The denouement (or finale) of the DP World Tour’s 2024-25 season unfolds this week, and the rewards (or consequences) in Dubai are exceptionally vast (or tremendous). The DP World Tour Championship is significantly greater than (or transcends) a mere $10 million competition; it represents (or serves as) the peak (or zenith) of the Race to Dubai, identifying the tour’s preeminent golfer and providing transformative (or epoch-making) compensation (or prizes).
In stark contrast to its constantly shifting American twin event, the European climax has remained a stronghold of custom since the Order of Merit was superseded by the Race to Dubai in 2009. This week, within the breathtaking confines of the Jumeirah Golf Estates, a masterpiece conceived by Greg Norman, the human story is ready to play out.
The Prize: Cash, A Trophy, and Life on the PGA Tour
The tournament itself is a jewel in the Rolex Series crown. It’s a 72-hole, no-cut affair with a whopping $10 million purse, where the winner takes home a massive $3 million.
Simultaneously, the season’s overall champion will be crowned, claiming the prestigious Harry Vardon Trophy along with a share of the $6 million bonus fund for the Race to Dubai, with $1.5 million designated for the leading points scorer.
Perhaps the most life-changing reward is the one-time opportunity: the top 10 players in the final Race to rankings in Dubai who haven’t already secured exemption will earn their PGA Tour cards for the season 2026. Every golfer competing this week still has a shot at one of these priceless positions, turning an already impressive season into a career-defining moment.
The Field: Who’s In and Who’s Missing
The field is a collection of the top 50 players on the Race to Dubai standings, plus special exemptions for European Ryder Cup heroes Ludvig Aberg (making his debut) and Shane Lowry.
However, a few stars are missing from the line-up:
Jon Rahm is taking a well-earned sabbatical after a winless year.
Viktor Hovland is sidelined, still recovering from the neck injury he sustained on the final day of the Ryder Cup.
Sepp Straka is absent due to a family matter.
Notably, Hovland is the only player in the top 50 standings who won’t be teeing it up.
The Race to Dubai: McIlroy’s Legacy Confronts the Contenders
All scrutiny converges on Rory McIlroy, the Ulsterman who appears in Dubai perched atop the Race to Dubai leaderboard. Fueled by massive acheivements such as the Masters and the Irish Open, alongside a T-3 finish in Abu Dhabi last week—where he registered his lowest-ever DP World Tour round—McIlroy commands a terrifying advantage.
He’s confident on this track, saying the Jumeirah course “really suits me.” McIlroy is chasing history:
He is going for his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title.
A seventh overall title would bring him just one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight Order of Merit crowns.
He also won this specific tournament, the DP World Tour Championship, last year—his third time doing so.
Only two other players have a statistical shot at overtaking the powerhouse.
Marco Penge: The revelation of 2025, Penge has already triumphed thrice this season, including at the Spanish Open. He has virtually secured his PGA Tour card.
Tyrrell Hatton: Even with playing most of his golf on LIV, Hatton’s victory in Dubai at the start of the season has kept him in the running.
Rory’s path is clear: win or runner-up, and the title is his. Penge must place in a three-way tie for second or higher, while Hatton requires victory and a perfect alignment of other results.
The PGA Tour Card Battle
The fight for the ten PGA Tour cards is a gripping subplot. Marco Penge has virtually secured his spot. The players currently holding the remaining nine cards are: Kristoffer Reitan, Adrien Saddier, John Parry, Alex Noren, Laurie Canter, Haotong Li, Daniel Brown, Keita Nakajima, and Jordan Smith.
With the season’s finale upon us, any player who plays exceptionally well this week can vault past rivals and secure their spot on golf’s biggest stage for 2026. The pressure is enormous, and for a select few, this week is truly a career-defining, make-or-break moment.