With multiple changes in format, we break down exactly how the three main tours are going to look in 2024 and kick things off with the DP World Tour
Whilst the waters surrounding the framework agreement between the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the PGA and DP World Tours remain as murky as ever, the 2024 seasons on LIV, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are just around the corner and with more riches than ever up for grabs, who plays where and when has never been more important.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour’s Strategic Alliance continues to see the benefits spread across both tours and the revamped formats on each should lead to more cross-participation of the leading players on both sides of the Atlantic.
Here is what we can expect to see on all three of the leading professional men’s circuits in 2024.
Part one: THE DP WORLD TOUR
With the exception of two new events – The Dubai Invitational and The Bahrain Championship – the reintroduction of the Volvo China Open, and the Abu Dhabi Championship being moved to November, the DP World Tour schedule will remain largely unchanged, though significant rebranding and altered formats mean it takes on a vastly different appearance in 2024.
Five Rolex Series events remain on the schedule, beginning with the Dubai Desert Classic in January, and taking in the Genesis Scottish Open in July, with the BMW Championship and the season-ending Abu Dhabi and DP World Tour Championships rounding out the Rolex Series.
Under the new format, the season is broken down into three categories: (i) The Global Swings, (ii) The Back 9, and (iii) The DP World Tour Playoffs.
The ‘Global Swings’ are further divided into five individual ‘swings’, beginning with the ‘Opening Swing’ which starts in November 2023 and incorporates events in South Africa, Australia and Mauritius, and culminating just before the end of the year. This is followed by the ‘International Swing,’ the ‘Asian Swing,’ the ‘European Swing’ and the ‘Closing Swing,’ the latter culminating with the Danish Championship in August 2024.
Each of these swings will have its own individual rankings, with each swing winner earning $200,000 and a guaranteed place in each of the ‘Back 9’ events. At the conclusion of ‘The Global Swings,’ a further $1 million will be divided among the leading 10 players on the Race to Dubai rankings who have played a minimum of eight regular DPWT events.
The ‘Back 9’ begins with the Betfred British Masters on August 29 and will include the Horizon Irish Open at Royal County Down on Sept 12-15 and the BMW PGA Championship a week later. In addition to exempt DPWT members, the ‘Back 9’ events will be open to the leading 15 non-member applicants from the PGA Tour’s Top-70 FedEx Cup rankings, with the possibility of qualification for the DP World Tour Championship an added incentive to attract some of the PGA Tour stars.
Phase three heads back to the Middle East with the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship. The leading 70 players in the Race to Dubai rankings will qualify for Abu Dhabi with the subsequent top-50 moving on to Dubai for the season-ending championship a week later.
As in 2023, at the end of the season, the leading 10 players in the Race to Dubai rankings not already exempt on the PGA Tour will be granted PGA Tour status for 2025.
KEY DATES
The DP World Tour’s Five Rolex Series Events
Jan 18-21 Hero Dubai Desert Classic–Emirates GC
Jul 11-14 Genesis Scottish Open – The Renaissance
Sep 19-22 BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth
Nov 07-10 Abu Dhabi Championship – Abu Dhabi GC
Nov 14-17 DP World Tour Championship – Jumeirah Estates
Other key events
Sep 12-15 Horizon Irish Open – Royal County Down
The above feature appeared in the 2023-8 edition of Irish Golfer. To view the full edition click below
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