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After a total of 40 tournaments, just two remain in the 2025-26 DP World Tour season, with the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship and DP World Tour Championship left to play.
The DP World Tour Play-offs are two of the biggest on the circuit’s calendar but, because of the ongoing war and complications in the Middle East, the jeopardy of the two tournaments has been left in the balance.
Aaron Rai won the Abu Dhabi event last year in a playoff
(Image credit: Getty Images)
As of writing, both tournaments are scheduled to take place on the 5-8th November and 12-15th November but, although they will possess high-caliber fields, which include the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, some have opted not to make the journey over to the UAE.
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Among those not present for the Abu Dhabi event will be Ryder Cup stars Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre, who have previously expressed doubt in playing at the first Play-off tournament.
Speaking in September, Fitzpatrick, who is the defending champion of the DP World Tour Championship, stated: “As things stand right now, I would say I’m not that comfortable (playing in the Middle East).
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“A few things have changed for me. I had a child in August and that changes things a bit more. It would feel a little bit weird, given what I’m reading elsewhere.”
MacIntyre, meanwhile, expressed the same concerns as Fitzpatrick, with the Scotsman recently welcoming the arrival of his first child, Findlay, in January.
At the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, MacIntyre explained: “This is potentially the end of my season right here.
“I feel like it’s been a good year. It’s been a learning curve, trying to manage life outside of golf and life on the golf course. It’s been a great year.
“I don’t even know when the cut-off is. It’ll probably be the week before it. I’ll literally sit and wait and see what’s going on in the Middle East. Then I’ll make a decision.
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“If I’m in the tournament, I’m in the tournament. Then I’ll make a decision.”
MacIntyre’s last start on the DP World Tour came at the DP World India Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre aren’t listed in the field for Yas Links, neither is current Champion Golfer of the Year, Ryan Fox, as well as Major winners Shane Lowry and Justin Rose.
Fellow European Ryder Cup teammate, Ludvig Aberg, will also not be in Abu Dhabi, while Alex Fitzpatrick, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season with wins on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, has followed in his brother Matt’s footsteps of not playing.
Looking at the Race to Dubai rankings, a number of names are inside the top 70 but are not listed in the field.
Min Woo Lee, Si Woo Kim and Ryan Gerard are hovering around the 40-70th mark so, with good weeks in Abu Dhabi, would have potentially moved on to the Play-off finale in Dubai.
The trio, however, aren’t listed in the field for the penultimate event, meaning their DP World Tour seasons are going to be coming to an end.
Kim finished T4th at the final regulation event of the DP World Tour season – the Genesis Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Those players may have qualified, but there are some big names who didn’t manage to scrape into the top 70 spots.
Viktor Hovland was one of those names, as were Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard and 12-time DP World Tour winner, Alex Noren.
Tom McKibbin will be teeing it up more regularly on the DP World Tour in 2027, after leaving the LIV Golf League, but the 23-year-old won’t be in the Middle East after finishing 87th in the Rankings.
Marco Penge, who was Rory McIlroy’s nearest challenger last year, also won’t be present in Abu Dhabi, with the Englishman’s attention being on keeping his PGA Tour playing rights for next year.
Even if Penge were to make it into the field for Abu Dhabi, he is already listed in the VidantaWorld Mexico Open field, where a big result is needed for the Englishman to move inside the top 100 of the FedExCup Fall standings.
Penge was paired alongside McIlroy for the first rounds in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Take a look at the notable names missing the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship below.
Big Names Missing The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship
*numbers represent Race to Dubai ranking
Matt Fitzpatrick (10th)Shane Lowry (16th)Ryan Fox (6th)Robert MacIntyre (56th)Ludvig Aberg (45th)Justin Rose (69th)Alex Fitzpatrick (24th)Min Woo Lee (38th)Si Woo Kim (62nd)Ryan Gerard (70th)Viktor Hovland (102nd)Tom McKibbin (87th)Marco Penge (97th)Thomas Detry (88th)Eddie Pepperell (101st)Nicolai Hojgaard (105th)Rasmus Hojgaard (111th)Alex Noren (109th)Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship 2026 FieldEugenio ChacarraPatrick ReedRory McIlroyCasey JarvisAaron RaiDaniel HillierJayden SchaperJacob Skov OlesenAndy SullivanBernd WiesbergerOliver LindellJoe DeanNacho ElviraAngel HidalgoHennie du PlessisDan BradburyShaun NorrisAngel AyoraAdrian MeronkDavis BryantThriston LawrenceTommy FleetwoodMartin CouvraYuto KatsuragawaMarcus ArmitageCalum HillMikael LindbergNiklas NorgaardJorge CampilloKota KanekoGrant ForrestJeff WintherAdrian OtaeguiDavid PuigJulien GuerrierKristoffer ReitanFrederic LacroixRasmus Neergaard-PetersenFreddy SchottGregorio De LeoMatthew JordanManuel ElviraAdam ScottEwen FergusonJon RahmMatt WallaceVictor PerezJoost LuitenTyrrell HattonFrancesco LaportaMichael HollickScott JamiesonAlejandro Del ReyStefano MazzoliDaniel RodriguesAntoine RoznerTom VaillantRicardo GouveiaGuido MigliozziJoakim LagergrenWenyi DingNathan KimseyFrancesco MolinariJC RitchieYurav PremlallRichard SterneUgo CoussaudFilippo CelliDarius van DrielJordan Gumberg