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By Kent Gray
Is Rory McIlroy really set to backflip on his European Tour membership threat and tee it up in the 30th Omega Dubai Desert Classic after all?

Tournament director David Spencer insists he doesn’t yet know if reports linking the two-time champion to a return to the $3.25 million Desert Classic next month are true but sure hopes so.

“We do not have any confirmation from Rory that he will be playing in the 2019 Omega Dubai Desert Classic,” Spencer told Golf Digest Middle East. “That being said, we would obviously welcome Rory back to play as he would be a wonderful addition to our already extremely strong field.”

Related: DeChambeau set to bring his sorcery back to Dubai for 30th Desert Classic

McIlroy, 30 in May, is reportedly now considering playing the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open or BMW PGA Championship along with trying to add a third Dallah trophy to his collection after winning on the Majlis course at Emirates G.C. in 2009 and 2015.

It comes after European Tour chief Keith Pelley flew to Belfast for “crisis” talks with the world No.8 who had threatened at last month’s Race to Dubai decider to play just two “pure” European Tour events in 2019 – the Scottish Open (the week before the 148th Open at Royal Portrush) and Omega European Masters (he is contracted to one event as a global ambassador for the Swiss watch maker) – as he switches his early-season focus to the PGA Tour with the year’s first three majors now in the U.S.

The former world No.1 and four-time major champion needs a green jacket to complete the career grand slam and told reporters on the eve of the DP World Tour Championship he believed the best prep for Augusta National was on the PGA Tour.

“I guess my big thing is I want to play against the strongest fields week in, week out, and for the most part of the season that is in America.  And if I want to continue to contend in the majors and continue my journey back towards the top of the game, that’s what I want to do.”

McIlroy is apparently still set to start 2019 in Hawaii at the Jan. 3-6 Sentry Tournament of Champions (after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March) before returning to Dubai. The Desert Classic clashes with the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

McIlroy’s pending 180 means he would fulfil the European Tour’s membership requirements – four regular season events outside of the majors and WGCs – and sidestep a regulation that says a player that relinquishes their tour membership can never be considered as a future Ryder Cup captain.

Now Spencer waits for an early present ahead of the Desert Classic’s big birthday from Jan. 24-27.

“Rory is a double winner of our tournament and it would be nice to see him back in 2019, the year our tournament and Rory both turn 30 years old.”