It used to happen in the 1960s when Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus played together, and later in the 2000s when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson featured in the same tournament. Nothing energises the fans like a great rivalry, and the one developing between Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy is certainly for the ages.

The two stars haven’t really fired in a big tournament together, but their talent is so apparent, their skills so supreme and their determination to get better at what they do is so immense, no one has the slightest doubt that these two will be battling each other for many trophies.

And this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, they will surely set the tone for what could become a recurring theme in the future.

One of the things Abu Dhabi has managed to do, with a consistency that is almost as good as Spieth’s putting from 10 feet, is attract a quality field each year. And 2016 is no different.

Spieth v McIlroy is just the battle golf fans wanted and they now have it very early in the season. What’s even better is the fact that these two are paired together for the first two rounds, along with another young superstar, Rickie Fowler.

There are some who’d think that Spieth has the upper hand because he has already started his season, and that too in the most sensational fashion. His eight-shot win in Kapalua at the Tournament of Champions was the most audacious statement yet from him as to what he is capable of.

McIlroy, on the other hand, will be playing his first tournament in almost two months after winning the DP World Tour Championship in November.

But will the Northern Irishman be rusty because of that? I certainly do not think so. Rory has a phenomenal record at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, and except for that one year when he missed the cut as he made the transition to his new clubs, he has always been in contention. I have no reason to think it will be any different this year.

One thing is for sure, McIlroy and Spieth will be challenged to the very end by a quality field. Martin Kaymer will be eager to show that last year, when he lost a 10-shot advantage on the final day, was just a blip. He is another player with fantastic record in Abu Dhabi. His mental strength is one of the big reasons he became the world number one and won two majors, so expect a big bounceback from him.

I have always thought the South African boys had a bit of an advantage this week simply because they have been playing competitive golf back home on the Sunshine Tour. Guys like Branden Grace will be a real handful in Abu Dhabi. I also thought many of the European team members at the EurAsia Cup last week were hitting the ball exceptionally well.

The golf course is once again in brilliant shape, and like every year, people will wonder how the winning score tends to be so low on a layout that is extremely challenging. Really, the only reason for that is because of the quality of the golf course. The rough is thick and the wind could be a bother, but then the greens are extremely true and they roll so well. If you are hitting the ball well, chances are a hot putter will give you a lot of birdies on the National course.

— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time champion on the European Tour