David Ford was playing like one of the best amateurs in the world at the end of 2024. It's no surprise he starts 2025 on top of the leaderboard.

Jon Rahm missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic. Ewen Ferguson was taking full advantage.

Although Rory McIlroy may eventually share Jon Rahm's optimism about the state of professional golf, he currently does not believe the sport is in its "golden era" -- as the Spaniard suggested on Tuesday.

Despite being on opposite sides of the issue, McIlroy and Rahm both expressed positive opinions about LIV Golf’s new CEO.

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm offered different views on the current state of men's pro golf, which is fitting given the game's fractured nature.

At the Dubai Desert Classic, Jon Rahm said “we’re living in a golden era right now for golf,” which Rory McIlroy didn’t quite agree with.

Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland have missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm will go up against each other in Dubai this week, and the pair are in disagreement over the current state of men's professional golf amid the PGA Tour-LIV fallout

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Rory McIlroy is making his 2025 debut in the desert. He will be joined by Jon Rahm, Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Scott and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Rory McIlroy will need a spectacular weekend to win a third straight Dubai Desert Classic title after slipping nine shots behind halfway leader Ewen Ferguson on Friday, while Jon Rahm missed the cut.

The rising star is quietly having a strong start to the season, though his odds to win the Masters haven’t moved much yet.