Defending champion Rory McIlroy and former winners Stephen Gallacher, Henrik Stenson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els spoke on Wednesday (3 February) ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic which begins on Thursday (4 February).

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rory McIlroy, Dubai Desert Classic defending champion and 2009 winner:

(Q: How have your preparations gone for the Dubai Desert Classic?)

"It's been great. I have like this routine at the start of the year and I have done it for the last few years now, where I take the week off between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and work on my game a little bit, sort of try and think about this week and what I need to do to hopefully win. So it's been good, I feel like I played well in Abu Dhabi, there was a couple of things I needed to work on last week and I feel like I have addressed those, so hopefully it sets me up for a good week here."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rory McIlroy, Dubai Desert Classic defending champion and 2009 winner:

(Q: You know every part of the golf course at this stage?)

"I think so, yeah I have been coming here so long, I feel like I know it so well and I have great memories here and I think any course you come back to where you have won, you sort of remember it a little bit better. So great memories from here, know the golf course well, I know a lot of the members here at the Emirates (Golf Club) and get great support out there, so it's always a great week to come back to."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rory McIlroy, Dubai Desert Classic defending champion and 2009 winner:

(Q: What are your expectations?)

"I mean obviously I want to come here and try to win and I have been able to do that a couple of times and I would love to make that three this time around, but I mean the only thing I can expect of myself is to go out there and give it one hundred per cent and play as well as I can and hopefully at the end of the week that hopefully adds up to a victory. But yeah, all I can do is go out and try to play the best that I can and see what happens."