Dubai, UAE … It’s clear Rory McIlroy stirred the controversy pot last October with his ‘too easy’ course set-up comments post the staging of the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
McIlroy finished T26th in the pro/amateur event but was far from happy and also having a ‘dig’ at the set-up of the Scottish Open earlier in the year at The Renaissance Club after he posted a 14-under par tally but ended-up sharing 34th place.
And now a year after American Bryson DeChambeau set a new record four-round low of 24-under par the Tour has seemingly reacted.
Aussie-born Dion Stevens has the Tour agreement to produce yardages books for the players and caddies and this week marks his 13th Desert Classic while he’s provided ‘Dion Stevens International (DSI) yardage books for the past three Women’s Dubai Desert Classic’s.
If anyone knows whether this week’s host Emirates Club has been toughened Dion knows.
He said: “The course is now a brute compared to when I first produced a Desert Classic yardage book.
“We saw 24-under win last year and then 23-under in 2018 but in speaking with many of the caddies this week it will be more like 11 or 12-under will be the winning margin.
The 16th hole and how the pros and their caddies will be looking at a tighter fairway than in past years during this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic. (Photo @tourmiss)
“Yes, you can call it the ‘Rory McIlroy Factor’ but it seems the Tour is all for making this year’s course tougher.
In fact, Stevens confirmed the rough is up appreciably on every hole, the fairways have been ‘pinched-in’ on one, five, six, 12, 13, 14, 16 and the 17th fairways.
There’s a new green at six while the ninth hole that winds its way to the clubhouse is 30-yards longer and no more can players easily choose to drive the 17th green as they’ve grown deep rough on both sides and the back of the green.
And it seems after prior talk the Emirates GC will dig-up every green following this year’s 31st staging of the Omega Desert Classic.
