The Hero Dubai Desert Classic has had the beautiful tradition since 2015 of inviting some of the world’s best amateurs to its tournament each year. Last year, for example, Ludvig Aberg or Michael Thorbjornsen played at the Emirates Golf Club. Not bad. Also, figures as prominent as Sam Bennett, Eduard Rousaud, Jayden Schaper, Todd Clements, Curtis Luck, Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Lewis or Matteo Manassero have passed through here before turning professional.
It is one of the most coveted invitations of the year for fans, for the opportunity it represents and for what it means to be singled out by this tournament. Normally, they recruit the fashionable amateur and add one from an emerging Arab or Asian country. Well, the signings this year had been Michael Thorbjornsen, who repeated, and Caleb Surratt, a great promise of 19 years who plays at the University of Tennessee and who was Number One in the world junior golf ranking in 2021. Both were announced with great fanfare by the tournament and thus appeared on the tournament’s entry list.
However, in the last few hours Caleb Surratt has dropped out and has been replaced by the Dane Frederik Kjettrup, Number 15 in the world ranking. There is no official information in this regard. The reason for Surratt’s unexpected withdrawal has not been explained. All that is known is that his surprising absence coincides in time with the revelation made by Hándicap 54 a few hours ago: Caleb is going to join Jon Rahm’s team at LIV Golf.
As you will know, at Ten Golf and at the Provisional Ball we had already reported several days ago that one of the members of Rahm’s team, the Legio XIII, would be a top world amateur. Well, you don’t even have to know how to add two plus two to deduce that, indeed, and never better said, all roads lead to Rome: Surratt will be one of Rahm’s teammates along with Kieran Vincent, whose name has been mentioned by different accounts related to LIV Golf. Unless there is a surprise, we just have to wait for the official announcement, initially scheduled for after the Desert Classic.
And who is Caleb Surratt? Well, his career is tremendously outstanding. He is American and has already won four tournaments as an amateur and has finished in the top 10 practically in half of the championships he has played. In addition, he has been a member of the USA team of the Walker Cup and has participated in three PGA Tour tournaments, although he has only made one cut. His last appearance was at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2023. A week before, at the American Express, he played a nine-hole practice round with Jon on Tuesday. Another clue.
“Obviously, it has been an incredible opportunity. I feel that my good golf can compete with the professionals, although I have to learn a lot from these players. What impresses me the most is the mental aspect and the consistency of a guy like Rahm. He won the last tournament he played, he might win this one and he will probably be in the fight in the next one. It’s impressive,” Surratt said after that practice round. The reality is that he nailed it. Jon won the Sentry, won the American Express and was in the fight to win the Farmers.
So, with the signings of Kieran Vincent and Caleb Surratt, Legio XIII would only have one spot left to complete the squad. There, according to the information from Ten Golf, Tyrrell Hatton or Wyndham Clark are expected. LIV Golf awaits a response from both to the offer to close the team and be able to announce it next week.
