Everything you need to know about the Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour.
What is the Race to Dubai?
The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition where golfing icons and upcoming stars battle it out across a global schedule to be crowned the DP World Tour’s Number One player.
How does the Race to Dubai work?
The Race to Dubai is a points-based ranking for DP World Tour members.
Featuring a minimum of 42 tournaments in a minimum of 26 countries, the schedule will see DP World Tour members compete for a record total prize fund of $153million outside the Major Championships.
· The Global Swings: Five ‘Global Swings’ showcase the different cultures and courses the DP World Tour has to offer.
· The Back 9: The Race heats up on the ‘Back 9’ with increased Race to Dubai Ranking Points on offer and the chance to qualify for the DP World Tour Play-Offs
· The DP World Tour Play-Offs: The final Sprint. 70 players remain and the Race to Dubai concludes with two Rolex Series events in the Middle East, as the DP World Tour Number One player is crowned.
The player with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the Race to Dubai champion, winning the Harry Vardon Trophy.
There is a provisional cut-off in the Race to Dubai rankings for the top 110 players to retain membership for the following season.
What happens at each phase?
For the second consecutive season, the schedule will comprise three distinct phases, beginning with five ‘Global Swings’ followed by the ‘Back 9’, with the season then culminating with the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’ in November 2025.
Phase One – The Global Swings
The Global Swings consist of five individual ‘Swings’ – the Opening Swing, the International Swing, the Asian Swing, the European Swing, and the Closing Swing - with each Swing having its own individual Swing Rankings.
At the end of each Swing, the leading player will be crowned ‘Swing Champion’ and will qualify for each of the ‘Back 9’ events.
Phase Two – The Back 9
The Back 9 encompasses 9 of the DP World Tour’s most historic tournaments and national Opens with increased Race to Dubai Rankings Points on offer.
The eligibility for all Back 9 tournaments will continue to be a hybrid model based on the Exemption Category List with some access for the best in the world and the top performers not otherwise exempt from the current Race to Dubai Rankings.
Phase Three – The DP World Tour Play-Offs
The DP World Tour Play-Offs comprise the two final Rolex Series events of the season – the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship.
The top 70 qualifying players on the Race to Dubai will battle it out in Abu Dhabi to secure enough Race to Dubai Rankings Points to progress to the season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, where the DP World Tour’s Number One player will be crowned.
Finally, the top ten DP World Tour members on the final 2025 Race to Dubai Rankings (not otherwise exempt) will earn a PGA TOUR card, becoming dual members for the 2026 season.
How are Race to Dubai Ranking Points awarded?
· Tournaments within the Global Swings carry 3,000 to 4,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points
· Tournaments within the Back 9 are worth 5,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points
· Tournaments within the DP World Tour Play-Offs are increased, with 9,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points on offer at the Abu Dhabi Championship and 12,000 available at the season ending DP World Tour Championship.
Players will then be awarded a “share” of the points based on their finishing position in the tournament.
Prior to the DP World Tour Play-offs, tournaments that form part of the Rolex Series carry 8,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points.
The four Major Championships each have 10,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points.
What is a Rolex Series event?
Launched in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s partnership with the DP World Tour, the Rolex Series is the premium category of events on the DP World Tour.
As already referenced, the Rolex Series events carry elevated Race to Dubai Ranking points and increased prize-funds for players.
Who is the reigning Race to Dubai champion?
Rory McIlroy is the reigning European Number One, having won the season-long competition for a sixth time in 2024.
Past Race to Dubai winners
Since the Race to Dubai was launched in 2009, there have been nine different champions: Lee Westwood (2009, 2020), Martin Kaymer (2010), Luke Donald (2011), Rory McIlroy (2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024), Henrik Stenson (2013, 2016), Tommy Fleetwood (2017), Francesco Molinari (2018), Jon Rahm (2019), Collin Morikawa (2021).
Prior to that, the season-long contest was known as the Order of Merit. Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie holds the record of winning the season-long ranking eight times.
Among other past winners are Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Ernie Els.
