McIlroy's goals include an Olympic medal and more Majors; Sharma and Sandhu set for Hero Dubai Desert Classic

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Dubai, Jan 21: As Rory McIlroy returns to Emirates Golf Club searching for more glory and legacy at the 37th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, India will be represented by two young stars, Shubhankar Sharma, who has nevertheless played here eight times before, and Yuvraj Sandhu, who makes his Desert Classic debut this week.

It is exactly 20 years since McIlroy, then a teenager, first appeared in Dubai as a 16-year-old amateur in 2006. That year, while Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els in a playoff, McIlroy missed the cut.

He turned pro a year later, but finished T-52 in 2007 and missed the cut in 2008. But ever since then the tournament almost seems like his property. Since 2009 he has never finished outside of Top-10 and won the Dallah Trophy four times, in 2009, 2015, 2023 and 2024. Yet, Dubai remains one of McIlroy's most important stages. McIlroy

In 2009, McIlroy, then 19 years and 273 days, became the youngest champion in the HDDC tournament history to announce his arrival a future legend. In time he has become just that.

Five Majors, including a career Grand Slam and countless titles later, McIlroy is now one of the most influential voices in world golf and continues to be driven by legacy and long-term targets.

McIlroy while replying to what else he would like to achieve, said, "Yeah, (an) Olympic medal. Open at St Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those old, traditional golf courses whether it's Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, Merion.

"Yeah, I would say those. Again, like I keep saying, I would have told you two years ago, if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could are retired or whatever.

But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving, and you just keep finding new things that you want to do. So yeah, I'm sure if I were to achieve those things - I hope that I do - I'd probably give you more stuff in four years' time. I think when you're a competitive person, that's just the way you're wired and sort of the way we operate."

While the global spotlight naturally follows McIlroy, the 2026 edition also carries meaningful Indian interest with both Sharma and Singh Sandhu in the field on special tournament invitations.

Sandhu makes his Hero Dubai Desert Classic debut and will start from the tenth tee at 8:45 a.m. alongside Scotland's David Law and the UAE's Ahmad Skaik. Sharma, more experienced in Middle East conditions and a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, begins at 12:45 p.m. from the first tee with South Africa's Ockie Strydom and Spain's Ángel Hidalgo.

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic once again boasts a star-studded field befitting its status as a Rolex Series event, drawing Major champions, Ryder Cup veterans and rising young stars from all over the world.

Giving McIlroy company at the iconic Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club, will be fellow Major winners such as Shane Lowry, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed.

Ryder Cup stars include Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland alongside DP World Tour winners Adrian Meronk, Rasmus Højgaard and Ryan Fox and that makes the tournament a perfect early-season gathering for some of the world's best golfers.