Hero Dubai Desert Classic chief Simon Corkill: We can’t take Rory McIlroy for granted

For Simon Corkill and his team, the hard work starts again on Monday.

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the first Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour, has grown into one of the more significant events in the golf calendar in recent times.

So much so that planning for an event of this stature is a year-long process, with Tournament Director Corkill determined to maximise the spectacle in front of the stunning backdrop of the Dubai skyline.

Rory McIlroy is a four-time champion here at the Emirates Club and his stardom in itself has helped elevate an event that has now turned into a $9million showpiece. In 2025, a stellar cast list has not only included McIlroy, but Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Patrick Reed and Akshay Bhatia have also made the trip to the desert to start their seasons.

We caught up with tournament chief Corkill just beside the ninth green of the spectacular Majlis course to discuss the Desert Classic’s evolution – and what he thinks is still to come…

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For those of who us have no idea, what goes into putting together a tournament like this?

Well, you can’t just sit back. If you start leaving two or three months to let it go by then you’re chasing your tail towards the end of the year. We look at everything post event and go, ‘how can we make everyone’s touch point a little bit better. Public facilities, the player facilities, media facilities, caddies, everything. The infrastructure here is very impressive so we only start that in November. It’s amazing what happens in such a short space of time. What is so bizarre as well is that we’re in the middle of the desert. I’ve got pictures in my office of when this was all just grass. There were no buildings. It’s amazing. 

We like to think we put on a good show. The field this week has been fantastic. The top players always rise to the top. Even though it’s not the opening event, it feels like the opening week of the DP World Tour. Post-Christmas and New Year everyone comes to Dubai and starts their season. The event is of really high quality. The competition is excellent. 

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It must be great seeing the top players consistently travelling over here. Akshay Bhatia is making his DP World Tour debut this week…

We’ve got a fantastic roll of champions over the years, too. We’re very proud to have Seve as a former champion, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Fred Couples… all the major players have won here. We’ve also tried to have that international appeal with Bhatia coming to play. He’s only 21 and he could be a world No.1 one day. It’s good to get him. Hopefully we can show him how good the DP World Tour is so that he goes back and tells his friends on the PGA Tour to make the trip to Dubai because it’s great. 

And, of course, how important has Rory McIlroy been? 

Rory is box-office. He played as an amateur here. He won an amateur medal here. He won his first professional tournament at the Dubai Desert Classic. He’s now a multiple winner here. It’s great that he plays but we can’t take him for granted. He’s announced he’s going to have a shorter schedule, he’s got TGL. He wants to limit his schedule but it’s so good that Rory plays here.

He plays so well round here so it’s probably an easier conversation for him! He knows he can win. A couple of years ago when we went to Monday he was instrumental in wanting to play 72 holes. He didn’t want it to be a three round event. He’s so confident in his ability that the more holes he plays, he’s going to win. 

Could you talk us through some of the improvements you are making to the event?

From the player side of things, something we’ve improved is our Mental health and Fitness Zone. We’ve really ramped that service up because we feel as an event of our stature on the Rolex series, we should providing that to the players. We work very closely with the DP World Tour on everything – nutrition, ice baths, recovery but the mental health area is also there for people to step away from golf – whether you played well or bad.

We have sleep pods, we have VR, areas where people can talk and write things down. If people want to improve their performance, it serves them, but there’s other players who might be struggling and they have that support. I want to see at events going forward that a Mental Fitness and Recovery Zone is the same as having range balls in place. 

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For fans we’ve really tried to push and amplify the health benefits of golf this year. We’ve started the ‘Step Forward’ challenge. When you come to a major sporting event, most people sit in the seat, watch for 90 minutes and go home. Whereas golf you can get your 10,000 steps in or whatever your goal. We’re really trying to push that. 

It’s a pretty uncertain time for golf right now. What are your plans for the future?

We’ll continue to strive forward. The world of golf is coming to a crossroads and I’m pretty confident that the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is on the right trajectory that whatever happens, we’re in the right position to benefit. This event has stood the test of time. The course has stood the test of time. There’s history and heritage.

Money isn’t everything. It’s titles and we’d like to think that winning the Dubai Desert Classic is something that players want on their CV. We’re not a major, but we’re one of the really iconic events around the world and I feel we can hold that place, whatever happens in the next few years. 

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.