The DP World Tour heads to Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai this week for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, with plenty to play for as an exciting season comes to a close. Here are your five things to know.
Race to be European Number One goes down to the wire
World Number One Rory McIlroy heads into the final event of the campaign atop the season-long DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, but he holds a slender lead of just over 100 points after Ryan Fox closed the gap with his runner up finish at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge. If McIlroy can see off his challengers he would complete a rare double by following up winning the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup in August by becoming the European Number One. The Northern Irishman has won both the FedExCup and the Harry Vardon Trophy three times but never in the same year. Fox is aiming to become the first player from New Zealand to top the Rankings after a stellar season in which he has won twice on the DP World Tour, in Ras al Khaimah and Scotland.. Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, who lies third in the standings, has an enviable record on the Earth Course, having won the season-ending event in 2020. Last year’s edition saw Collin Morikawa claim a sublime Dubai double after he birdied five of his last seven holes to become the first American to win both the season-long rankings and DP World Tour Championship, part of the DP World Tour schedule since 2009.
Stellar field assemble for final Rolex Series event of 2022
The 14th edition of the DP World Tour Championship features the top 50 players available on the DP World Tour Rankings. Among them are a several Major Champions, with McIlroy joined by Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm, the winners of the U.S. Open over the last two years, and 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry. The Irishman won his second Rolex Series event when he finished one shot ahead of McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championship in September. McIlroy, Fitzpatrick and Rahm are all bidding to become the first player to win the season-ending event for a third time. They are joined by fellow European Ryder Cup stars Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood, who won his sixth DP World Tour title at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday.
G4D Tour finale
In addition to the 2022 DP World Tour campaign reaching a conclusion this week, the inaugural G4D Tour season will also draw to a close in Dubai. The leading golfers with a disability have so far competed in six events, held in the same week and over the same courses as DP World Tour events. The G4D Tour Series Finale sees an eight-strong field contest for the final trophy of the year on the same layout as the DP World Tour professionals. The Finale will he played on Friday November 18 and Saturday November 19, with the leading eight players in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) aiming to end the year on a high. Englishman Kipp Popert has won on four occasions, with compatriot Mike Browne and Italy’s Tommaso Perrino joining him in the winner’s circle. World Number Two Brendan Lawlor, who has three runner-up finishes on the G4D Tour this season, was the winner of last year’s EDGA Dubai Finale. Chris Biggins of the United States, Juan Postigo Arce of Spain, Kurtis Barkley of Canada and Sweden’s Rasmus Lia complete the line-up of players aiming to end the year on a high.
Rookie of the year to be decided
The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award is one of the most prestigious honours awarded on the DP World Tour, dating back to 1960. South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence and Yannik Paul of Germany arrive in Dubai as the leading contenders after standout seasons. Lawrence won his first DP World Tour title at the season-opening Joburg Open last November before he added a second in Switzerland, while Paul claimed his breakthrough win in Mallorca last month. Their performances have secured debut appearances at the DP World Tour Championship, with Lawrence and Paul coming into the week 11th and 19th respectively on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. They are bidding to join an impressive list of former Rookie of the Year winners, including Sir Nick Faldo (1977) and Jon Rahm (2017), both of whom have gone on to become World Number One.
Golf in the metaverse
The DP World Tour is known for pioneering new innovations in the game of golf, and fans at this week’s event can experience a world-first with the launch of a new tournament in the metaverse. The Tour has partnered with AAA Game Studios to develop the game which can be played on GolF5 eClub, a leading virtual reality platform. Players will be able to compete against each other in a virtual reality simulation of the final three holes of the Earth Course. The immersive game is available to play from November 10-25, with spectators attending the DP World Tour Championship also getting the chance to enter the competition at a dedicated gaming area in the spectator village. The winner of the tournament will receive an NFT of the DP World Tour Championship trophy and their very own DP World Tour branded golf tour bag. Speaking about the initiative, Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “These innovations will make the DP World Tour Championship a multi-dimensional entertainment spectacle - both on and off the course.”
