Eugenio Chacarra will arrive at the DP World Tour Championship as Race to Dubai leader, with the Harry Vardon Trophy firmly within reach.
The season finale takes place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 12-15. If Chacarra finishes top of the pile, he will become only the third Spaniard to be crowned European Number One, after Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm.
Chacarra’s breakthrough season
The latest chapter of the Spaniard’s standout 2026 campaign came in Delhi earlier this month. He played 25 holes on a gruelling final day at the DP World India Championship, signing for a closing 70 to win by two shots on 21 under par.
It was his third title of the year, following back-to-back June victories at the KLM Open and the DS Automobiles 83° Open d’Italia. The win took him to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings on 4,092.89 points, ending Patrick Reed’s long stay at the summit.
The victory also lifted Chacarra 11 places to 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking. It was his fourth DP World Tour title, after he won the Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club last season.
“To be leading the Race to Dubai with two events to go is a dream,” said Chacarra, who will also play in next week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.
“To have the chance to win the Harry Vardon Trophy would be very special. I know the players behind me will push hard in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but I’m playing the best golf of my career and I can’t wait to get there.”
Fleetwood and Meronk head home-town contingent
Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood will also be in the field, chasing a fourth UAE title. The world number seven won back-to-back in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018, claiming the Race to Dubai in the first of those seasons. He then won the inaugural Dubai Invitational in 2024 before lifting the PGA Tour’s FedExCup last year.
Fellow Dubai resident Adrian Meronk arrives in fine form. Earlier this month, the Pole ended a 1,078-day wait for a fifth DP World Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Starting the final day two shots back, he fired a five-under 67 on the Old Course at St Andrews. That carried him past overnight leader Casey Jarvis to a two-shot win.
Joe Dean completes remarkable rise
Englishman Joe Dean has also booked his place in the season finale after one of the stories of the year. He won his maiden DP World Tour title on home soil at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, making 11 birdies in 24 holes on the final day.
Dean was playing on the EuroPro Tour as recently as 2022. He played no ranking golf in 2023, even though he earned his DP World Tour card through Qualifying School that year. A lack of funds meant he did not tee it up until the following February. In the meantime, he kept working as a supermarket delivery driver and saw a hypnotist to help overcome his fear of international travel.
McIlroy, Reed and Major champions confirmed
The quartet join a star-studded field on the Earth course. Seven-time Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy returns in search of an eighth Harry Vardon Trophy, which would equal Colin Montgomerie’s record.
Patrick Reed, displaced at the top of the rankings by Chacarra, is also confirmed. They will be joined by this year’s Major champions Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox. Rai became the first Englishman in 107 years to win the US PGA Championship in May, while Fox lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale in July.
DP World Tour Championship tickets
Now in its 18th year, the DP World Tour Championship is one of Dubai’s leading sporting events. Entry is free on Thursday, November 12, with pre-registration. General Admission tickets for Friday to Sunday start from AED 160, and children aged 17 and under go free on all four days (registration required).
Premium hospitality on the closing holes is selling fast. Sunday in the Championship Chalet and Friday in the Earth Lounge have already sold out.
For tickets and further information, visit dpwtc.com.
