Today (Wednesday) I set my alarm very early to play in the 7 am shotgun Pro-Am, it was still dark when I woke up.

I captained the Abu Dhabi Golf Club 4 Team of former Club Captain Matthew Dolan, Gavin Greenaway and Riaan Huyser. We finished on 22 under, 11 shots behind the winners in tied 10th out of 19 Teams.

The National Course is awesome as usual with some new tees that I have not seen before or played from. It is playing really long this week.

The rough is thick enough to get your attention, you get the odd flier and it will grow higher as the week progresses. As I always remembered, it is a great driver’s course. If you drive well you can make birdies.

Running really true

The greens are great, running really true - perhaps a bit soft, but I am being picky with that comment.

I can still reach all the pars fives and, I believe I am still long enough in this company. The par five eighth was a little out of reach today. There are some really long hitters who now play the game of golf and on the Challenge Tour. South African Wilco Nienaber is one of the longest and is worth a watch if you are coming to watch. In 2022 on the DP World Tour his average length was 319.95 yards in eighth place with an overall Tour average for all players at 300.68 yards.

I played in shorts today and I have just seen that shorts are permitted for the tournament as well next week 20 minutes down the road at Saadiyat Beach. This is the first time in my career I have experienced this option.

I am not that comfortable playing in shorts, so I will wear my favourite long trousers (not my corduroys!) to be both comfortable and to not have a negative impact on my playing partners, caddies, officials and spectators.

Media attention

I have been impressed with all the media attention, from GULF NEWS, local TV as well as other media channels, as well as the usual Challenge Tour coverage. It takes me back to 2014 in Dubai.

In the first-round tomorrow (Thursday) I am teeing off at 1.05 pm along with Benjamin Hebert and Steven Brown and an early start on Friday.

It was certainly hot on course today, the forecast is suggesting the mercury might rise over 100 degrees.so I need to be careful to stay hydrated.

My son Jack has caddied here a few times for me on the DP World Tour. Last time I played we came tied 16th. We are hoping for better this week.

Today we all had a fun day and the serious stuff starts at 6.45 am in the morning when play begins off both tee one and tee ten in a two tee start.

Wish me luck and speak to you all after the first round.

Stephen Gallacher - is a 48 year-old Scot, has won four times on the DP World Tour, including both the 2013 and 2014 Dubai Desert Classic