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Stephen Gallacher is relishing the prospect of defending his Dubai Desert Classic title in the company of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy when the tournament gets underway tomorrow.

The Scot will play alongside world No.1 Woods and McIlroy, a former holder of that ranking, for at least the first two rounds at the Emirates Golf Club as he tries to become the first player in the 25-year history of the tournament to successfully retain the title.

And whilst lesser players might wilt at the prospect of having two of golf’s biggest names for company, Gallacher insists he’s thrilled with the draw.

“You want to be playing the top guys,” said the Scot, who has already played alongside Woods this week in Tuesday’s ‘Champions Challenge’. “They’re up there for a reason, so if there’s anything that you can pick up on or just watch how they play their game, and see if their game is close to yours, that can give you a bit of a boost.

“I’m really looking forward to it, and hopefully it brings the best out of me.”

Gallacher won his second European Tour title in Dubai last year, thanks in no small part to posting scores of 63 and 62 in the first and third rounds respectively.

“I’m sure I’ll be drawing on good memories from last year” – Stephen Gallacher

No surprise, then, he will be trying to summon some good memories as he tries to make it back-to-back wins.

“I’ve got a good record in the tournament, mainly because the course suits my eye,” added Gallacher. “I come over a fair bit on holiday, so I know the place well and I always feel comfortable. I’m sure I’ll be drawing on the good thoughts and the good memories from last year.

“I had a 63 on the first day and a 62 in the third round, so any time you do that you’re going to have a pretty good chance of winning. Something just clicked that week, and everything seemed to go my way.”

Of course, if Gallacher is to retain his title – and give his Ryder Cup aspirations a significant boost in the process – he will have to stave off the attentions of an all-star cast, led by Woods and McIlroy.

For Woods, the tournament offers him an immediate opportunity to kick-start his season following his dismal defence of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines last week.

Ominously, the 38-year-old insists that he has been hitting the ball better since jetting to the UAE from California.

“I hit it a lot better today, which was nice,” said Woods after his Wednesday pro-am round. “I feel like I even putted a lot better, too. I made a few changes on the range last night, and felt pretty good about what I was doing out there today.

“The aim is just to improve every day. Tuesday was better than Monday, and Wednesday was better than Tuesday. So, hopefully, tomorrow will be even better than today.”

Gallacher: Can he defend his title?

Will Stephen Gallacher become the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic title this week? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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