First played
1989
.
Most wins
2 - Ernie Els, 1994, 02
.
Consecutive wins
None
.
Youngest winner
David Howell, 23 and 236 days, 1999
.
Oldest winner
Eamonn Darcy, 37 and 202 days, 1990
.
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 (-20), Tiger Woods, 2001
.
Lowest 72 hole score
266 (-22), Thomas Björn, 2001
.
Lowest under par winning score
266 (-22), Thomas Björn, 2001
.
Lowest final round by a winner
66 (-6), Fred Couples, 1995
.
Wire-to-wire-winners
Eamonn Darcy, 1990
Seve Ballesteros, 1992
Ernie Els, 1994
José Coceres, 2000
.
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
3 shots, José Maria Olazábal, 1998
.
Play-offs
Mark James beat Peter O'Malley, 1989
Seve Ballesteros beat Ronan Rafferty, 1992
Richard Green beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam, 1997
.
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)
.
Low cut
141 (-3), 2001
.
High cut
149 (+5), 1989
INTERESTING FACTS
Defending champion Ernie Els will look to extend his remarkable form of 2003 by winning his fifth stroke play tournament from just six events. His record in the Dubal Desert Classic is equally impressive. He is the only player to have won the event twice, the first being in 1994, having played at the Emirates on just five occasions. From those five starts the reigning Open Golf Championship is 72 under par, with a stroke average of 68.40 from his 20 rounds. He has never finished worse than eighth and has yet to record an over par score over the Emirates course - 18 of them being under par, with 13 in the 60's. One of the biggest upsets in the Dubai Desert Classic came in the 1997 play-off when left hander, Australian Richard Green beat fellow Australian Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam. That was the last time a left handed player has won on The European Tour - and only the third in European Tour history, Bob Charles and Peter Dawson, the previous two. The 2000 champion, José Coceres has many fond memories of the event. He has recorded two holes-in-one and was the last player to win on Tour by recording a double bogey on the final hole. Leading by four standing on the 72nd hole, he took six but still won by two shots.
