The DP World Tour has lined up a backup venue in Spain for its season-ending championship should security concerns force a change of plans for the Dubai event.
Dubai has long hosted the DP World Tour Championship, the climax of the Race to Dubai, and in 2024, the season finale expanded into a two-event playoff with the addition of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Both tournaments remain central to the Tour’s calendar, yet ongoing regional tensions have created uncertainty in recent months.
Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick voiced those concerns publicly at the BMW PGA Championship earlier this month. “Being completely honest as things stand right now, I would say I’m not that comfortable,” he said about the prospect of defending his title in Dubai in November.
A DP World Tour spokesperson responded at the time that it remained the intention to play as scheduled in the UAE while continuing to monitor the situation and take advice from international travel advisors. That position has not changed.
Behind the scenes, however, contingency arrangements have been put in place. Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, a former host of the Andalucia Masters and Spanish Open, has agreed to step in if required.
Speaking with bunkered.co.uk, Sotogrande general manager Kostka Horno Elósegui confirmed discussions with the tour began in late August.
“We have been in discussions with the DP World Tour for some time regarding the different options available to them,” he said. “Sotogrande was one of the venues the tour was interested in and, after a number of conversations, we were able to reach an agreement that balances the tour’s operational requirements with the needs of our Club and, importantly, our members.
“We are here to support the tour during this period of uncertainty, and once we understood what would be required from us, the decision to collaborate was relatively straightforward.”
Preparations for a possible tournament build are due to begin in mid-October as a precaution. There is no fixed cut-off date for a final decision. “There is no specific deadline that I can share,” Horno Elósegui added. The agreement covers only the Dubai event; he declined to comment on any implications for Abu Dhabi.
Fitzpatrick appeared more reassured when speaking at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week. “The tour are getting good advice,” he said. “I’ve spoken to a few people over the last couple weeks to be honest and they were very reassuring in what’s going on over there.” He is now taking the situation week by week.
Supporting signs that the Middle East swing remains on track include the appointment of Abu Dhabi-based real-estate firm Aldar as title sponsor for the Abu Dhabi Championship and Rory McIlroy’s commitment to the events. Meanwhile the HotelPlanner Tour, the DP World Tour’s developmental circuit, is in the UAE this week for the rescheduled Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. The event was postponed from April because of earlier conflict.
While the tour continues to plan for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Sotogrande remains ready. “We are working closely with the tour,” Horno Elósegui said. “Preparing ourselves so that we are ready should they need us.”
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