5 things to watch at DP World Tour Championship in Dubai

DUBAI: What’s happening this week at the DP World Tour’s season-ending championship is unprecedented. The $10.5 million DP World Tour Championship is a limited-field event, with only those in the top 50 of the Race to Dubai (season-long Order of Merit) qualifying for it.

It’s a tournament every player hopes to be a part of. It is the best proof that they have had a decent season. However, some players (mostly those who ply their trade primarily in America) do tend to skip the tournament, which has been held at the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates every year since its inception in 2009.  

For the first time in 15 years, each player in the top 50 has entered this week’s event — an unequivocal testament to its stature. That includes Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, World No. 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

The battlefield is set, and so are the stars. Here are five talking points ahead of the championship.

McIlroy gets the crown even without hitting a ball

McIlroy has taken an unsurmountable lead in the Race to Dubai, making him the first player ever to win the year-long crown even before the season-ending championship has been played.

McIlroy has two big wins this season in the DP World Tour in two Rolex Series events — Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Genesis Scottish Open. That, along with his performances in the majors (three top 10s), was enough to get him to 5,166.47 points. That leaves second-placed Rahm at 3,081.94 points, which means even if he wins this week (2,000 points), he won’t be able to catch McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman has a phenomenal record in the tournament and will surely be a leading contender come Sunday. In 12 appearances, McIlroy has finished outside the top 10 only twice and