It’s the final week of the Race to Dubai, and some of the world’s biggest golfers are in town at the end of a long year.
The Earth Course, designed by Greg Norman, will once again play host to the final event of the season, the DP World Tour Championship.
The winner this week will pick up £2.2 million, more than is on offer at the majors, with the Race to Dubai champion collecting £700,000.
What is the Race to Dubai
The Race to Dubai is the European Tour’s season-long competition, culminating in the DP World Tour Championship.
Point are awarded at each tournament throughout the season, with more points at stake in the four majors and also the World Golf Championships. This means players who are based in America can still pick up lots of points, despite playing in very few European Tour events.
The top 50 in the standings, along with certain other players, have progressed to this week’s season-finale.
Unlike the PGA Tour’s play-off events, the FedEx Cup, there is no handicap system put in place for the final tournament, so there are only a certain number of players who can still mathematically win the Race to Dubai.
Who is playing at the DP World Tour Championship
Nine of Europe’s Ryder Cup team will be in action in the no-cut event, including tournament favourite Rory McIlroy.
The 53-man field has been set by the Race to Dubai standings, though Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia have both been given special exemptions, while American Will Zalatoris gets in due to his world ranking.
Jon Rahm has decided not to travel to Dubai, choosing to end his season and spend time with his family instead.
Viktor Hovland will also skip the event, while last season’s Race to Dubai champion Lee Westwood has not qualified. Justin Rose is the third qualified player not taking part.
Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel are both looking to become the first American to win the Race to Dubai.
Morikawa’s nine European Tour events played this season include just three played outside of the United States.
His record in the majors and WGC events, particularly his victory at The Open, means that he is the man to beat.
Where to watch the DP World Tour Championship
TV channel: You can watch the action from 5am GMT on Thursday, on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf. The first two hours will cover the featured groups, before full live coverage from 7am.
That’s the same for the first three days from Dubai, with full coverage beginning at 6:30am on Sunday.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the tournament on the Sky Go App.
McIlroy tees off at 7:25am on Thursday, with Horschel and Morikawa last out at 8:45am.
Current top ten in the Race to Dubai:
| Pos. | Player | Events played | Race to Dubai Points |
| 1 | Collin Morikawa | 9 | 3,856.40 |
| 2 | Billy Horschel | 10 | 3,620.20 |
| 3 | Jon Rahm | 9 | 3,402.50 |
| 4 | Tyrrell Hatton | 13 | 2,472.10 |
| 5 | Min Woo Lee | 20 | 2,187.10 |
| 6 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 13 | 2,113.20 |
| 7 | Paul Casey | 10 | 2,053.80 |
| 8 | Richard Bland | 22 | 1,843.60 |
| 9 | Abraham Ancer | 9 | 1,838.20 |
| 10 | Bernd Wiesberger | 21 | 1,745.00 |
Recent Race to Dubai winners
2020: Lee Westwood
2019: Jon Rahm
2018: Francesco Molinari
2017: Tommy Fleetwood
2016: Henrik Stenson
2015: Rory McIlroy
Who can win the Race to Dubai
Only six of those playing this week are in with a chance of finishing top of the Race to Dubai standings.
The winner of the final tournament will earn 2,000 Race to Dubai points, with the golfer finishing last on Sunday awarded just 50.40 points.
With Rahm not competing, only Horschel, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Paul Casey are able to catch Morikawa at the top.
Both Horschel and Morikawa could win overall even with fairly poor performances this week, depending on how the other one does, but the other four players in the running all have to win and also hope the American duo slip-up.
