DP World Tour - Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: Favorites at Yas Links

The DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship will be held November 5–8, 2026, at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi. The tournament is the first of two DP World Tour playoff events and is part of the Rolex Series. The prize purse is $9 million, plus 9,000 ranking points and 2,000 Ryder Cup points. The defending champion is England’s Aaron Rai, who won in a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood in 2025. The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai standings will compete, and the top 50 will qualify for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai (November 12–15).

Here you’ll find the tee times and live scoring for the 2026 DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.

DP World Tour - Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: The Course

Yas Links is a Par-72 course measuring 6,829 meters in length. Compared to last year’s layout, it is about 40 meters longer, primarily due to hole 2 (now 513 meters, previously 488 meters) and hole 13 (now 155 meters, previously 141 meters). The course is located on Yas Island and is owned by Aldar, which will serve as the title partner for the first time in 2026. The tournament has been held there since 2022. The longest hole is the par-5 18th at 591 meters, and the shortest is the par-3 13th.

Last year, the par-5s were particularly favorable for scoring. Over four rounds, 38 Eagles were recorded on Hole 2, while the average scores on Holes 7 (540 meters) and 11 (528 meters) were about half a stroke under Par. Hole 10 (360 meters, par-4) also averaged just under 0.3 strokes under Par. More challenging were Hole 15 (par-4, 444 meters), which averaged a good 0.1 strokes over Par, and the par-3 on Hole 17 (187 meters). Jon Rahm describes the course as one where scores can be low if you hit the Fairways, because the greens are in very good condition and the wind limits the speed of the ball.

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: The Favorites

Eugenio Chacarra leads the Race to Dubai standings with three wins this season, most recently at the DP World India Championship. Patrick Reed (two wins) and Rory McIlroy (third) are the closest contenders, with Casey Jarvis (two wins) in fourth place. Because significantly more points are up for grabs in Abu Dhabi and the title won’t be decided until Dubai, even a win at Yas Links won’t secure the title. On Thursday, Chacarra, Reed, and McIlroy will tee off together as the final group, as the starting order has been reversed based on the rankings for the first time.

McIlroy is ranked second in the world with 342.02 points. In the 2026 season, he recorded one victory (the U.S. Masters), one second-place finish, one third-place finish, and six top-10 finishes in 14 starts. In Abu Dhabi, he finished third in each of his documented appearances in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024, and 2025, without a victory. With his eighth Vardon Trophy title (season standings), he would tie Colin Montgomerie as the record holder.

Tommy Fleetwood is ranked eighth in the world (255.02 points) and has recorded eight top-10 finishes in 19 starts in 2026. He won at Yas Links in 2017 and 2018, finished second in 2020, and lost to Rai in a playoff in 2025. Tyrrell Hatton (No. 28 in the world rankings) won in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and finished second in 2024 at 22 under Par.

Jon Rahm (No. 15 in the world rankings) is ranked 51st in the Race to Dubai standings and must qualify for Dubai. Following the birth of his daughter, he has barely been able to train recently. Three of his five Rolex Series victories came at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. David Puig (No. 83, 60.48 points) won the BMW Australian PGA Championship in late November 2025 and, according to the Tour, is making his debut at this event. Adrian Otaegui (No. 241) lives in Dubai and is the “local hero” among the favorites. His best finishes here were 28th (2023) and 52nd (2024), both at 9 under Par.

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: Defending Champion and History

Aaron Rai won in a playoff against Fleetwood in 2025, after McIlroy finished third at 24 under Par. In May, he won the U.S. PGA Championship at Aronimink, becoming the first Englishman in 107 years to win the Wanamaker Trophy.

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: Prize Money, Points, and Significance

The total prize money is $9 million, with 9,000 ranking points up for grabs, plus 2,000 Ryder Cup points. As a point of reference: Rai, as last year’s champion, received just over 1.3 million euros, while McIlroy earned 437,922 euros for third place in 2025. The points determine qualification for Dubai and the outcome of the Race to Dubai.

DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship: Storylines and Outlook

Four storylines are shaping the week. First, Chacarra must defend his lead against Reed and McIlroy, though he cannot yet be crowned the season champion in Abu Dhabi. Second, Rai is defending his title following his PGA victory in May. Third, Freddy Schott is the only German player in the field, having won the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship in February. Fourth, the security situation is shaping preparations. On November 2, a notice was posted at Yas Links with evacuation instructions in the event of a warning from the authorities, as reported by Yahoo Sports, among others. The Tour refers to general emergency plans and is proceeding with both playoff tournaments. According to his management, Robert MacIntyre will not be participating due to the situation in the region; Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Ludvig Åberg, and Min Woo Lee are also not in the field. The reasons are not uniformly stated, but security concerns are likely a factor for them as well.

The par-5 holes and the 444-meter-long 15th hole are likely to be decisive. The tournament ends on November 8, followed a week later by the final in Dubai.