Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin with 2018 champion Russell Knox.

By Kent Gray
From the dramatic to the historic. At least that’s what Russell Knox will attempt to achieve when the much-anticipated Dubai Duty Free Irish Open begins today.

The 34-year-old Scotsman will look to become the first player since Colin Montgomerie in 1996-97 to successfully defend the prestigious title at Lahinch Golf Club after his incredible playoff victory over big-hitting Kiwi Ryan Fox at Ballyliffin 12 months ago.

RELATED: Dubai’s Links to Lahinch

Knox tees it up in the company of Tommy Fleetwood and big home country home Shane Lowry at 8.40am (Ireland time) with TV coverage in the Middle East expected on Dubai Sports Channel.

Lowry won the year’s first Rolex Series event in Abu Dhabi and is among the big names in a stellar field Knox will need to overcome if history is to repeat 22 years after Monty’s double in the second $7 million Rolex Series start of 2019.

You wouldn’t write off anything though given the way Knox triumphed last year with the U.S.-based Scot holing a 45-foot birdie putt to force a play-off before sinking an almost identical one on the first extra hole to claim victory over the incredibly unlucky Fox.

The European Tour has produced an awesome mini-doco of last year’s event which you can enjoy here:

Four-time European Tour winner Matt Wallace, 2017 DDF Irish aOpen chmpion Jon Rahm, major champions Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer and Ryder Cupper Thorbjørn Olesen are among those in Knox’s path.

Harrington, the 2007 Irish Open champion, begins his first round at 1:10pm (Ireland time) alongside Englishmen Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton.

RELATED: Ian Poulter – You’ve got Mail

Fox tees it up alongside Belgian Thomas Pieters and Dubai-based Rafa Cabrera Bello, also off the 1st tee, at 8.50am.

Co. Clare is hosting the DDF Irish Open for the first time in the event’s 127-year history. Check out stunning Lahinch G.C., regarded as the St. Andrews of Ireland, in this sumptuous European Tour preview (Scroll to the embedded video):

You can also access the full DDF Irish Open first-round draw here.