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Home / Features / Interesting facts about Dubai Desert Classic

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Interesting facts about Dubai Desert Classic

The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is a PGA European Tour sanctioned event sponsored by Omega. The $2.5 million tournament, promoted and organized by golf in DUBAi, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014 which saw all former champions -- with the great Seve Ballesteros represented by his son, Javier – descend on the Majlis course to mark the special occasion. Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy headlined possibly the strongest field ever in the event with three-time winner Ernie Els, Fred Couples and Englishman Barry Lane – the only player to have competed in all 25 editions of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – joining the fray.

Dates for ODDC 2014 January 26 to February 1, 2015
Prize Money US$ 2.5 million
Current Champion Stephen Gallacher (Scotland)

66 71 63 72 (16 under par) 272
First played: 1989
Most wins Ernie Els, 1994, 02, 05
Successful title defence: One (Stephen Gallacher, 2013, 2014)
Youngest winner: Rory McIlroy, 19 years and 273 days (in 2009)
Oldest winner: Mark O'Meara, 47 and 54 days, (in 2004)
First amateur from UAE to make the cut Matthew Turner, 2009 (finished tied 51st)
Lowest 18 hole score: 61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994
Lowest first 18 hole score: 61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994
Lowest first 36 hole score: 128 (-16), Tiger Woods, 2001
Lowest first 54 hole score: 196 (-21), Stephen Gallacher, 2013
Lowest 72 hole score: 266 (-22), Thomas Björn, 2001, Stephen Gallacher, 2013
Lowest under par winning score: 266 (-22), Thomas Björn, 2001, Stephen Gallacher, 2013
Lowest final round by a winner: 65 (-7), Robert-Jan Derksen, 2003; Tiger Woods, 2008,
Wire-to-wire-winners: Eamonn Darcy, 1990
Seve Ballesteros, 1992
Ernie Els, 1994
José Coceres, 2000
Rory McIlroy, 2009
Largest 18-hole lead: 5 shots, Ernie Els, 1994
Largest 36-hole lead: 6 shots, Ernie Els, 1994
Largest 54 hole lead: 8 shots, Ernie Els, 1994
Largest winning margin: 6 shots, Ernie Els, 1994
Biggest final round comeback by a winner: 4 shots, Tiger Woods, 2008
Play-offs: Mark James beat Peter O'Malley, 1989
Seve Ballesteros beat Ronan Rafferty, 1992
Richard Green beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam, 1997
Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els, 2006
Miguel Angel Jiménez beat Lee Westwood, 2010
Holes-in-one: Miguel Angel Jiménez, 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 1990 (Emirates)
Chris Moody, 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990 (Emirates)
Mark McNulty, 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990 (Emirates)
José Coceres, 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1992 (Emirates)
Wayne Westner, 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 1995 (Emirates)
José Coceres, 4th Hole, Rnd 1, 1996 (Emirates)
Roger Wessels, 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996 (Emirates)
Peter Hedblom, 15th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996 (Emirates)
Stuart Cage, 8th Hole, Rnd 1, 1999 (Dubai Creek and Yacht Club)
Peter Downie, 16th Hole, Rnd 1, 2000 (Dubai Creek and Yacht Club)
Henrik Bjornstad, 7th Hole, Rnd 4, 2002 (Emirates)
Brad Kennedy, 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 2004 (Emirates)
Yasin Ali, 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005 (Emirates)
Nobuhito Sato, 15th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005 (Emirates)
Stephen Gallacher, 4th Hole, Rnd 4, 2005 (Emirates)
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, 4th Hole, Round 2, 2007 (Emirates)
Miguel Jiménez, 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2008 (Emirates)
Louis Oosthuizen, 11th, Round 2, 2009 (Emirates).
David Howell, 7th, Rnd 1, 2011 (Emirates)
Keith Horne, 4th ,Rnd 2th, 2011 (Emirates)
Raphael Jacquelin, 7th, Rnd 3, 2011 (Emirates)
Alvaro Quiros, 11th, Rnd 4, 2011 (Emirates)
Stephen Gallacher, 15th, Rnd 1, 2012 (Emirates)
Martin Kaymer, 7th, Rnd 2, 2012
Low cut: 141 (-3), 2001, 07
High cut: 149 (+5), 1989
ROLL OF HONOUR 1989 - Mark James
1990 - Eamonn Darcy
1992 - Seve Ballesteros
1993 - Wayne Westner
1994 - Ernie Els
1995 - Fred Couples
1996 - Colin Montgomerie
1997 - Richard Green
1998 - Jose Maria Olazabal
1999 - David Howell
2000 - Jose Coceres
2001 - Thomas Bjorn
2002 - Ernie Els
2003 - Robert-Jan Derksen
2004 - Mark O'Meara
2005 - Ernie Els
2006 - Tiger Woods
2007 - Henrik Stenson
2008 – Tiger Woods
2009 – Rory McIlroy
2010 - Miguel Angel Jimenez
2011 - Alvaro Quiros
2012 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello
2013 - Stephen Gallacher
2014 - Stephen Gallacher