Four-time winner Rory McIlroy hopes the “great memories” of the Dubai Desert Classic will help him win the tournament for the third time this week.
The world number eight won in 2009 to clinch his first professional title and tasted victory again in 2015.
“I also lived in Dubai for four years – I have a lot of close friends from that area,” McIlroy said.
“It’s a very comfortable place for me and it’s nice to be back. I have a lot of great memories here.”
The 32-year-old from Northern Ireland started the year by finishing tied for 12th at the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship last week.
McIlroy squandered a two-shot lead with eight holes to play to miss the title in his last appearance at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2018, but he has an excellent overall record at the Emirates Golf Course and his memories include watching Tiger Woods in his pump.
Teenage kicks
He added: “It was one of the first events I took part in on the European Tour in 2006 when I was 16. After one round I was able to step into the ropes and have media accreditation. and watch Tiger.
“He hit an iron five from the good rough to the 10 and stopped it on the green and, to date, it was one of the best golf shots I’ve ever seen. It comes to me mind and I was right there for that.
“It’s a great golf course. It’s a fun golf course to play, it gives you lots of birdie opportunities. You have the three par fives on the back nine, you have a few accessible par fours.
“The course, as the trees grow, it’s all gotten claustrophobic over the years and they’ve kind of tried to clean that up again.
“It certainly doesn’t feel as constraining as before and it certainly doesn’t feel as constraining as even last week [in Abu Dhabi] where you had a hard time on either side of the fairways and water. There are opportunities where you can just step in and try, which is good.”
