Rory McIlroy starts his season in Dubai; it’s no real change to how he’s handled each season for the past few years. But what has changed – his equipment.

LIV Golf's biggest signing this offseason was Belgium's Thomas Detry, who recorded his lone PGA Tour win at the WM Phoenix Open last February. McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, speculated that LIV Golf is heading toward serious financial obligations.

Tommy Fleetwood has opened up about his targets for the 2026 season ahead of the Dubai Invitational. He is teeing it up in the DP World Tour event this week, with Rory McIlroy and several other top European players also in the field.

Will 2026 be dominated by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who were seemingly making weekly headlines in 2025? Scheffler may have gotten off to a slow start, but by year's end, he closed off two additional legs of the career grand slam while again emerging as the PGA Tour of the Year.

Rory McIlroy begins his 2026 season with back-to-back events on the DP World Tour at the Dubai Invitational and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic; watch McIlroy in action throughout 2026 live on Sky Sport

There is no question that Rory McIlroy has plenty of strengths, but his driving has always been what sets him apart. Tommy Fleetwood considers the Northern Irishman to be the most talented player of this generation,