Final push for DP World Tour Play-Offs: Who will secure their spot in the UAE?
The Genesis Championship marks the final regular season event of the Race to Dubai
This week’s Genesis Championship offers the stars of the DP World Tour one last opportunity to keep their season alive.
Held in South Korea, the tournament marks the end of the Back 9 in this year’s Race to Dubai, with players vying to secure their spots in the DP World Tour Play-Offs.
The Play-Offs consist of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship - the final two events of the season.
The first event of the UAE double-header welcomes the top 70 golfers in the Race to Dubai to Yas Links, before the field is cut to the top 50 for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Many of the usual contenders have already booked their places for both tournaments, with stars like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre set to conclude their seasons in the UAE.
However, some big names have yet to secure their places and will be hoping to change that this week at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Reigning DP World Tour Championship winner Nicolai Højgaard is one such player in danger of missing out.
Currently ranked 78th in the season-long standings, the Dane will need a stronger result than his 20th-place finish at last week’s Andalucía Masters if he is to defend his title at the Earth course next month.
Similarly, Pablo Larrazábal is at risk of missing the Play-Offs unless he has a standout performance in South Korea.
The 41-year-old, currently ranked 90th, is a former winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where he famously held off Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy in 2014 to claim the Falcon Trophy.
The Spaniard will be confident in his chances of climbing the Rankings and having another shot at glory in Abu Dhabi. He’s no stranger to success in South Korea, having won the Korean Championship at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea last season.
A repeat performance at the Genesis Championship would mean he’ll need to book a flight to the UAE for the Play-Offs.
Victor Perez, last season’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, will also miss the Play-Offs after failing to break into the top 70.
The Frenchman, who became the first from his country to win a Rolex Series event last year, has spent most of this season on the PGA Tour after earning his playing privileges through the 2023 Race to Dubai.
This limited his appearances on the DP World Tour to just eight events, leaving him outside the top 120 in the Rankings.