The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition spanning a minimum of 45 tournaments in 24 countries and all five continents on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule.

• The Race to Dubai winner receives The Harry Vardon Trophy (first awarded in 1937), and a seven year European Tour Card exemption. The winner of The Race to Dubai will secure Category 1 Membership of The European Tour similar to the winners of The Open Championship, the US Open, the US PGA Championship and the Masters Tournament. The Bonus Pool will count as Official Money on the final Race to Dubai standings.

• England’s Lee Westwood won the inaugural Race to Dubai in 2009, winning twice during the season – in the Portugal Masters and the Dubai World Championship – and accumulating a record €4,237,762. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished second and 15th place went to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.

• Martin Kaymer succeeded Lee Westwood as The Race to Dubai champion in 2010 to become only the fourth continental European to win the Harry Vardon trophy, following in the footsteps of the legendary Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Robert Karlsson. Kaymer won four times in 2010, capturing his maiden Major title at the US PGA Championship in addition to the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship on his way to €4,461,011 to finish ahead of Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell. England's Luke Donald finished 15th.

• Luke Donald became the third winner of the Race to Dubai when he completed an historic money list double to become the Number One player on both The European Tour and the US PGA Tour. Donald won three times during the season, capturing the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, the BMW PGA Championship and the Barclays Scottish Open. He was runner-up on another two occasion and finished in the top ten a further five times, finishing outside the top ten only three times in a remarkably consistent season. His earnings of €5,323,400 set a new European Tour record. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy finished second with 2010 Race to Dubai Champion, Martin Kaymer, third. Louis Oosthuizen took 15th place.

• Rory McIlroy went one better in 2012 by taking the Number One honours with new record earnings of €5,519,118. He also emulated Donald's feat of winning both the Race to Dubai and US PGA Tour Money List after a season where he won five times around the world, including the US PGA Championship - by eight strokes - and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and rose to World Number One. His remarkable consistency saw him finish in the top five nine times in 15 events. England's Justin Rose finished second with South African Louis oosthuizen third. Paul Lawrie finished tenth.

• The Number 1 to 60 players in The Race to Dubai (ranked according to their earnings from all events on The European Tour International Schedule) following the conclusion of the tournament held the previous week will qualify for the end of season event.

• During the 2011 event, The European Tour announced a significant three-year agreement to extend The Race to Dubai through to the end of 2014 with a new name and title sponsor for the season-ending finale, which will now be known as the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

• The announcement ensured the next three editions of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, would return to Jumeirah Golf Estates, host venue since the inaugural Race to Dubai in 2009, with the prize fund increasing by US$500,000 to a total of $8 million, and the winner’s cheque rising from $1.25 million to $1.33 million.

• In 2012, it was announced the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will itself be the culmination of a new and exciting climax to The 2013 Race to Dubai where four tournaments will combine to form ‘The Final Series.’

• The four tournaments are the US$7 million BMW Masters, the US$8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions, the US$7 million Turkish Open and the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – making the total prize fund for ‘The Final Series’ a staggering US$30.5 million

• Any European Tour Member hoping to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – and therefore the chance to play for The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool – will have to participate in two of the three tournaments preceding the season finalé.

• Furthermore, any Member participating in the first three tournaments in ‘The Final Series’ will receive a 20 per cent bonus on The Race to Dubai points earned from those three events, the bonus being added to the respective players’ points total before the DP World Tour Championship.

• The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai winner receives a five year European Tour Card exemption. The winner of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai secures Category 2 Membership as does the winner of the BMW PGA Championship.

• The season finale took place in 2009 , 2010, 2011 and 2012 on the Earth Course designed by Greg Norman. The last four holes measure exactly one mile – 1760 yards – comprising a short par four, a long par four, a par three and a medium to long par five.

• A full Member in Categories 1-11 of The European Tour must play 12 tournaments to qualify for DP World Tour Championship, Dubai which by playing in would enable him to reach the minimum number of 13 required to retain full Membership of The European Tour. A player must compete in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai to receive a payment from The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool and therefore to be eligible to finish Number One and win The Harry Vardon Trophy unless he has a Mitigating Circumstance*. Affiliate and/or Category 15 Members do not have to play a minimum of 12 as they do not have the right to enter tournaments and can only play on invites or qualification.

* Mitigating Circumstance: A player withdrawing from the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai for reasons of injury, serious disability or personal emergency which is deemed acceptable** by the Chief Executive (in his absolute determination) will remain eligible to receive any applicable Bonus Pool payment.