It's the final event of the DP World Tour season and 50 of the world's top European-based golfers are set to do battle out in Dubai.
From Rory McIlroy to Tommy Fleetwood, Billy Horschel, Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton, several of the world's top-20 are in the Middle East chasing glory one more time in 2024.
The DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates' will not only host the season-ending event but also decide who wins the Race To Dubai - with McIlroy needing a strong finish still to hold off South Africa's Thriston Lawrence.
For the remaining 48 players, their sole focus will be battling it out for the largest slice of a $10 million prize money payout and attempting to snatch one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer to DP World Tour golfers each season, if they are not already exempt.
Three of the Golf Monthly team have taken a look at this incredibly strong field and picked out two names each who we believe will be in contention for the title come Sunday afternoon.
DP World Tour Championship 2024: The Course
Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth course will host the DP World Tour Championship for the 16th time this week, having opened in 2009 after being designed by Greg Norman.
Playing at a mammoth 7,706 yards, the par-72 layout features some lengthy holes such as the 245-yard par-3 fourth, the 499-yard par-4 ninth, and the 651-yard par-5 18th. As a result, being strong off the tee is a near-must if a player is to compete.
The historic winning score has remained fairly consistent, though, with nothing outside of the 15 to 21-under range since Henrik Stenson's first win here on 25-under in 2013. Matt Wallace almost shot 59 in 2023, but came up one stroke shy on his way to ending in a tie for second.
Its signature holes are the final three, culminating in the iconic 18th, which has seen a number of memorable moments over the years and may well add to that catalogue this weekend.
DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIOUS WINNERS
DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING ODDS
The odds to win outright are via FanDuel Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy (+400)
- Tyrrell Hatton (+600)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+800)
- Joaquin Niemann (+1000)
- Shane Lowry (+1600)
- Matt Wallace (+2000)
- Robert MacIntyre (+2000)
- Billy Horschel (+2000)
- Adam Scott (+2200)
- Min Woo Lee (+2200)
- Thorbjorn Olesen (+2200)
- Rasmus Hojgaard (+2200)
- Niklas Norgaard (+3000)
- Thriston Lawrence (+3000)
- Jordan Smith (+4000)
- Justin Rose (+4500)
- Tom McKibbin (+4500)
- Laurie Canter (+6000)
- Paul Waring (+6000)
- Johannes Veerman (+6500)
- Alex Fitzpatrick (+6500)
- Keita Nakajima (+7000)
- Matthew Jordan (+7000)
- Adrian Meronk (+7000)
- Jorge Campillo (+7000)
DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING PICKS
FAVORITE: Matt Wallace (+2000)
The Englishman is determined to make his Ryder Cup debut next year, and he can continue on that path with a memorable victory this week to cap off a strong second half of the year which included his European Masters victory.
Wallace was T3rd last week in Abu Dhabi and has great course form here at Jumeirah Golf Estates, with runner-up finishes last year and in 2018.
OUTSIDER: Andy Sullivan (+10000)
Sullivan witnessed his great friend Paul Waring enjoy the week of his career in Abu Dhabi so he must be feeling fairly inspired to go and do something remarkable himself.
The Englishman has had a solid season with four top-four finishes, and he's been T18th at the BMW PGA Championship and T14th at the Andalucia Masters in his last five starts. He has also finished T10th in both of his last two starts at Jumeirah Golf Estates so is well placed to put in a good performance this week.
FAVORITE: Tyrrell Hatton (+600)
Hatton's form since the LIV Golf season ended is as follows: T10th, first, second. The data proves he is picking up shots in all facets each week, and he shows no signs of slowing up at a course where he has finished runner-up twice before.
While all parts of his game are currently working well, one of the big reasons I fancy Hatton to do well again this week is how often he keeps referring to needing to pick up Ryder Cup points in one of his rare opportunities. At a level where the margins are so tight, Hatton's obvious quality helps him compete regularly, but it is also currently being fuelled by a focus and drive you don't often hear him express.
One final point - I backed him at the Alfred Dunhill and he won. So fingers crossed history repeats itself.
OUTSIDER: Jordan Smith (+4000)
Smith is another man in form with arguably the biggest motivating factor to do well this week - he is the final man currently holding on to a PGA Tour card.
The Englishman is 17th on the Race To Dubai after a really strong final quarter of the season where he has been inside the top-20 seven out of eight times. His consistent long game is finally being aided by excellent putting and - if not for an uncharacteristically poor week with his irons in Abu Dhabi - he would have comfortably been inside the top-10.
With such a strong motivational factor driving him forward and the putter finally working well, I can see Smith sealing a top-10 result and with it his future on the PGA Tour.
FAVORITE: Tommy Fleetwood (+800)
I know last week's results are going to be hard to back up (I picked Paul Waring and Tyrrell Hatton), but the player I have gone for this week is Tommy Fleetwood.
Currently, the Englishman is in fine form and, following three top-six finishes in his last three starts, it's surely a matter of time before he gets over the finishing line again.
Based in Dubai, Fleetwood's record around the Earth Course is second to none. Finishing runner-up last year, he has four top-10s here in the last eight years - including a second-place finish in 2019. The course suits his game and, with the form Fleetwood is showing, I expect him to be contending on Sunday afternoon.
OUTSIDER: Francesco Laporta (+10000)
The Italian's form has gone a bit under the radar of late, with Laporta carding four top-20 finishes in his last four starts. Among those results are two ties for sixth and, at last week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he produced rounds of 64, 69, 69 and 68 to finish just outside the top-10.
Although he has played in the DP World Tour Championship just once, finishing 46th back in 2021, Laporta does have a decent record in tournaments played in the Middle East. What's more, with the incentive of a PGA Tour card up for grabs, the Italian will be fired up to put in a big performance to earn one of the 10 cards available.
HOW TO WATCH DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
USA (ET)
- Thursday, November 14 - Round One: 2:00am - 8:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Friday, November 15 - Round Two: 2:00am - 8:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Saturday, November 16 - Round Three: 2:00am - 8:00am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
- Sunday, November 17 - Round Four: 1:30am - 7:30am (Golf Channel/NBC Sports app)
UK (GMT)
- Thursday, November 14 - Round One: 7:00am - 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Friday, November 15 - Round Two: 7:00am - 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Saturday, November 16 - Round Three: 7:00am - 1:00pm (Sky Sports Golf)
- Sunday, November 17 - Round Four: 6:30am - 12:30pm (Sky Sports Golf)
Golf Monthly Betting Picks: Best Results This Season
- Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Tyrrell Hatton WIN (+1100) - Jonny Leighfield
- Genesis Championship: Byeong Hun An WIN (+850) - Jonny Leighfield
- Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: Paul Waring WIN (+12000) - Matt Cradock
- Open de France: Thorbjorn Olesen T2nd (+2200) - Barry Plummer
- Open de France: Yannik Paul T2nd (+4000) - Barry Plummer
- Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: Tyrrell Hatton 2nd (+650) - Matt Cradock
- Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: Thorbjorn Olesen T3rd (+2800) - Jonny Leighfield
