Dubai stat pack

First held in 1989, the tournament is the oldest of the events hosted by the Gulf States with Emirates taking centre stage for the 21st time.

This 24-year-old layout winds its way through sand dunes and has water coming into play on 10 holes.

The Desert Classic remains one of the more prestigious titles on Tour and is a popular destination for the pros.

So who's taking part this week?

Thomas Bjorn: Winner in 2001, last year's 'Comeback Kid' did well to finish inside the top 25 of last week's tournament at Doha where he opened with an horrendous 79 - and then followed it with a 65.

George Coetzee: The fast-rising South African has developed into one of the Tour's most consistent performers. He tied-for-sixth in Abu Dhabi and will be making his Emirates debut this week.

Anders Hansen: Finished strongly in Qatar where his closing round of 67 left him in a tie-for-12th. The popular Dane was a joint runner-up at Emirates last year.

Martin Kaymer: His 16 rounds at Emirates average an impressive 69.50 and, in four visits to this event, he has registered three top-four finishes. The German turned in a respectable top-10 performance at Doha on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy: The champion from 2009 who finished second in Abu Dhabi during January and opted to give last week's Qatar Masters a miss - so he should be completely fresh.

Lee Westwood: The ever-consistent Englishman will always be a threat and, in the winds of Doha last week, carded three sub-par rounds to finish in a tie-for-12th at the end of 54 holes.

SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM at EMIRATES

Last Eight Years

Player: '04 / '05 / '06 / '07 / '08 / '09 / '10 / '11

Thomas Bjorn: MC / 22 / 47 / 10 / 44 / MC / 15 / MC
Bradley Dredge: 12 / 16 / 13 / 65 / 14 / 16 / 51 / 10
Simon Dyson: 20 / 51 / 19 / 7 / 25 / 32 / 56 / 28
Niclas Fasth: - / 22 / 11 / 3 / 10 / MC / MC / MC
Ross Fisher: - / - / - / 5 / 10 / 13 / 11 / 10
Stephen Gallacher: 34 / 51 / 22 / 44 / 44 / MC / 31 / 10
Jean-Baptiste Gonnet: - / - / - / - / 14 / - / - / 4
Ricardo Gonzalez: MC / MC / 28 / MC / 6 / 51 / MC / 20
Richard Green: 27 / 22 / 3 / 34 / Wd / 11 / 15 / MC
Soren Hansen: 56 / 40 / 41 / MC / 6 / MC / 20 / MC
Anders Hansen: 41 / 29 / 4 / - / 61 / 16 / 31 / 2
Peter Hanson: 52 / 63 / 72 / 6 / MC / 24 / 27 / 9
Gregory Havret: 45 / 5 / MC / 48 / 44 / 32 / MC / 15
Peter Hedblom: MC / 16 / MC / 54 / 6 / MC / 38 / MC
David Howell: 3 / 9 / 28 / MC / 44 / MC / MC / MC
Raphael Jacquelin: 20 / 22 / 11 / 34 / MC / 39 / MC / 20
Thongchai Jaidee: 5 / 72 / 22 / 18 / 19 / 47 / 3 / MC
Miguel Angel Jimenez: MC / 2 / 4 / 10 / 54 / 7 / Won / 40
Martin Kaymer: - / - / - / - / 2 / 4 / 4 / 31
James Kingston: 45 / 16 / MC / MC / 44 / - / 38 / 2
Rory McIlroy: - / - / MC / 52 / MC / Won / 6 / 10
Colin Montgomerie: 12 / 4 / MC / 10 / 65 / 13 / MC / MC
Alvaro Quiros: - / - / - / 59 / MC / 13 / 6 / Won
Robert Rock: MC / - / - / - / - / - / 20 / 20
Jeev Milkha Singh: MC / - / - / 34 / 19 / 16 / 15 / 42
Henrik Stenson: 45 / 22 / 7 / Won / 6 / 3 / 8 / MC
Anthony Wall: MC / 22 / MC / MC / 19 / 7 / MC / 31
Lee Westwood: 12 / 6 / 28 / 25 / 10 / 39 / 2 / 15
Chris Wood: - / - / - / - / - / MC / 20 / 10

SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDICORE FORM at EMIRATES

Last Eight Years

(No Top-30 finishes from three or more starts since 2004)

Player: '04 / '05 / '06 / '07 / '08 / '09 / '10 / '11

Felipe Aguilar: - / - / - / - / - / 60 / 31 / MC
Ross Bain: - / - / 47 / - / MC / MC / 51 / 48
Christian Cevaer: 56 / MC / 55 / MC / MC / 60 / MC / MC
Robert Coles: MC / MC / MC / - / - / - / - / MC
David Dixon: - / - / - / - / - / MC / MC / MC
David Drysdale: - / MC / - / - / - / - / 31 / 59
Kenneth Ferrie: 45 / MC / MC / MC / - / MC / 38 / Ret
Richard Finch: - / MC / 37 / - / MC / 47 / MC / 59
Oliver Fisher: - / - / - / - / - / MC / MC / MC
Michael Jonzon: 41 / - / - / - / - / 51 / MC / 68
Barry Lane: MC / 40 / 55 / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC
Pablo Larrazabal: - / - / - / - / - / MC / MC / MC
Pablo Martin: - / - / - / - / MC / MC / 44 / 40
Lee Slattery: - / 68 / - / 66 / - / 65 / - / -
Graeme Storm: - / 47 / MC / MC / 62 / 54 / MC / MC

LOWEST 12 STROKE AVERAGES at EMIRATES

(Last Four Years - 2008/11)

Average (Rounds)

69.50: Martin Kaymer (16)
69.79: Rory McIlroy (14)
70.07: Henrik Stenson (14)
70.13: Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (8)
70.14: Alvaro Quiros (14)
70.19: Ross Fisher (16)
70.38: Lee Westwood (16)
70.50: Miguel Angel Jimenez (16)
70.75: Bradley Dredge (16)
70.75: Richard Green (12)
70.81: Anders Hansen (16)
70.81: Jeev Milkha Singh (16)

(Min. No. of Rounds = 8)

LOWEST ROUNDS at EMIRATES SINCE 2000

63: Tony Johnstone (2001)
63: Ian Garbutt (2003)
63: Anders Hansen (2006)
63: Richard Green (2009)
64: 15 times

Note: Since 2000, no player has fired as low as 63 in either the first or fourth rounds. The lowest tournament round at Emirates is 61 recorded by Ernie Els in 1994.

Emirates: Par 72; 7,301 yards

Winning Totals (Last Three Years):

2011 - 277 (Alvaro Quiros)
2010 - 277 (Miguel Angel Jimenez)
2009 - 269 (Rory McIlroy)