The first Rolex Series event on the 2024 DP World Tour calendar is well underway, and a star-studded field featuring top players from all around the world are lining up to try and claim the best part of a $9m prize money payout.
Event headliner, Rory McIlroy is looking for his fourth title at the event but has plenty of work to do if he is to make it happen as he currently sits 10 shots behind leader Cameron Young - who is three strokes in front of his nearest challenger Andy Sullivan - on 13-under.
Joaquin Niemann will partner McIlroy on Saturday after the Chilean failed to capitalize on a three-under total on Thursday. Niemann - who admitted his sole purpose for entering was to try and gain a start at The Masters - posted four birdies and four bogeys on his way to a level-par Friday.
However, World No. 25 - Young - was level par after his first 12 holes of the event but has since managed 14 birdies and an eagle to head into the weekend with a nice cushion. He has two runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour - at the 2022 Open Championship and 2023 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play - to go with four more on the PGA Tour but has yet to add to his two Korn Ferry Tour victories from 2021.
How it stands at the halfway stage 📊 #DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/a41N5RgFUYJanuary 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Poland's Adrian Meronk is alongside England's Sullivan on 10-under after a Friday round of 66, while Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard and Scotland's Richie Ramsay are at seven-under. The Hojgaard brothers will tee off in the third-last group on Saturday.
And although currently a long way from contending on two-under, Team Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald made the sixth hole-in-one of the DP World Tour season and second of his European Tour career when he holed an eight iron from 183 yards on the fourth.
Below is the complete list of tee times and groupings for round three of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Hero Dubai Desert Classic Tee Times - Round Three
ALL FIRST TEE
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All times ET
Saturday 20 January: 2.30am-7.30am (Golf Channel/Peacock)
Sunday 21 January: 2.30am-7.30am (Golf Channel/Peacock)
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All times GMT
Saturday 20 January: 4.00am-1.00pm (Sky Sports Golf), 4.00am-12.00pm (Sky Sports Main Event)
Sunday 21 January: 4.00am-1.00pm (Sky Sports Golf), 4.30am-11.00am (Sky Sports Main Event)
