The DP World Tour Championship marks the climax of the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and nine players will make their debut in the final Rolex Series event of 2022.
The field contesting the 14th edition of the tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates features the top 50 players on the season-long Rankings.
Here, we look at those who will be making their first appearance on the Earth Course after impressive DP World Tour campaigns.
Thriston Lawrence
The South African comes into the final DP World Tour event of the season in 11th place on the DP World Tour Rankings after winning two titles. He claimed his maiden DP World Tour victory at the Joburg Open last November as he became the first winner in the new DP World Tour era. The title saw him earn a place in his first Major Championship at this year’s 150th Open at St Andrews. A second triumph followed at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in August. The 25-year-old has recorded a further six top tens and comes into the season finale battling with fellow debutant Yannik Paul to be crowned Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
Ewen Ferguson
The Scot is one of five graduates from last year’s European Challenge Tour to secure his spot in the field for the DP World Tour Championship after a sensational campaign. He secured his maiden DP World Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and lifted another trophy later in the year at the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics in Northern Ireland. He almost made it a hat-trick of wins as he finished second at the Made in HimmerLand three weeks later and is unquestionably one of the breakout stars of 2022.
Yannik Paul
The German became the second 2021 Challenge Tour graduate to win on the DP World Tour this year after he birdied the final hole to win the Mallorca Golf Open last month. He started his DP World Tour career with a top ten at the Joburg Open. Another four followed, including finishing second at the Soudal Open before his maiden victory and Paul will be hoping to be in contention once again this week as he bids to become the second consecutive German to win the rookie of the year award, after Matthias Schmid last year.
Hurly Long
One of three Germans set to feature at the DP World Tour Championship. Long, a Challenge Tour graduate from last year, finished third at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and second in Kenya in just his third and fourth events of the season. Since then, he has added a further six top tens, including both the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship which were open to DP World Tour members due to the strategic alliance with the PGA TOUR. Confidence will not be in short supply after further top tens in Mallorca and Portugal.
Oliver Bekker
The South African graduated from the Challenge Tour last year after finishing seventh on the Road to Mallorca. He quickly established himself as a top-ten machine on the DP World Tour, finishing in the top ten in six of eight events from February into the start of May, including a runner-up finish at the Catalunya Championship after losing out in the play-off to Adri Arnaus. A tie for fourth at the Soudal Open in Belgium two weeks later moved him into the top ten on the DP World Tour Rankings. He has since been unable to maintain that remarkable run of form but did finish in the top ten at the DS Automobiles Italian Open in September.
Richard Mansell
A maiden DP World Tour title might still elude the Englishman, but it appears only a matter of time before it comes his way. Despite beginning the campaign without his full playing privileges, the 27-year-old has shone when opportunities have presented themselves to comfortably secure his place in Dubai. His first top ten of the campaign came at The Belfry in the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, before two more in quick succession in the Netherlands and Germany. He qualified for The Open Championship for the second year running, playing all four rounds at St Andrews. A top five followed in Northern Ireland before he finished in a tie for seventh at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after holding the 54-hole lead.
Sebastian Söderberg
After a slow start to the season, the Swede narrowly missed out on his second DP World Tour title as he finished runner-up to Thorbjørn Olesen at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett in May. Another top five finish followed later that month at the Dutch Open. An indifferent spell of results followed before a return to the scene of past success in the Swiss Alps brought about an encouraging top 15 finish. With time running out on climbing up the season-long standings, the 32-year-old finished in a tie for 15 at the Portugal Masters and then bettered that with a final-day charge to share fifth place at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Marcel Schneider
The German recovered from missing his first six cuts of the season to seal three consecutive top tens in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany in May and June. Three further top tens have since followed, with Schneider not missing a cut since he withdrew from the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale in early August. He made his Major Championship debut earlier this season at The Country Club and is now set for another career first in Dubai.
David Law
The Scotsman made his dream Major Championship debut in The 150th Open at St Andrews earlier this season. He secured his spot at The Home of Golf with a tie for fourth at the Horizon Irish Open seeing him finish among the top three players not already exempt for the final Major of the year. A top five on home soil at the Hero Open proved another highlight in his campaign but, following a top 20 in South Africa last week, a first visit to the Earth Course marks the perfect way to close out his campaign.
