“I’m prepped to be sitting in a pub in the winter time, that’s all I’m prepped for.”
As James Morrison strolls down the fairways at Emirates Golf Club in preparation for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he could be forgiven for not quite believing what is happening.
In the space of three months, the popular Englishman has gone from being on the brink of retirement on the HotelPlanner Tour to teeing it up in his first Rolex Series event since 2024.
He was there at the very first one in 2017 but fast forward eight years and he found himself without a card on the DP World Tour and at peace with the fact that the Rolex Grand Final supported by the R&A would almost certainly be his final professional event.
A victory in Spain with son Finley on the bag changed all that, catapulting him back to the DP World Tour, although his climb was not yet complete.
Category 15 status as a HotelPlanner Tour graduate does not guarantee you entry into Rolex Series events so – at 15th reserve – he took up an offer to do on-course commentary for this week’s featured groups – before something remarkable happened.
“A week ago I was 15th reserve and then I was asked to do on-course commentary for the feature groups which I was really looking forward to: no golf, no stress, talk about watching Rory play, it would be brilliant,” said Morrison.
“Then I was fifth reserve on Sunday, flew out yesterday, was in my casual gear on the range looking at some players’ swings, went to first reserve and the I was in. Job change overnight!”
If this happened three years ago where I was mentally, I would have been all over the wicket, I would never have got to the first tee in any shape or form to play golf
An SOS call to caddie Charlie George, with whom Morrison had previously worked and who was due to be on the bag next week, went out and, albeit unprepared, the duo will be on the first tee at 08.45 Thursday morning.
“I’m prepped to be sitting in a pub in the winter time, that’s all I’m prepped for,” joked Morrison. “I’ve done an hour of practice and that’s literally it, it’s been so bad at home weather-wise. I went skiing with some mates after Christmas time so I was having a great break, I’ve wintered really well.
“We’ll see what happens, I had a panic practice when I got in last night.
“It’s a course where over the years I’ve made the cut three times in 13 gos, so actually it’s quite nice to come here with a different outlook, different aspect, no expectations and see what happens. I’m actually hitting the ball quite nicely.
“I’ve got Bahrain and Qatar the next two weeks so I was going to commentate in the morning and practise in the afternoon, have a nice little holiday before Bahrain and now I’ve completely cocked that up!”
Morrison may be seeing the funny side of his rapid and unexpected elevation to the field this week but with 8,000 Race to Dubai points on offer, a good week could go a long way to helping him secure his playing privileges and a win could be career defining.
The 40-year-old, however, is not feeling that pressure and puts his relaxed mental approach down to his 2025 on the HotelPlanner Tour and a little help from his friends.
“Last year was amazing, it was a year that could have gone either way and I was at peace with whatever happened and actually in a long sustained career you sometimes need a bit of a wake-up call and that was the wake-up call,” he said.
“I figured out a lot of stuff from equipment to swing to attitude, mentality, so it was great and I really enjoyed it and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
“This year’s irrelevant, I feel like I’ve been to the lows and I’ve figured myself out as a person not just as a golfer so it was a great year and I really, really enjoyed it.
“If this happened three years ago where I was mentally, I would have been all over the wicket, I would never have got to the first tee in any shape or form to play golf.
“Being around you guys and the likes of Wally (Anthony Wall) and all the guys on the commentary side, I’ve really, really enjoyed it and it’s really been a big thing in my last year of my golfing career to have you guys to sound out and have a potential future career.
“That really helped my game and my head and I started enjoying golf again and realised that being around the Tour, whether that’s playing or commentating, is a hell of a good thing.
“I still get that buzz, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t get that buzz, and to be back playing these events again is what I want to do as of last year and here we are, so I’ll try and somewhat capitalise on that.”
Morrison turns 41 on Saturday and whether he will be celebrating with a club or a microphone in his hand depends on how he conquers the Majlis Course.
