The Dubai Racing season reaches its climax this week at the DP Tour World Championship, live on Sky Sportswith nine players still in with a chance to top the standings during the season.
Only the top 50 players available in the rankings are eligible to do so at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, where Eugenio Chacarra enters as the leader of the Dubai Race and seeks to become only the third Spaniard to win the Order of Merit.
Countryman Jon Rahm is among those in contention to lift the Harry Vardon Trophy after his victory at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship on Sunday, his sixth Rolex Series victory, while Rory McIlroy chases a record eighth Dubai Tour title.
McIlroy moved past Patrick Reed into second after his third-place finish in Abu Dhabi, with the Masters champion well placed to challenge Chacarra and win the Dubai Race for a fourth consecutive season.
The winner of the DP World Tour Championship takes home 2,000 points, with Casey Jarvis, Aaron Rai, Rahm, Jayden Schaper, Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier all still — at least mathematically — in contention to win the Race to Dubai.
Only Chacarra and McIlroy are in full control of their own destiny in the Race to Dubai, with a win to guarantee the No. 1 spot, but there are plenty of other scenarios and permutations to determine who lifts the trophy on Sunday.
How can Rory McIlroy win the Race to Dubai?
McIlroy trails Chacarra on 533.93 points but could finish as high as fourth – worth 600 points – and win the Race to Dubai again, depending on how the Spaniard and others perform.
A win for McIlroy would take him to 5,709.86 points and guarantee the Race to Dubai, regardless of other results, while a single second would be enough if Chacarra or Reed do not win the tournament.
Rory McIlroy is looking to match Colin Montgomerie’s record for most Order of Merit titles
A single third is worth 752 points and would take McIlroy to 4,461.86 points, leaving him needing Chacarra to be off 11 balls, Reed to be under par for second and none of Jarvis, Rai or Rahm to win.
McIlroy’s fourth-place finish would require even more to overtake the Race to Dubai victory, as he would need Chacarra at 46-under, Reed off a second and none of the others within 2,000 points of the current lead to win.
How does Chacarra maintain his Race to Dubai lead?
Chacarra has topped the rankings since winning the India DP World Championship, his third win of the season after claiming the Open d’Italia and KLM Open in June, although he has seen his lead cut after finishing tied for 22nd in his last two starts.
Victory guarantees he would join Seve Ballestero and Rahm as the only Spanish winners of the Order of Merit, as well as second place if McIlroy does not win.
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Highlights from day four of the India PD World Championship, where Eugenio Chacarra took his third win of the season
Third would secure the Race to Dubai if McIlroy finishes no higher than sole second and Reed is not the winner, while sole fourth would require both title rivals outside the top two and Jarvis not to win.
Anything below the lead brings many other scenarios into play, although Chacarra could finish bottom this week in Dubai and still become the season champion.
McIlroy and Chacarra will play together in the opening round of the DP Tour World Championship
What do Reed and the others need to win the Race to Dubai?
A win for Reed would secure the Dubai Race if Chacarra wasn’t in second place, while a runner-up would take him to No. 1 if McIlroy is out of the top two and Chacarra less than a share of third.
For Jarvis – currently fourth – to claim the Race to Dubai, the South African will need to win, McIlroy to finish outside the top two and Chacarra to finish no higher than fourth.
Rai and Rahm are both looking for a win as well as Chacarra to be out of the top seven and for both McIlroy and Rahm to be lower than second, while Schaper, Fox and Hillier are looking for Chacarra to finish further to keep their slim hopes alive.
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Highlights from the final round of the PGA Championship, where Aaron Rai won his first major
Who will earn their PGA Tour cards this week?
The top 10 players – not otherwise excluded – in the Dubai Race standings after this week will earn PGA Tour cards for next season, with many places still up for grabs.
Chacarra, Reed, Jarvis and Schaper all have their PGA Tour cards locked up, with Hillier, Jacob Skov Olesen and Bernd Wiesberger all well placed to secure dual membership for 2027.
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Speaking ahead of The Masters, former champion Patrick Reed explained why he made the decision to leave LIV Golf and his intentions to return to the PGA Tour
Andy Sullivan, Oliver Lindell and Joe Dean are the others who start the week inside the top 10, although every qualified player in the DP Tour World Championship field still has a chance to move high enough in the Dubai Race rankings to earn a PGA Tour card.
Spanish quartet Angel Ayora, Nacho Elvira, Angel Hidalgo and David Puig are the next four players in the pecking order not already ruled out, ahead of South Africa’s Henni du Plessis and England’s Dan Bradbury.
Who will win the race to Dubai? Watch all four rounds of the DP Tour World Championship live on Sky Sports. Live coverage starts on Thursday from 7am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event. Get the latest Sky Sports offers OR golf stream and more sports without a contract.