Some things can sprout forth in the desert, including entire career-defining seasons. Just ask Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Danny Willett and Sergio Garcia, who are all examples that striking early in the Gulf can lead to untold riches. Willett and Garcia both went on to win the Masters a few months after triumphing at the Dubai Desert Classic - the event that takes place 70 miles up the E11 next week - while Fleetwood enjoyed his stand-out year after ending his barren run at this Abu Dhabi Championship three years ago. Last year, Lowry went on to grasp glory at last year’s Open Championship after lifting this title six months before and the Irishman is certain it was no coincidence. “I came here 12 months ago and I was down in 75th in the world rankings and wasn’t in great form and didn’t know what 2019 was going to bring,” he recalled yesterday. “But winning this tournament against a really strong field kickstarted everything. There’s no doubt it had an influence on what happened in Portrush. Just self-belief wise if nothing else. I hadn’t won for a years, but the way I won here, leading all week and then finding myself four behind with seven holes remaining, showed a lot of heart a lot of character. You know, a lot of form is built on confidence and that’s what I gained here last year.” Garcia concurs. “There’s definitely something about winning in January that gives you momentum,” he said. “It takes the pressure off, knowing that you’ve already got a win. It happened for me in Dubai in 2017 and for Danny the year before. We went to Augusta and got a green jacket each. That is not down to chance.” Of course, Fleetwood has yet to achieve his major breakthrough, although the fact that in 2017 he leapt of this springboard to finish fourth in the US Open, win the French Open and then end that campaign with the Race to Dubai crown highlighted the positives of prevailing first time up. The same applied when he defended this title successfully in 2018. Fleetwood just happened to finish second in the US Open and go on to be one of Europe’s principle heroes in the Ryder Cup. “You arrive here, you’ve had a break and there’s always a bit of the unknown with your game, no matter how much practice you have put in,” Fleetwood said. “So what the win gives you is clarity in your own mind that what you’re doing and what you have been doing is right. There is no second-guessing yourself. The first step is a big step forward and that is important.” Fleetwood must be the favourite despite the presence of world No 1 Brooks Koepka. The American has not played competitively for three months because of a knee complaint that required stem cell surgery. Koepka’s countryman, Patrick Cantlay, the world No 7, also tees it up in this $7m Rolex Series event, as well as world No 15 Bryson DeChambeau.