DP World Tour Championship: The Punter's Preview
Just two weeks before the 2026 DP World Tour begins with the BMW Australian PGA Championship, the 2025 season concludes with the traditional finale—the DP World Tour Championship.
Event Overview
First held 16 years ago, the DP World Tour Championship launched alongside the Race to Dubai, the tour’s answer to the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. This tournament serves as the second Playoff event after last week's Abu Dhabi Championship and is the fifth and final tournament of the Rolex Series.
The event features a limited field of the top 50 players in the standings and often decides the winner of the Race to Dubai—a title Rory McIlroy is chasing for the fourth consecutive year.
The Venue: Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates
- Location: Dubai, UAE
- Par: 72
- Yardage: 7,706 yards
- Stroke index in 2024: 71.35
The Earth Course, designed by Greg Norman, has hosted the event since its inception. It is a long desert-style track marked by wide fairways and 99 bunkers, making it both challenging and fair.
The greens are large, undulating, and composed of Tifeagle Bermuda grass, usually running at 12 on the stimpmeter, with many run-off areas.
Water hazards come into play on holes 6, 14, and the last three holes, contributing to a dramatic and exciting finish.
"The Earth Course has been the event's venue since its inception. It's a long typical desert track with generous fairways and 99 bunkers."
"The Tifeagle Bermuda grass greens are large and undulating, with a lot of run-off areas, and they're usually set to run at 12 on the stimpmeter."
"Water is in-play on the 6th, the 14th and last three holes. It's a stunning finish that has the potential to produce much drama."
Author's summary: The DP World Tour Championship marks a dramatic end to the 2025 season, held on Dubai’s challenging Earth Course, where top players battle to secure the Race to Dubai title.