The 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic started with its first round on Thursday, January 22, and after two rounds, some top-ranked players struggled and missed the cut. This week’s field features some top-ranked golfers such as Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and others.
After Thursday’s round, Patrick Reed found himself in contention to win the trophy. He took a one-stroke lead in the game. However, some big names, such as Joaquin Niemann, who had a phenomenal season on LIV Golf in 2025, winning five tournaments, struggled to make the cut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Below are five big names who missed the cut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
5 big names who missed the cut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026
#1 Joaquin Niemann
Joaquin Niemann kick-started his game at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic with an opening round of 74. He had a tough start at the DP World Tour event and even struggled in the second round of the tournament. He made two bogeys on the front nine on Friday and then added two more bogeys on the back nine. However, he found some relief on the 13th hole and made an eagle, followed by two birdies on the 16th and 17th. He settled for even-par 72 on Friday but struggled to make the cut.
#2 Dustin Johnson
American golfer Dustin Johnson also played at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, but he also had a tough time on the greens and missed the cut. He started the campaign on the DP World Tour event with an opening round of 74 and then carded another round of 74 on Friday to settle with a score of 4-over.
#3 Nacho Elvira
Nacho Elvira had a remarkable start to his 2026 campaign on the DP World Tour. He was phenomenal at the Dubai Invitational last week before heading to play at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. However, this week, he had a tough time on the greens and missed the cut. He started the campaign with an opening round of 73, and then on Friday, he made three birdies, two bogeys, and three double bogeys for 5-over 77. He settled with an overall score of 6-over and missed the cut.
#4 Padraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington also struggled with his game at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and failed to make the cut at the event. He started his outing at the DP World Tour event with an opening round of 72 and then carded the next round of 77. He settled for the score of 5-over and missed the cut.
#5 Elvis Smylie
Elvis Smylie also struggled at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He kick-started the campaign with an opening round of 78. However, after a tough start, he found some relief in the second round of the tournament on Friday. He made three birdies and four bogeys for a 1-over 73. He settled with an overall score of 7-over and missed the cut. Notably, Smylie has joined LIV Golf for the upcoming 2026 season.
