A look at how things stand as we get to the business end of the 2026 Race to Dubai.
The DP World Tour springs back into action next week after a three-week break at the Danish Golf Championship.
The following week the Nexo Championship will bring the curtain down on the Closing Swing and Phase One of the season before we head into Phase Two - The Back 9.
At the end of the Back 9, the top performers across the season will head into the DP World Tour Play-Offs in the UAE, where Europe's Number One will be presented with the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Let's take a look at how things stand in the races to win it all, earn dual membership, make the Play-Offs and keep playing privileges for 2027.
The battle to be the best
Jayden Schaper was the first player to strike out at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World thanks to his back-to-back wins at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Having also secured a runner-up finish at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player and a top 20 at the Dubai Invitational, he was even able to hold on to top spot when Patrick Reed won a first Rolex Series title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The American was hitting a vein of form similar to Schaper's, however, and after following up his Emirates Golf Club win with a play-off loss in Bahrain, he won the Qatar Masters to hit the top of the Rankings, where he has remained since.
Casey Jarvis was the next big mover as he joined Schaper in claiming back-to-back wins - this time at the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa and Investec South African Open Championship to move into the top three.
As with the Rolex Series events, Majors and the points they bring have a huge influence on the Rankings and Rory McIlroy's win at the Masters catapulted him into second, before Aaron Rai's US PGA Championship win took him from 170th to fifth.
Remarkably we would soon have another back-to-back winner, with Eugenio Chacarra lifting the trophy at the KLM Open and DS Automobiles 83° Open d'Italia to go third before Ryan Fox made a leap from 84th to fifth with his victory at The Open.
Those seven players are separated by less than 1,000 points and with enhanced points on offer across the Back 9 and Play-Offs, with three Rolex Series events among them, it could go right to the wire.
Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World
| Position | Name | Events played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Reed | 13 | 2,860.92 |
| 2 | Rory McIlroy | 8 | 2,552.86 |
| 3 | Eugenio Chacarra | 19 | 2,188.19 |
| 4 | Casey Jarvis | 18 | 2,179.30 |
| 5 | Ryan Fox | 9 | 2,042.30 |
| 6 | Jayden Schaper | 18 | 2,014.19 |
| 7 | Aaron Rai | 5 | 1,876.50 |
| 8 | Andy Sullivan | 18 | 1,453.23 |
| 9 | Hennie du Plessis | 17 | 1,301.96 |
| 10 | Bernd Wiesberger | 19 | 1,298.52 |
To see the full Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, click here.
Where could it be decided?
With so many points on offer, it is likely the winner will actually be finalised at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship but some big blows could be landed before that.
Reed is keeping very busy in his pursuit of points and is already confirmed to be playing four weeks in a fow at the Nexo Championship, Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, Omega European Masters and Amgen Irish Open.
McIlroy will defend his title at the island of Ireland's national open before heading to Wentworth Club for the Rolex Series and BMW PGA Championship where Rai and Fox will join the fray.
Should Reed also tee it up at Wentworth, those four will be among the favourites, with McIlroy and Fox both previous winners, Rai having finished second, fourth and third in his last three appearances and Reed having never finished outide the top five in four starts over the West Course.
With 8,000 Race to Dubai points on offer and 1,335 going to the winner, Wentworth could be a crucial week.
While Schaper, Jarvis and Chacarra are expected to maintain busy schedules across the Back 9, McIlroy and Fox will next play at the DP World India Championship before the Genesis Championship brings down the curtain on the regular season.
Points will then be further enhanced with 9,000 available at the Abu Dhabi Championship and 12,000 to be won at the DP World Tour Championship.
Remaining 13 events - Points breakdown
| Date | Event | Total points | Winner's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13-16 | Danish Golf Championship | 3,000 | 500.00 |
| Aug 20-23 | Nexo Championship | 3,000 | 500.00 |
| Aug 27-30 | Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Sep 3-6 | Omega European Masters | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Sep 10-13 | Amgen Irish Open | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Sep 17-20 | BMW PGA Championship (Rolex Series) | 8,000 | 1,335.00 |
| Sep 24-27 | FedEx Open de France | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Oct 1-4 | Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Oct 8-11 | Open de España presented by Madrid | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Oct 15-18 | DP World India Championship | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Oct 22-25 | Genesis Championship | 5,000 | 835.00 |
| Nov 5-8 | Abu Dhabi Championship (Rolex Series) | 9,000 | 1,500.00 |
| Nov 12-15 | DP World Tour Championship (Rolex Series) | 12,000 | 2,000.00 |
For a full prize breakdown of all DP World Tour events, click here.
American dreams
The top ten players on the Rankings not already exempt at the end of the season will become dual membrs with the PGA TOUR, a pathway which has already seen Fox, Matthieu Pavon, Robert MacIntyre, Sami Välimäki and Kristoffer Reitan become PGA TOUR winners.
As it stands, with McIlroy, Fox and Rai all already exempt, Reed, Chacarra, Jarvis, Schaper, Andy Sullivan, Hennie du Plessis, Bernd Wiesberger, Oliver Lindell, Shaun Norris and Dan Bradbury would all become dual members.
Quest for the Play-Offs
The further down the Rankings you go, the smaller the difference between points totals, meaning the fight to finish in the top 70 and make it to the Play-Offs can be more volatile than the battle to be Europe's Number One.
Manuel Elvira is currently the man on the bubble at 70th, with the likes of Ryder Cuppers Nicolai Højgaard, Shane Lowry and Viktor Hovland all on the outside looking in.
Tussle to stay on Tour
Some of the most intriguing and dramatic golf we see all year is from players fighting not for glory, a new challenge or extending their season but simply to keep their jobs.
It is impossible to forget Jordan Gumberg holing out for eagle with his final shot of the season at last year's Genesis Championship, so could we see similar drama again this year at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club?
This season, only the top 100 players on the Rankings will earn Category 10 status and with it the ability to play essentially a full 2027 season on the DP World Tour - down from 110.
Swedish HotelPlanner Tour graduate Hugo Townsend is the man currently sat at 100th, with DP World Tour winners Jeff Winther and Angel Hidalgo and PGA TOUR winner Thomas Detry all looking over their shoulders just ahead of him.
The first player in jeopardy on the outside looking in is Matthew Jordan, with the likes of Niklas Nørgaard and Yuto Katsuragawa along with multiple winners Matteo Manassero and Alexander Levy all also in danger.
But with less than 100 points separating Towsend and Richie Ramsay in 129th, that race is far from run.
