DP World Tour Championship: Field, tee times, and groups for the season finale

The DP World Tour reaches its conclusion in Dubai.

The DP World Tour reaches its climax in Dubai for the season-ending Tour Championship, but who is playing and what are the tee times?

Jump To: Round 4 Tee Times | Who Will Win

Four is set to become five for Rory McIlroy, as the Northern Irishman prepares to end the season as Europe’s No.1 golfer once again. It will be the second time Rory has defended the prestigious Race to Dubai title, having previously won the Order of Merit in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

It is also the first time a player has been crowned champion before the final event of the season. McIlroy did not play at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, where the only players with a chance of catching the four-time Major champion failed to secure enough points to stay in contention.

Adrian Meronk’s T15 finish in South Africa only gained the Polish player 94.5 points, keeping him an insurmountable 2,294 points adrift of McIlroy, with the only other contender, Ryan Fox, finishing T51.

The most legitimate threat to McIlroy’s defense would have come in the shape of World No.3 Jon Rahm, had the Spaniard decided to make the trip to Sun City. A solid performance at the Nedbank would have put a sizable dent into the 2,083-point deficit, making Rory’s walk in Dubai a little less processional.

There is still a rather big tournament to be won in Dubai however, and with McIlroy and Rahm gunning for their third and fourth Tour Championship titles respectively, the competition is likely to be as fierce as ever.

Rahm secured a two-shot victory over the stellar field in 2022, making it three wins and a top-five finish from his four trips to the Earth Course. In doing so, Rahm became the first player to win the Tour Championship three times, and the only player to have won five Rolex Series titles.

While McIlroy and Rahm will no doubt be heavily fancied once again in Dubai, a contingent of their Ryder Cup stablemates including Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and Matt Fitzpatrick will all relish the opportunity to steal bragging rights out in the desert.

Where is the DP World Tour Championship being played?

The 45th and final event of the DP World Tour season is held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, a luxury golf community rated among the best lifestyle estates in the world.

The Estate boasts two Greg-Norman-designed courses – Fire and Earth, with the latter having played host to the DP World Tour’s flagship event for 14 years.

At 7,675 yards, the par-72 Earth course has been inspired by the great parklands of Europe and North America, featuring rolling terrain, rushing water, and unforgiving bunkers. The greens typically run at 12 on the stipmeter and water is on play on the 6th, 14, 16th, 17th, and 18th holes.

Englishman Justin Rose holds the course record at the Earth Course. His ten under 62 in 2012 however was not quite enough to prevent Rory McIlroy from winning his first Tour Championship title.

Read where the Earth Course placed in our Top 100 Best Golf Courses in the Middle East and North Africa.

Who is playing in the DP World Tour Championship?

The Tour Championship will feature the top 50 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings including six of the top 20 in the Official Golf World Rankings.

Ten members of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team from Rome will tee it up in the desert with only Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg missing out. Other notable names not making the 50-player cut are England’s Aaron Rai and Scotland’s Richie Ramsey, who hold six DP Tour wins between them.

Seven of the top 20 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings hail from Scandinavia, including Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Sweden’s Alexander Bjork and Vincent Normrman, Finland’s Sami Valimaki, and Norwegian FedExCup Champion, Victor Hovland.

Non-European golfers in the field include Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, Thriston Lawrence, Tom Kim, Daniel Hillier, Zander Lombard, and Lucas Herbert.

Who will win the DP World Tour Championship?

After a stunning 12-under par 60, England’s Matt Wallace (3/1) has launched himself into title contention, firing 12 birdies to top the leaderboard by a shot going into Sunday’s final round.

Hot on Wallace’s heels however are Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Viktor Hovland (9/5) and Tommy Fleetwood (14/5) who will fancy their chances of a season-ending win in the desert.

Selected others

Nicolai Hojgaard 14/1

Jeff Winther 18/1

Jon Rahm 28/1

Ewen Ferguson 30/1

*Prices reflect an average across bookmakers before the final round.

How much prize money is on offer at the DP World Tour Championship?

Players will compete for a share of the $10 million purse, the biggest in European Golf, with the winner receiving a $3 million share.

How can I watch the DP World Tour Championship?

UK viewers can catch all the action on Sky Sports Golf.

All times GMT

Sunday, October 19: Sky Sports Golf, 06.30

US viewers can catch all the action on Golf Channel

All times EST

Sunday, October 19: Golf Channel, 01.30

DP World Tour Championship: Tee times and groups

Round 4:

DP World Tour – Race to Dubai standings

Going into the season-ending Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy has compiled an insurmountable lead over the chasing pack from just nine tournaments played. Jon Rahm sits 2,082.53 points behind McIlroy from just seven events with Poland’s Adrian Meronk sitting in third a further 212.25 points adrift from 23 tournaments.

Can players secure PGA Tour cards?

A Strategic Alliance between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour has enabled a formal pathway to be established for players to earn dual membership status. Following the Tour Championship, the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings (not otherwise exempt), will gain 2024 PGA Tour exemptions.

Adrian Meronk is currently the highest-ranked player, not otherwise exempt through the top 50 of the 2023 FedExCup standings, and is in prime position to earn an exemption into the Players Championship and two PGA Tour Signature Events in 2024.

Also in contention for dual membership are Rolex Series winner Victor Perez, Ryder Cup rookie Robert MacIntyre, and first-time DP World Tour winner Ryo Hisatsune.

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About the author

Ross Tugwood
Golf Equipment Writer

Ross Tugwood is a golf equipment writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation. He’s also an expert in golf apparel and has a keen interest in sustainability.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

Ross uses a Cobra King SZ Speedzone driver, Titleist TSi2 3-Wood, TaylorMade Sim2 Rescue, Callaway Apex Pro irons (4-PW), Cleveland 588 RTX wedges (52°, 58°), TaylorMade Spider Ex putter, and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.