Rickie Folwer delves deep, with his coach Butch Harmon, into how he found his swing again. Have a big rundown of everything that happened at the DP World Tour Championship where Rory McIlroy and Nicolai Højgaard both came away with silverware. We have prepped the ultimate golfers trip to Ireland, which includes three of the best championship golf courses on the Emerald Isle. If you are looking at getting fitted for a new set of golf clubs, Club Lab Golf in JLT is the newest state-of-the-art facility in Dubai. LIV Golf is landing in Abu Dhabi with some big names lined up and we grab an exclusive ‘Quick 9’ with The Godfather of Dubai Duty Free, Colm McLoughlin.

All this and much, much more in the December 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

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While even before the first tee shot had been hit, Rory McIlroy had sewn up the 2023 Race to Dubai with a week to spare in a season that has seen him win two Rolex Series events, secure three top tens in Major Championships and miss just one cut on the DP World Tour.

Højgaard had led after days one and two at Jumeirah Golf Estates but entered the final round three shots off the pace before pulling himself right into contention with a front nine of 33.

He was back on top with a gain on the tenth and then reeled off five birdies in a row from the 13th to get to 21 under and hold off the challenge of his Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland and overnight leader Matt Wallace.

Fleetwood and Hovland signed for a pair of 68s, one shot less than Wallace, to sit two ahead of defending champion Jon Rahm, South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

Højgaard finished fourth over the Earth Course in his only previous appearance at this event in 2021, catapulting himself into the top ten on that season’s final Rankings and he will finish 2023 second behind Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy.

Ryder Cup rookie Nicolai Højgaard wins the DP World Tour Championship! ???#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/y52cIzvce4

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 19, 2023

While becoming an international player and starting his career on the PGA TOUR this year, he recorded seven DP World Tour top tens to earn his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team, winning half a point as Luke Donald’s men defeated the United States.

He added to that tally by finishing second at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge and brought that form to Dubai, where he is now a three-time DP World Tour champion and enters the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time.

“It means a lot, it’s the sweetest one,” he said.

“So much hard work has been put in over the past couple of years – it feels amazing, this is for family and everything they put in over the years. So much hard work going into this, for it to happen like this is unbelievable.

“We know there are a lot of birdies but we have to hit the shots and hole the putts, anything can happen we were just focused on the job today, to walk up 18 knowing there’s a good chance feels good.

“I played some really good golf. I have to say this is the best golf I’ve played in a tournament and the strongest field in my three wins. My game feels good, I felt good before going out and to finish it like this feels good.

“This is the sweetest way to finish the year, I cant believe we finished on such a high note, I’m definitely going to enjoy this.”

England’s Fleetwood joined the lead from ten feet at the first and it was soon a three-way tie as Hovland got up and down from the sand on the par-five second.

A monster 40-foot eagle putt on the same hole handed Fleetwood a two-shot lead but he bogeyed the fourth after finding sand off the tee and soon had company at 17 under.

Wallace made a 40-footer of his own on the sixth and ahead at the par-five seventh Hovland made a two-putt birdie before hitting the front on his own from five feet on the eighth.

The Norwegian failed to find the green in two at the next and the resulting bogey left the door open for Højgaard to join the lead.

The 22-year-old had made a two-putt gain on the fourth, holed a long putt at the fifth and hit a beautiful tee-shot into the next before putting an approach to five feet at the tenth.

Fleetwood found another gear after the turn, however, putting a pitch inside five feet on the tenth and a brilliant second to two feet at the next to move two ahead.

Højgaard had dropped a shot on the 12th but he put his tee-shot at the par-three 13th inside ten feet and then found the green at the par-five 14th in two to trim the gap to one.

Hovland also took advantage of the 14th with two putts but Højgaard was relentless, pitching from the first cut to seven feet for three birdies in a row and a share of the lead.

Nicolai Højgaard, currently tied for the lead, reaches 190mph ball speed drive at 16! ?#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/P5EucBPN2B

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 19, 2023

Another beautiful approach to four feet at the 16th edged him ahead but Fleetwood holed a brilliant, curling 15-foot right-to-lefter on the 15th, only to see Højgaard make a fifth birdie in a row on the 17th after a tee-shot to four feet.

He missed a chance from four feet for six in a row but a Fleetwood three-putt on the 17th meant the he, Wallace and Hovland needed eagles up the last to force a play-off, a feat none of them could achieve.

Hovland added a further birdie at the 16th before parring the last after finding water, while Englishman Wallace had dropped a shot on the seventh and reeled off six pars in a row before birdies at the 14th, 15th and 17th sent him back up the leaderboard.

Spaniard Rahm and Lawrence both carded rounds of 66, with Pavon signing for a 67 to sit at 17 under, one shot clear of another Frenchman in Victor Perez and two ahead of Scot Ewen Ferguson and Dane Jeff Winther.

Image: David Cannon

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No matter, the big picture is what the history books will recall most vividly. Only Seve Ballesteros with six and Colin Montgomerie with eight have more victories in what used to be called the Order of Merit.

“It’s great,” was McIlroy’s initial reaction at the conclusion of a closing-round 71 that left him 10 under par for the week and in desultory tie for 22nd place in the 50-man field. “I think it shows my consistency year-to-year. I think over the last 10 years, I think I’ve won eight season-long titles between America and between here, so it just shows my level of consistency. I said to [caddie] Harry [Diamond] on the last green, there’s a few guys that are able to beat me sort of one week or the next week, but I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can beat me throughout the entire season.”

There was room for hint at some regret over a 2023 in which he failed to add to his total of four major championship victories.

“It’s just about trying to be a little more clinical when I get to those weeks where I have chances to win,” McIlroy said. “Overall, it’s been another really solid year. My stroke average has been great, and I’ve played really good golf, really consistent. Hopefully there will be more of the same going into next year and beyond. I’ve still got a little bit left in the tank and still got a good eight to 10 years left in me where I can play at the top, top level. I’d like to think that I’m going to at least try to get past Seve, then get past Monty as well. It’s certainly a goal of mine for the rest of my career to do something like that. It would mean a lot to me.”

As for highlights this year, McIlroy’s mind inevitably switched to the shot he hit to the 72nd green at the Renaissance Club in Scotland back in July.

Ridiculous approach on 18 from @McIlroyRory ?

He’ll have a good look at birdie for the win @ScottishOpen. pic.twitter.com/BlSgIMGVrC

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 16, 2023

“I’ve probably hit shots that have been more consequential in bigger events, but in terms of just the pure quality of the shot I’m not sure if I’ve ever hit one as good as that,” he said. “It was a perfect 3-iron, but I didn’t have a 3-iron in the bag. So it was case of either turning a 4-iron into a 3-iron, or a 2-iron into a 3-iron. I was over a 4-iron first, but couldn’t see how it was going to get over the false front of the green. So I went from hitting a big draw with the 4-iron to hitting a little cut with the 2-iron. It came out perfect. joy as I had pictured it in my mind.”

A big-time shot from a big-time player in yet another big year you might say.

Image: Andrew Redington

The post Rory McIlroy knows it wasn’t his week in Dubai, but grateful it was his year once more on the DP World Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Great stuff clearly, but every one of Wallace’s 12 birdies and six pars comes with an asterisk. An overnight storm led to preferred lies being in operation, so the 33-year-old Englishman’s effort will not count in the former European Tour’s record books. What it did do, however, was take him to 16 under par and into the 54-hole lead, one stroke clear of FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland and fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood in the race for the $3 million first prize.

That “non-counting” fact is disappointing, but perhaps fair enough. Wallace himself admitted that “ball in hand” had aided him on at least two pitch shots from what he was able to turn into perfect lies.

Still, if his (almost) historic effort had been deemed official, Wallace would have equaled the records for most birdies in a DP World Tour event, the low-nine relative to par and most birdies in succession over 18 holes. He is though the first man ever to make those nine birdies on either a back nine or a front nine.

“It didn’t feel that good playing alongside what Matt was doing,” said a smiling Dan Bradbury, his playing partner who shot a “pedestrian” 68. “But I’m happy with my day. I was just trying to act normal around him. He missed one putt on seven, which he’s probably not too happy about. But it was all so easy. I was listening to him and his caddie. It was, ‘aim here’ and he hit it there. Every time. There wasn’t a weakness. One of those days. The phrase ‘couldn’t miss’ is appropriate.”

Wallace seemed equally non-plussed by it all, to the extent that the World No. 87 didn’t realize the bunker shot he struck to a foot on the 18th green would have made him only the second man to shoot 59 on the DP World Tour (after Oliver Fisher at the 2018 Portugal Masters) had it fallen in.

“Dan said he felt like he had shot five over and he shot four-under,” Wallace said. “I putted nicely, which is a change from the form I’ve been in. I was so confident today. I felt like as long as I hit it on my line, I was reading them really well. I’ve been working towards this, so it’s really nice that it all came good there on the back-nine. I guess I’m just not scared to go low. I love making birdies and always want to make one more. I always want to push forward, and I guess it showed out there.

7 birdies in a row @mattsjwallace ?#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/AQLTk0CLGV

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 18, 2023

Asked to pick out the best shot on a day when he clearly hit so many good ones, Wallace identified two.

“The 3-wood into 14 was mega,” he claimed. “I just flushed it into the middle of the green. That was a great shot but the one that really pushed me on was the 6-iron into 12. Off an upslope to a left pin, I hit it to four feet.

“And yes, I had no idea what I was achieving,” he continued. “Because you don’t think that far ahead. When I went onto the 16th tee all I was thinking was ‘ball in play.’ When I got down there, I had a perfect number. So I took it on. I went through the same process I would on day one. Then I hit it to a foot. It doesn’t always happen like that. But I hit a lovely shot. The confidence and the flow was there.”

Indeed, Wallace might not be done yet. Now that he is paying full attention, he has a singular aim in mind come the final round.

“Give me one more hole,” he said. “Hopefully I can do it [make a birdie] on the first tomorrow and get to 10.”

Image: Andrew Redington

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If the pair are to continue their closely parallel paths through life and their chosen careers, Rasmus is going to have to step up. Which is exactly what he did Friday with a second-round 66 over the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. Three birdies, two eagles and only one dropped shot were the deviations from regulation figures in the Dane’s six-under-par effort, one that has him four under par at the halfway mark and in a tie for 21st place.

More importantly, the 22-year-old remains well in contention for one of those vital PGA Tour cards and, not incidentally, the $500,000 stipend that will go to each of the 10 who earn them. Nothing is certain, however. The man currently in 11th place, Yannick Paul, is six under par so far, although the German has a 76.88 points deficit to make up on Hojgaard.

Further complicating matters is the unlikely figure of Jens Dantorp. The Swede, who started this week in 49th place on the Race to Dubai (having played 31 events, more than anyone else in this week’s field) and 779.29 point behind Hojgaard, is tied with South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, World No. 4 Viktor Hovland, France’s Antoine Rozner and local resident Tommy Fleetwood for second place after 36-holes on nine under par.

And the leader by two shots on 11 under par? Who else but Nicolai Hojgaard, who could do his brother a wee favor by maintaining that edge and making off with the 2,000 Race to Dubai points that could have provided another player with the opportunity to pass Hojgaard (R).

Whatever, much can still happen—and probably will. Who is heading to the U.S. and who will be consigned to at least another 12 months in the Old World clearly remains much in doubt.

“I have two choices given the situation I find myself in,” Rasmus said. “I can either cope with it or not. I came out today in a good mood. I knew I needed a low score that would carry me up the leaderboard. That Nicolai already has his card doesn’t really affect me. Obviously, I want to join him over there. It would make travelling and playing a lot more fun. But the pressure is not coming from there. It is more what I am demanding of myself. It is a big goal to make it onto the PGA Tour. And I’m in the middle of it now. We’ll just have to see how the next two days play out. I’ll be giving it everything I have.”

That much goes without saying, as does the fact that, with his brother playing for Europe at Marco Simone last September, Hojgaard was given an in-depth inside look into just what a Ryder Cup match is really like. Rasmus was there all week, his unofficial role being buggy driver for fellow Dane and European assistant captain Thomas Bjorn.

“I definitely feel a lot more prepared if I make it into the next team,” Hojgaard said. “I’ve seen it from the inside. It was such a great experience to feel somewhat a part of it. I think it helped Nicolai to have me there. But as much as he was nervous, I was even more. My role was just to keep him in good spirits.

“Obviously I spent a lot of time with Thomas,” Rasmus continued. “I saw and heard things I would never have thought of had I not been with him. But the highlight for me was the start of the week. I managed to sneak into the team room. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. It certainly added to my motivation to qualify for Bethpage in 2025.”

Rasmus Hojgaard didn’t play for Europe in the Ryder Cup, but he got to experience what the team went through as an assistant to assistant captain and fellow Dane Thomas Bjorn at Marco Simone – Ross Kinnaird

Ah, but all of that is for a more distant future. For now, Hojgaard has other, more pressing things on his mind. Some of which he is clearly trying not to think about.

“It’s too early for me to start imagining what it will be like to play full-time on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I can’t do that now. It will all come down to what happens on Sunday afternoon. I’m just happy to have played well today and kept myself in contention. I could easily be too far back. But I’m still in the tournament. It’s going to be an exciting weekend.”

For both of the twins.

Main Image: Luke Walker

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The Dane arrived at the Earth Course on day two in a share of the lead but back-to-back bogeys saw him stumble and he was still a long way behind despite fighting back to turn in level par.

A birdie on the tenth signalled the start of better things, though, and he added two more before finishing birdie-eagle to come home in 30 and sign for a 66 that left him at 11 under.

His Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland were in the group in second after rounds of 66 alongside South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence – who fired the round of the day with a 64 – and Swede Jens Dantorp and Frenchman Antione Rozner, who both signed for 67s.

Højgaard may not have a win in the 2023 season but he has eight top tens – including a runner-up finish at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge – with three top fives in his last four DP World Tour starts.

The 22-year-old also has a runner-up finish on the PGA TOUR, with his form earning him a Captain’s Pick from Luke Donald for Europe’s thumping victory over the United States last month.

He finished in a tie for fourth in his only previous appearance at this event in 2021 and is now in pole position for a first Rolex Series victory to cap off a stunning season.

“It’s a little bit like last week,” he said. “Had a slow start in every round, basically. And then I just know on every round there’s going to be a run of birdies at some point with where my game is at. So it’s about staying patient.

“I would like to play the front nine a little bit better in the weekend but I’m very, very satisfied with how I’m playing these two rounds.

“I trust my game at the moment. It’s been a little bit shaky at times this year but I feel like we’re on track at the moment. I feel like I’ve got confidence in my shots, the selections of shots, the game-plan we’ve put in place every round. I’m very happy with how it’s going.

“I feel like (a win is) the only thing I missed this season but there’s two rounds to go. There’s a lot of really good players in this field I know that’s going to be in the hunt the next few days and I’m going to keep grinding as much as I can and put myself around, hopefully, and we’ll see on Sunday.”

A three-putt on the third and missed green at the next saw him slide down the leaderboard early on but he hit back with an approach to six feet at the fifth and a two-putt birdie on the par-five seventh.

A 21-footer on the tenth had him in red figures for the day and when he holed putts from similar range at the 13th and 15th, he was closing in on the leaders.

A tee-shot to six feet at the 17th then put him in a share and while he had to hold his breath as his tee-shot on the last looked to flirt with the water, he put his second to six feet for a closing eagle and a two-shot advantage.

Lawrence started the day four shots back but hit the front as he turned in 30 with the help of an eagle from eight feet on the second and a 66-foot putt on the sixth.

The fifth and sixth birdies of a blemish-free round on the 15th and 17th kept his nose in front but there was some serious firepower in the chasing pack and he soon had company.

Englishman Fleetwood bogeyed the fourth but took advantage of the two par-fives on the front nine and hit a nice tee-shot into the sixth before picking up four further birdies coming home, highlighted by a tap-in on the 12th and lengthy putt on the 13th.

Hovland picked up shots on the third and seventh before holing from 57 feet on the eighth and while the Norwegian gave a birdie on the 12th back on the next, he sandwiched a smart pitch on the 15th with gains on the par-five 14th and last to join the lead.

Rozner kickstarted his round with a long putt on the second and added gains on the fifth, seventh, 11th and 13th to join the lead. A bogey on the 14th dropped him out of top spot but he was back at the summit after a two-putt birdie on the last.

Højgaard’s big finish then put them all into second place but there was still time for Dantorp to join the party. The Earth Course debutant turned in 35 but came to life on the back nine, picking up four shots in five holes from the tenth before bogeying the 16th and picking the shot back up on the last.

South Africa’s Zander Lombard fired a 65 to sit at eight under alongside Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who carded a 69, one shot clear of Frenchman Julien Guerrier, England’s Tyrrell Hatton, Scot Robert MacIntyre and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.

Image: Getty

The post Big finish hands Nicolai Højgaard halfway lead in Dubai appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Ryder Cup star was one over after six holes and level par as he made the turn at Jumeirah Golf Estates but reeled off five birdies in six holes to sign for a 67 and get to five under.

Earlier, Earth Course debutant Guerrier was bogey-free in making the same score at the fifth Rolex Series of the event of the season before in-form countryman Pavon finished birdie-birdie to join him with a blemish-free effort of his own.

Another Frenchman in Antoine Rozner was a shot off the lead alongside Swede Jens Dantorp and Pole Adrian Meronk, one clear of Højgaard’s Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre and South Korea’s Tom Kim.

Dane Højgaard finished fourth over the Earth Course in his only previous appearance at this event in 2021, catapulting himself into the top ten on that season’s final Rankings.

Seven top tens in the 2023 season helped him earn his place in the European Team that defeated the United States in Rome and he had his best result of the campaign finishing second at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

He has brought that form to Dubai and revealed his Ryder Cup experience had given him the hunger to go to the very top as he looks for a first Rolex Series win.

“Spending time with the best players in the world, fighting for a common goal was amazing, and just being around those guys, seeing what they do, what do I do different, what do I need to work on,” he said.

“It gave me a lot of confidence going into the last end of the season here. You want to play with those guys but you also want to beat them.

“I played really well today. Drove it well from hole number one to 18, even though it was a little bit of a circus on 18, felt really solid. I got on a run. You know there’s a few chances out there, so it’s just about keep hitting good shots and stay present and I feel I did a good job today.”

Højgaard bogeyed the fourth after finding sand off the tee but took advantage of the par-five sixth before his putter came to life on the back nine.

He holed a 25-footer from off the green at the tenth and followed it with an 18-foot putt on the next. An up-and-down on the par-five 14th was then sandwiched by putts of 16 and 20 feet as he surged up the leaderboard.

Guerrier is making his first appearance at the season-ending event after qualifying thanks to three top threes, including his best DP World Tour career finish of second at the Porsche European Open.

He left himself 14 feet at the third, six feet at the fifth and holed an 18-footer at the eighth before hitting a smart approach into the tenth and making the most of the 14th.

That performance belied his debutant status and he admitted that caddie Chris Liley, a veteran of over 20 years on Tour, was a big help.

“I just tried to be really disciplined because I don’t really know this course,” said Guerrier. “My caddie has more experience on this course than me, so I just listen to him. I try to play in the zone and I did it correctly.

“It’s a really tough course. It’s very demanding from the tee because if you are in the rough, it’s really difficult to hit the greens and it’s not too firm, the greens, actually. So it’s more friendly.”

Pavon recently claimed his first DP World Tour title at the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid and has since added two further top 20s in his last three events.

He put approaches to six feet at the fifth and 11th, took advantage of the 14th and then almost aced the 17th before holing a 40-footer on the last.

“What I’ve really released is now I know with my team, we were working on the right way,” he said. “For sure, I had a great, solid year, many top tens but I was missing something to get my first victory and I finally got it in Madrid.

“It’s more confirmation of what we achieve with my team so far and it was nice to have it done a few weeks ago and put me in a good way mentally to play these last two tournaments of the year.”

Meronk is already a three-time winner this season and he holed his second at the fifth from 130 yards for an eagle, the highlight of a round that also contained four birdies and two bogeys.

Dantorp played his way into this event last week and he carded six birdies and two bogeys, with Rozner dropping a single shot in his 68.

Kim was the only bogey-free player in the group at three under, which sat a shot ahead of English pair Dan Bradbury and Tyrrell Hatton, Swede Alexander Björk and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.

Rory McIlroy has already wrapped up the Race to Dubai title and he was at one under, a shot clear of playing partner and defending champion Jon Rahm.

Image: DP World Tour

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Playing alongside the professionals in the Pro-Am were some familiar names away from the world of golf, with Irish rugby legend and Grand Slam-winning captain Johnny Sexton, Leon “Locksmith” Rolle from multiple award-winning British drum and bass band Rudimental and Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton, testing their skills around the infamous Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The three winners of this year’s DP World Tour Championship Luckiest Ball on Earth Grand Final – David Warham, Misun Kim and Hashem Shana’ah – also took part in the Pro-Am, playing alongside Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg.

The morning shotgun was won by Team Hero featuring professional Daniel Hillier and amateurs Abhimanyu Munjal, Samvit Chopra and Kunal Seth, while the afternoon shotgun was won by Team DP World consisting of Tyrrell Hatton, Hardeep Singh, Waseem Trumboo and Sachin Mahajan.

Rudimental’s Leon “Locksmith” Rolle, who played with Zander Lombard, Jason Atherton and Nasser Khafaji on Team DP World Tour, said: “Performing music in front of big crowds is second nature to me but playing in a Pro-Am golf tournament isn’t, so I’m definitely feeling the pressure! The professional players are on another level. Just being able to spend time with them is amazing and I feel like I am learning so much. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the week and enjoying as much of the action as possible.”

?️"My work and lifestyle is 100 miles per hour, you get to come out on a golf course with your mates and you just get away from all that" @Locksmith #DPWTC @dpwtc

Full story on https://t.co/Mi9PcwTra6 pic.twitter.com/6SnCFkcLCe

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) November 16, 2023

Atherton added: “Being here today playing in this tournament on such an amazing course is a dream for us amateur golfers and I’m absolutely loving it. I started playing golf when I lived in Dubai from 2000-2005 and really caught the bug, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. I’m really looking forward to what the rest of the week has in store.”

?️"My life is contained inside square box kitchens, so it's really important for me and piece of mind, to go round a golf course and just have a bit of banter with your mates really" Jason Atherton#DPWTC @dpwtc

Full story on https://t.co/6VFDIumEW8 pic.twitter.com/HkFWQ2LTTE

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) November 16, 2023

Sexton, who played alongside Rory McIlroy, Rashid Abdulla and Avinash Pangarkar as part of Team DP World, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to be asked to participate today and I’m delighted to be here at this amazing golf course playing with some of the best in the world. I’m playing about 80 yards ahead of Rory and he’s still hitting it past me! I love watching him play so to be here up-close is even more special for me.”

Image: DP World Tour

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McIlroy, competing in the DP World Tour’s season finale in Dubai this week, was seen using TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Tuesday. In an interview with the DP World Tour, McIlroy—who already locked up the Old World circuit’s Race to Dubai title—explained that the club would probably be in his bag for the weekend.

“I still want to go out and try to win the golf tournament, but it could be a good time to test it out in competition,” McIlroy said in a video released on the DP World Tour’s social channels. “You’ll probably see a new driver in the bag this week.”

New driver for Rory ? #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/lYHdc5kPSV

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 13, 2023

Earlier this week TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver made its way onto the USGA and R&A conforming lists, allowing for its introduction to competitive play. The Qi10 LS features some of the similar looks of the company’s recent drivers, including the angled rear weight port, the face flex-enhancing slot in the sole (known as the “speed pocket”) and a sliding weight at the front part of the sole. Like the Stealth and Stealth 2 before it, this driver includes the word “carbonwood,” a likely reference to the company’s flagship technology of a carbon-composite face insert first seen in the Stealth in 2022 and updated with this year’s Stealth 2 drivers.

McIlroy first signed with TaylorMade in 2017, and the two entities agreed to a multi-year extension in 2022. The four-time major winner led the PGA Tour this past season in driving distance at 326.3 yards, which set a new tour record, and was second on tour in strokes gained/off-the-tee.

Image: Andrew Redington

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