42 Events, 25 Countries, $157.5 Million
Our 2025 season might well have a couple of months to run but we never stand still here on the DP World Tour. It was therefore with great excitement and anticipation that we announced our 2026 global schedule during the week of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Featuring a minimum of 42 Race to Dubai tournaments in 25 different countries, the schedule will once again 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’ here in the UAE in November. In addition, members will compete for a record total prize fund of $157.5 million (outside the Major Championships) on our Tour next season.
Middle East Takes Centre Stage Early in 2026
Once again, our region will play a hugely significant part in shaping the destiny of the 2026 Race to Dubai champion with six tournaments scheduled for our shores.
The first four come in a consecutive run in January and February, starting with the return of the Dubai Invitational at the Dubai Creek Resort. Last played in 2024, it produced a memorable tournament with Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood winning by a shot from recently crowned Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy and five-time DP World Tour champion Thriston Lawrence.
Following that is the 37th staging of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club from January 22–25 and the Bahrain Championship, making its third appearance from January 29–February 1. Rounding out this particular month-long spell will be an as-yet-unconfirmed Middle East event from February 5–8, also part of the International Swing.
New Global Stops Add Excitement
While the UAE will not play host to any specific events in our Back 9 later in the year, our Tour title partner DP World will sponsor the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club from October 15–18. Two new tournaments also join the 2026 calendar: the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic from July 16–19, and the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship in Barcelona from May 7–10.
The Puntacana Championship takes the place of the Barracuda Championship, with 50 DP World Tour playing spots also available for the ISCO Championship in Kentucky the week earlier. Meanwhile, El Prat hosts a DP World Tour event for the first time since the 2015 Open de España, with Catalunya’s golf scene boosted further by the announcement that the 2031 Ryder Cup will be played at Camiral.
Race to Dubai Deciders Return to the UAE
As always, the season will conclude in the UAE with the two play-off events: the Abu Dhabi Championship from November 5–8, followed by the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 12–15, where the 2026 Race to Dubai champion will be crowned.
Of course, plenty of excitement remains in 2025 with six tournaments still to come after this week’s Ryder Cup in the United States. Last year’s champion Rory McIlroy leads the standings, chased by England’s Marco Penge and France’s Adrien Saddier. It’s all to play for before we turn the page to 2026.
BY: TOM PHILLIPS, DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE EAST, THE DP WORLD TOUR
To view the full 2026 schedule, click here.
