 61 in 1994 finishing 20 under par.
- The best ever score here was set by Bryson DeChambeau in 2019, who scored a record 264.
- American Mark O’Meara became the tournament’s oldest winner in 2000, when he won the title aged 47.
- While Rory McIlroy is the ever youngest-ever winner, scooping the title aged 19 in 2009.
- In 2001, the tournament record was set by Thomas Bjorn, who parred -22.
- Martin Kaymer has played in each staging of the tournament.
- The tournament has had 19 different winners from 12 different countries.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Similar Tournaments to the Dubai Desert Classic
- 13th – 16th January 2022, Sony Open: Early season event on the PGA Tour which takes place in Hawaii each January.
- 17th – 20th February 2022, Genesis Open: A PGA Tour event that is held in California each February.
- 24th – 27th February 2011, Honda Classic: Taking place each February in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida this is another early season PGA Tour event.
Dubai Desert Classic Betting FAQs
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Sky Sports will broadcast the event live in the UK.
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The Dubai Desert Classic is a four-day golf tournament featuring some of the world’s top golfers and organised by the European Tour.
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Of course not but, despite ridicule in some corners, former European Tour chief executive Ken Schofield saw the potential in the developing emirate and took the tour to the Middle East for a £250,000 prize pool.
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Because of the European climate. Back in the late eighties, the European Tour’s chief executive Ken Schofield was looking to take the tour to warmer climes. Around the same time, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, saw golf as a way to attract visitors to his burgeoning emirate, and so the pair agreed to set up a Middle East golf tournament. Today, there are six events held in the region, which make up 12% of the entire European Tour schedule.
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The tour’s Arab Gulf success has inspired the organisers to stage tournaments spread out as far as South Africa, China, Malaysia and India.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Over more than 30 years, the Dubai Desert Classic has established itself as a staple of the European Tour, inspiring five extra Middle-Eastern events and even more in Africa and Asia. With a prize fund of over £8 million, along with the warmer climate, the competition attracts some of the biggest names in golf, all looking to add their names to illustrious list of winners. The latter include names like Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Of course, with such an array of golfing talent comes great betting opportunities, meaning the wily punter can do very well betting on this golfing Gulf feast.
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