Masters champion Rory McIlroy has confirmed he is set to take part in the 2026 Dubai Invitational at the end of January – snubbing a PGA Tour event in the process
15:53, 22 Oct 2025Updated 15:57, 22 Oct 2025
Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will take part in January’s Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort(Image: (Jason Butler/Getty Images))
Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will miss the first PGA Tour Signature Event of the season in favour of playing the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort. The five-time Major Champion currently leads the 2025 Race to Dubai and is set to start the 2026 campaign with back-to-back weeks in the UAE for the Dubai Invitational and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy released a statement announcing his intention to start the new season in the UAE, meaning he will miss the first PGA Tour Signature Event of the calendar year. The Sentry is scheduled to start on January 8 and will run until January 11, but the Northern Irishman won’t be playing for the seventh year in a row.
He said: “I’m excited to be starting my year in Dubai. The UAE is a place where I’ve enjoyed a lot of great weeks, and I’m sure this will be no different.
“Dubai Creek Resort was a fantastic host venue two years ago, and Abdulla and his team put on an incredible event.
“I came very close to winning that week, so I’m hoping 2026 will be another really good year for me – and to start strong in the Middle East would be the perfect way to get it under way.”
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Hideki Matsuyama broke the PGA Tour scoring record in a season-opening win at The Sentry in Hawaii last year, and in doing so pocketed £2.7m in prize money. McIlroy’s decision will see him forgo the chance to win that prize, but it doesn’t come as a huge surprise given he hasn’t played the tournament since 2019, when he finished tied for fourth.
The call to start in Dubai could be a wise one, as it is still yet to be confirmed where next year’s tournament will take place.
The PGA confirmed last month that the competition will not be played in Hawaii at the start of 2026 due to watering issues at the Kapalua Resort. And while no decision has been made on a replacement, NBC and Golf Channel analyst Mark Rolfing suggested earlier this month that the event might not go ahead as planned.
“I don’t think there is any scenario where the Sentry can be played in 2026,” he told the Fried Egg Golf podcast. “There’s all these conversations about why couldn’t we play somewhere else.
Hideki Matsuyama poses for a picture after winning The Sentry 2025 at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club last year(Image: (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images))
“The schedule is basically full. We’re 85 days away from the start of the tournament. It’s just too late. There’s just no time for planning.”
Before he continued: “We understand what happened and we need to really start thinking about 2027 for the Sentry and for the Sony Open [played a week later].
“Those two are joined at the hip in a way. And how do we overcome the issues that are starting to magnify themselves that are going to make it more complicated for Hawaii.”
McIlroy played a starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black last month – their first win on American soil in 13 years. He returned to action at the DP World India Championship but placed in a tie for 26th at 11 under.
The Northern Irishman is yet to confirm his PGA Tour schedule for 2026 but will compete in the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne on December 4.
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