The DP World Tour playoffs have begun, but only eight 2025 Ryder Cup European stars are teeing off at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links
Viktor Hovland not performing in either DP World Tour playoff event due to neck injury(Image: Getty Images)
The DP World Tour Playoffs have begun, with the first of two events underway after the circuit’s top 70 players headed to Yas Links at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but some big names are missing.
The DP World Tour comes to a close with two playoff tournamennts, with the finale in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. First, 72 players will tee off in competition in Abu Dhabi, including Shane Lowry and Ludvig Aberg thanks to their appearances at Bethpage Black in the Ryder Cup even though they finished outside the top-70 in the Race to Dubai standings.
With Lowry and Aberg in the field, there are eight European Ryder Cup players that are going against each other in the $9 million tournament, which means four of them are missing from the field.
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Some are not participating at Yas Links, including Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
Rahm spent most of his time playing on the LIV Golf circuit this season and had definitely done enough to finish inside the top-70 in the Race to Dubai rankings, but he decided to skip his exemption into the playoffs and said at the Spanish Open last month that he would be back in LIV’s 2026 opener next February.
Viktor Hovland is also not participating at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, as he went on to finish T-6 at the DP World India Championship in October.
Hovland also decided to not play in the Middle East after going out with a neck injury in New York at the Ryder Cup and is still recovering.
Sepp Straka is among his fellow Ryder Cup teammates who won’t be found teeing off at the DP World Tour Playoff this week.
He was initially going to play in the events, but was given clearance by the Tour to not play after having some personal issues with his family.
Straka was initially required to play in order to meet his mandatory four events for the tour, but they have reduced his events to two because of the family event.
Jon Rahm also not participating in playoff events as he announced at Spanish Open he would return in February
Justin Rose is the final player a part of the victorious Ryder Cup team that won’t be playing. He is 19th in the season-long rankings, and is playing in just one playoff event, as Rose will be in action at the DP World Tour Championship next week.
