This week’s DP World Tour Championship marks the tip of the season on the DP World Tour and the conclusion of a really tumultuous 12 months for that league. Amid an elevated strategic alliance with the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf drama that has coursed up and down the tour, the main target has hardly been on the golf.
Still, there’s a chance for the main target to shift again to the course totally with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton teeing it up at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai for a $10 million DP World Tour Championship purse and, moreover, the highest spot on Europe’s season-long race (tantamount to the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup).
Let’s check out a couple of issues to find out about this week’s finale in Dubai and set the stage for what may occur.
1. Down to seven
Though anybody in the field can win the DP World Tour Championship, the record of golfers who can win the season-long factors race is down to seven. Despite enjoying simply 9 DP World Tour occasions this season, McIlroy leads the race narrowly over New Zealander Ryan Fox, who has performed 23 occasions. Those two are probably the most in management of their very own future in Dubai. Here are the situations:
- Rory McIlroy: If he wins this week or finishes forward of the opposite six, he wins the season-long race
- Ryan Fox: Has to win or end forward of McIlroy (and everybody else) by a large sufficient margin
- Matt Fitzpatrick: Has to end in high two and have McIlroy end worse than seventh and Fox not win
- Tommy Fleetwood: Has to win and have McIlroy end worse than third and Fox worse than second
- Viktor Hovland: Has to win and have McIlroy end worse than fourth and Fox worse than third
- Shane Lowry: Has to win and have McIlroy to end worse than seventh, Fox worse than fifth and Fitzpatrick worse than second
- Adrian Meronk: Has to win and have McIlroy to end worse than sixteenth, Fox worse than eighth and Fitzpatrick worse than second
The situations are advanced for everybody aside from McIlroy and Fox, and given how nicely McIlroy performs on this golf course (see under), he actually controls his personal future in methods the opposite six don’t.
2. No defending champion
Two-time main winner Collin Morikawa is not going to defend his title from final 12 months. Morikawa mentioned he has “some upcoming personal commitments”, and subsequently will not try to change into the primary since Henrik Stenson in 2013-14 to return to again on the season-ending event.
3. Rory’s double
McIlroy has gained three FedEx Cups and three season-long races on the European facet, however he is by no means held each on the similar time. Considering the extent at which he is enjoying — 3.0 strokes gained per spherical since June 1, which is laugh-out-loud good — and with the FedEx Cup at the moment beneath his belt, that is in all probability his finest alternative to do one thing that has by no means been achieved. In his final eight occasions worldwide, McIlroy has extra wins (2) than finishes exterior the highest eight (1).
4. Matt Fitzpatrick’s magical ending
I’m unsure Fitzpatrick has gotten the credit score he deserves for his 2022. He has 11 high 10s throughout all excursions and has improved his strokes gained quantity for the eleventh (!!) consecutive 12 months. His U.S. Open title was a spotlight, however it does really feel as if he is been a bit of misplaced in the shuffle since then. This is a chance to, like Morikawa a 12 months in the past, punctuate a unbelievable season that included a serious win with the most effective topper of all on the DP World Tour. Fitzpatrick has gained two of the final six DP World Tour Championships (Rahm has two others), and to make it three of seven in this field can be extraordinary.
5. LIV Golf presence
There are LIV gamers in the field — Richard Bland and Adrian Otaegui will each tee it up — however none of them have an opportunity to win, which isn’t a state of affairs DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley needs on his fingers. What’s maybe extra fascinating is that the No. 7 participant in the factors race, Thomas Pieters, shouldn’t be teeing it up in Dubai. He introduced in October that he was going to miss time as a result of he and his spouse have been anticipating their second youngster, so it is doubtless that is why he will not be right here. However, his name has recently been in the LIV rumor mill, which as we have seen with LIV, could possibly be nothing in any respect however may find yourself being one thing. Only time will inform, although Pieters’ presence on the finale will definitely be missed after the good season he is put collectively.