David Micheluzzi relishing Rolex Series debut to cap brilliant rookie campaign

David Micheluzzi is thrilled to be teeing up alongside some of the world's best as he makes his Rolex Series debut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The Australian is the only player in the 70-man field to be making his first Rolex Series start in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after a stellar rookie campaign.

Micheluzzi won the 2022–23 PGA TOUR of Australasia Order of Merit to earn his playing rights on the DP World Tour for this season and proved he can compete at this level after recording four top ten finishes, including a second at the BMW International Open in July.

Four consecutive top 40 finishes to conclude the Back 9 events saw him sneak into this week's field as one of the leading 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, and the 28-year-old is looking forward to the challenge at Yas Links.

"The course is as perfect as a golf course I've ever seen," Micheluzzi said. "The fairways, the greens, everything about it is just pristine. It's unbelievable.

"It pushes you to push it and try and take some stuff on or you can lay back and you can always play safe if you don't feel comfortable and there's always room.

"You've always got options, and I like that. There's no one way to play a golf course. The course designer has done a great job.

"It almost has that Major feel to it. I've been fortunate to play a couple of Majors and it just has that vibe to it.

"I couldn't wait for Hero Dubai Desert Classic to be my first one [next season] and then obviously I got into this week. So yeah, I'm stoked."

The World Number 248 has endured a globe-trotting adventure in his maiden campaign, starting in his homeland before travelling to Asia, the Middle East and Europe, where he has competed in majority of his 23 events, before arriving in Abu Dhabi.

"It's been eye-opening. Let's just say that it's obviously very different to what I'm used to back home," he added. "I didn't know what I was getting into. So, it was more a case of going and just hope I get in and then go from there.

"Asia was fine because it's only just one flight going there and then in Europe, I knew I was going to be playing in majority of them. 

"Obviously, the field sizes are bigger and all that. It was a case of just playing everything I could get into, and yeah, did that."

"I've actually struggled quite a bit. Battled with my swing, battled off the tee, into greens and my putting and my short game have really saved me this year.

"I think as the more tournaments I've played the more comfortable I've become, but overall to make Abu Dhabi is a massive achievement.

"I had one good result in Munich. I think I made the last four cuts at the end of the season which actually got me into the top 70. So yeah, overall very happy."

The highlight of his campaign came at Golfclub München Eichenried when he finished in a tie for second alongside Jordan Smith, two shots behind winner Ewen Ferguson, despite carding three double bogeys during the week.

That has given Micheluzzi the determination to push himself closer to the winner's enclosure for the first time next season.

"I just want to get myself into contention quite a bit," the Melbourne-born star said. "I've only really done it twice this year and on both weeks I didn't really have my best, but I just got it around and did what I needed to do.

"I just feel like I need to be a little bit more, stay confident in myself in the first and second rounds and get myself up there because the last few cuts or so have either been made on the number or like by one or by two, so there's only been one tournament or two tournaments where I've been like kind of up there.

"I need to push on so that once I do make the weekend, I play much better. It could be a psychological thing and that I’m playing many of them for the first time."