With the 2025 DP World Tour season well underway, Conor Purcell is starting his calendar year at Al Hamra Golf Club this week for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

After a well-earned winter break, the Irish golfer is back in competitive mode and ready to dive into his biggest year to date. We sat down with the Irishman to chat about his time off, his thoughts on the course, learning from Padraig Harrington, and what he hopes for this season.

Conor Purcell - Harry Grimshaw

Conor Purcell – Harry Grimshaw

Conor, it’s the first event of 2025 for you, and you’re at Al Hamra Golf Club – how was your time off over winter? I presume you’re raring to go now?

Yeah, I had a great break over Christmas. Took a few weeks off and didn’t touch the clubs. It was definitely needed after a long year. Now, I’m getting back into the swing of things and I’m eager to start playing tournament golf again. That competitive bug comes back quickly after a break over Christmas. So, yeah, I’m ready to get going this week and to play a nice stretch of tournaments.

Was that time off planned, or did you feel you needed it?

A bit of both, really. I always take time off at the end of the year. It works out well with Christmas, as the season finishes and there’s not much to play. So, I just came back out to the Middle East a little earlier than usual to get some prep in, and now I feel ready to go.

What are your thoughts on the layout here at Al Hamra Golf Club?

I like it here. I was here about four or five years ago for a qualifier, so I’ve played the course a couple of times. I always enjoy playing in the desert – it suits my eye. The course seems in good shape from what I’ve seen so far this week. But of course, it always plays a bit differently once the tournament starts.

I heard Padraig Harrington helped with some of the changes to the course. Did you hear about that?

Yeah, I’ve heard about that. I actually played a couple of holes with him yesterday and he mentioned that last year some of the cuts around the greens were quite close, but now they’ve added more run-offs, so the ball can roll further away or into hazards. It’s playing quite firm around the greens, so if you miss your landing spot, the ball can trickle away, leaving you with a tricky chip. But from what I’ve seen, it’s playing really well.

Padraig is one of the oldest players in the field this week. He just seems to keep going, doesn’t he? He even said last year that he wants to be the oldest winner on the DP World Tour.

He’s amazing. His enthusiasm is probably greater now than when he first came out on tour. It’s unreal when you play with him – his speed is still up, and at times he’s hitting it past me. He works incredibly hard and is a true competitor. At the end of the day, he wants to win every time he tees it up, so he’s definitely not here just to make up the numbers. He’s more than capable of getting the job done.

You’re obviously adding to the small contingent of Irish players on Tour, which is an exciting moment for you. Have the others given you any advice for this season?

Yeah, it’s great being part of that Irish contingent. Everyone has a different experience out here, so there’s no one-size-fits-all advice. It’s not ideal coming out here as one of the new lads, but we’re all so close, and we really push each other on. I’m hopeful that in the next few years, we’ll see more Irish players out here. I’ve learned a lot from Padraig over the last few months, and getting to know him has been fantastic. Any advice I can get from him is invaluable. It’s also a lot about figuring things out yourself – getting used to new places, new courses. But I’m hopeful for a long career and, with time, I’ll get the hang of it.

Excited for what 2025 has to offer then?

Absolutely. Getting onto the DP World Tour was a huge goal of mine. When I graduated from the Challenge Tour last year, it felt like the perfect time to mark that year, finishing after the Grand Final. The break came at just the right time, and now I feel ready to tackle a full season on Tour.

Main Image: Harry Grimshaw / Golf Digest Middle East