2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship preview: McIlroy in DP World Tour playoffs

I'm Ryan Balanguy with Golf News Net, here with a preview of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. First of two events in the Race to Dubai DP World Tour playoffs. They're playing this at Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This is a tournament that's reserved for the top 70 available players in the Race to Dubai standings after the regular season-ending Genesis Championship in South Korea. Not everybody who is eligible is playing. There are a number of notable players who are skipping this tournament, including Matt Fitzpatrick, players who feel somewhat uncomfortable competing this week because of hostilities in the Middle East, not only primarily with Iran, but also the Houthis and Yemen. And there's just kind of a lot of stuff happening right now that is kind of driving players potentially away, including. Airstrikes in Saudi Arabia. So there's a lot of issues there that are driving some players to be apprehensive to play this week. They may play next week. We shall see. But Rory McIlroy is the headliner here. He is number three in the race to Dubai standings. He is looking up at two guys. Eugenio Hovland, who has had himself a fabulous year, is going to the PGA Tour next year for the first time in his career. And Patrick Reed, who is going to be back on the PGA Tour as a result of the DP World Tour Race to Dubai points list. Other than that, you've got the likes of Casey Jarvis. You've got the PGA champion, Aaron Rai. You've got a couple of guys from LIV who are now going to be going back to the DP World Tour next year in a full-time capacity from Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Guys who are both teammates on LIV. They have announced they're going back to LIV, and they're playing in this tournament this week, trying to get themselves an opportunity to win some money. And also get some official World Golf Ranking points. and maintain their status going into 2027. Again, the first two events here, you're going to have 70 players in this field. You're going to have the top 50 available players next week in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. That tournament will have a $10 million purse. This one has a $9 million purse. There are huge first-place prizes that go out not only this week and next, but also the bonus pool that goes out to the top players in the Race to Dubai standings at season's end. All of these players have gotten inside that top 100 in the race to Dubai. They have secured their playing privileges for next year. Now they get two weeks to earn a heck of a lot of money if they can have a great run in the United Arab Emirates to close their season.