Rory McIlroy aims to close points gap at Abu Dhabi Championship
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship opens the DP World Tour playoffs with a $9 million purse, while Rory McIlroy seeks to reduce a near-1,000-point deficit to leader Eugenio Chacarra.
The DP World Tour playoffs begin with the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links, offering a $9 million total purse and $1.5 million for the winner. Rory McIlroy, currently third in the Race to Dubai standings, trails leader Eugenio Chacarra by almost 1,000 points and will need a strong performance to challenge the Spaniard’s lead and approach Colin Montgomerie's all-time record.
Defending champion Aaron Rai is returning to defend his title after winning the event last year in a playoff over Tommy Fleetwood. Rai said, "> Winning at Yas Links last year was a really special moment for me, so I'm really looking forward to going back and defending the title," and added, "> I always enjoy practicing and playing in Abu Dhabi, and fortunately, through playing well to date, I'm looking forward to finishing the year on the Race to Dubai."
The field includes other top players such as Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Casey Jarvis, Daniel Hillier, Jayden Schaper, Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott, Tyrrell Hatton and David Puig. The tournament features the top 70 players in the Race to Dubai, but only the leading 50 will advance to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship next week.
With the playoff season nearing its conclusion and only two Rolex Series events remaining, the competition for the final prize intensifies as players aim to secure their positions in the final event.