published: Oct 13, 2024

updated: Oct 16, 2025

How does the Race to Dubai work?

Matt Chivers

Here is a breakdown of the Race to Dubai as we near the end of the DP World Tour season…

The PGA Tour has the FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour equivalent is the Race to Dubai, and also the DP World Tour Playoffs. Let’s take a look at what it is.

How does the Race to Dubai work?

The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition on the DP World Tour schedule, culminating in a season finale, the DP World Tour Championship (November 13-16), for the top 50 players in the rankings.

The top 70 players reach the Abu Dhabi Championship (November 6-9) the week prior to the DP World Tour Championship, before the cut-off to 50 players for the finale. These two events make up the DP World Tour Playoffs.

The final event of the regular season is the Genesis Championship in South Korea, finishing on October 26.

The season is divided into different sections. The opening swing began in Australia in November and finished in Mauritius towards the end of December.

The International Swing started in January and reached the end of March, when the Asian Swing began. The European Swing then began with the Turkish Airlines Open on May 8.

The Closing Swing started with the Genesis Scottish Open on July 10, and the Back 9 got underway with the Betfred British Masters. The Back 9 is the last extended period before the two-event DP World Tour Playoffs.

The Race to Dubai is used to crown the tour’s number one golfer by accumulating points from each event that a player participates in and the winner is the golfer with the most points at the end of the season. It was formerly known as the Order of Merit until 2009.

There is currently a provisional cut-off in the Race to Dubai rankings where players’ DP World Tour membership is in jeopardy after the Genesis Championship. The cut-off usually comes for the top 110 players, but the cut currently stands at the top 115 players.

DP World Tour Championship

The season-ending event is the DP World Tour Championship and is only for the top 50 players in the standings. These 50 players will battle to win the season’s finale and the lion’s share of the $10 million prize purse.

The DP World Tour Championship is played on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

In 2024, Rory McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship, which led to him winning the Race to Dubai for the third time in a row.

Some of the world’s best players have won the event, including McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.

Winners of the Race to Dubai

2009 Lee Westwood
2010 Martin Kaymer
2011 Luke Donald
2012 Rory McIlroy
2013 Henrik Stenson
2014 Rory McIlroy
2015 Rory McIlroy
2016 Henrik Stenson
2017 Tommy Fleetwood
2018 Francesco Molinari
2019 Jon Rahm
2020 Lee Westwood
2021 Collin Morikawa
2022 Rory McIlroy
2023 Rory McIlroy
2024 Rory McIlroy

NOW READ: DP World Tour 2025 schedule and results

NOW READ: LIV Golfers pitch up at prestigious DP World Tour event – but why is this allowed?

NOW READ: Why was a LIV Golfer allowed to play and win on the DP World Tour?

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About the author

Matt Chivers

Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.

Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.

Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.

Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as the Masters, The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spoken to many of the biggest names in the sport.

Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.

What’s in Matt’s bag: Cleveland HiBore XL Driver driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, Benross BR-Pro irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.

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The PGA Tour has the FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour equivalent is the Race to Dubai, and also the DP World Tour Playoffs. Let’s take a look at what it is.