The second round of the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic concluded with Ewen Ferguson holding a one-stroke lead. He carded an eagle on the par-5 18th to shoot a brilliant 65, edging ahead of Daniel Hillier, who had also posted a 65 earlier.
LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton fired a 65 on day two at Emirates Golf Club, climbing 45 spots to T5. Defending champion Rory McIlroy had another lackluster day, shooting 71 to sit at 3-under, nine shots off the lead.
After the second round, the cutline was set at even par, with players below T65 missing the weekend. Several big names were among those who faced an early exit from the season's first Rolex Series event.
In this article, we will look at five popular stars who missed the cut this week:
5 popular names who missed the cut at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic
1) Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm started his 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic campaign with a first-round 69, but the second day was quite anticlimactic as he carded a 5-over 77, bringing his total to 2-over.
2) Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland had a rough start to the week, shooting a 3-over 75 in the first round. He made a staggering six bogeys and managed just three birdies. Things barely improved in the second round, where he carded a 73 to finish at 4-over after 36 holes.
3) Adrian Meronk
Adrian Meronk shot back-to-back 73s to finish at 2-over, missing the cut by two strokes. In Friday's round, he made two bogeys and a double bogey, offset by three birdies.
4) Padraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington had a solid start at Emirates Golf Club, opening with a 2-under 70. However, he lost momentum in the second round, shooting a 3-over 75 to miss the cut by a single stroke. He was comfortably within the cutline until back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes sealed his fate.
5) Dean Burmester
Like Harrington, Dean Burmester was under the cutline after the first nine holes. However, his game worsened on the back nine, where he made two double bogeys, ultimately missing the cut.