There were some questions surrounding the DP World Tour's decision to host its two playoff events in the United Arab Emirates over the next two weeks.
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East has caused turmoil in the region, with attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure in recent weeks. Tournament officials have established an emergency protocol for this week: Any official alert received on mobile phones will trigger the immediate suspension of play and evacuation of the course.
Some players, like Matt Fitzpatrick, questioned whether they would feel safe competing. The Asian Tour announced its PIF Saudi International season finale was postponed in Saudi Arabia. That postponement comes on the heels of a strike hitting King Khalid International Airport
on Oct. 11, a day after an attack killed at least 13 people at the same airport. King Khalid is about 30 minutes from Riyadh Golf Club, site of the PIF Saudi International.
No reports of strikes in the UAE have emerged since May 17.
Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 golfer in the world, was asked Wednesday about how safe he feels at the tournament, and his response was clear.
"I don't think I would ever feel unsafe," McIlroy said. "You know, even if something were to happen, like I still wouldn't feel unsafe. You know, the UAE has great defense systems. Yeah, I think the only thing would be that if they closed the air space and you were stuck here for a period of time, like people were at the start of year, but like I would still feel safe. I wouldn't feel like I would be in any danger."
Hearing someone discuss a country's defense systems wouldn't be shocking if it were a government official debriefing staff on security measures amidst a time of unrest. Hearing one of the best golfers of all-time talk about it when chasing history is almost unbelievable.
"I kept asking questions, and whether it be of the DP World Tour, and obviously the DP World Tour are talking to the local authorities all the time. You know, if everyone deems that it's safe to be here, then who am I to say otherwise," McIlroy said. "This is important to me. I want to play well. I want to end my year well. I wanted to have a chance to win another Race to Dubai. I don't feel like there's any risk coming here but if I did feel like there was a risk, I feel like the reward is worth it."
McIlroy trails Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed in the Race for Dubai, the season-long points race on the DP World Tour. If McIlroy were to win, it would be his eighth title all-time, tying Colin Montgomerie for the most.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy says UAE's defense systems make him feel safe amid regional tensions
