The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, the season-ending event on the European Tour, has become the most lucrative individual tournament cheque in world golf, with an increase to $3 million (Dh11m) announced on Wednesday.
The overall prize fund for the Rolex Series event, played at Jumeriah Golf Estates, remains at $8m, although the field had been reduced from the top 60 players on the Race to Dubai to the top 50. Last year's winner, Danny Willett, took home $1.33m. This year's event will take place from November 21-24.
The European Tour confirmed on Wednesday several changes to its end-of-season programme, including an adjustment to the $5m Race to Dubai Bonus Pool, which will now be divided among the top five players on the Order or Merit instead of the leading 10. The 2019 winner will bank $2m, an increase from the $1.25m Francesco Molinari collected last year upon being crowned European No 1.
The two events immediately before the DP World Tour Championship, the Turkish Airlines Open and the Nedbank Golf Challenge presented by Gary Player, will also offer increased winner's cheques. The winner in Turkey will receive $2m instead of the $1.16m Justin Rose claimed last year, while the winner in South Africa will pick up $2.5m instead of the $1.25m awarded to 2018 champion Lee Westwood. The size of both fields has been revised, too, with 70 players contesting the Turkey event and 60 competing in South Africa.
“The changes we have announced today in terms of enhanced winner’s cheques, Race to Dubai points and Bonus Pool dividend are designed to increase the excitement around the end of the season for our fans, as well as encourage greater top player participation in our final three events,” said Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour.
“We have undertaken significant analysis recently and have found that, had these additional Race to Dubai points been available over the past five years; on average between five and 16 players would have come to our final event with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai, in addition to an average of 43 players having the chance to earn Bonus Pool money at the end of the season; both numbers considerably higher than was actually the case in those years.
“With the revised prize money breakdown and the extra Race to Dubai points in place for 2019, this provides a tremendous incentive for our players.”
SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES
1. FIELD SIZES
Turkish Airlines Open - Leading 70 available from the Race to Dubai
Nedbank Golf Challenge - Leading 60 available from the Race to Dubai
DP World Tour Championship - Leading 50* available from the Race to Dubai
* For the purposes of defining the top 50, Affiliate Members who are in the top 50 of the world golf rankings will be “in addition to” to avoid such members denying Ranked Members the chance to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
2. RACE TO DUBAI POINTS
Turkish Airlines Open - 7,000 points become 9,000 points
Nedbank Golf Challenge - 7,500 points become 10,000 points
DP World Tour Championship - 8000 points become 12,000 points
3. BONUS POOL
Divided among the top five, instead of usual top 10:
Race to Dubai position, US$ Bonus Pool
1 - $2 million
2 - $1.2 million
3 - $700,000
4 - $600,000
5 - $500,000
TOTAL: $5 million
4. FIRST PRIZE
Prize fund breakdown changed to offer larger first place prize money
Turkish Airlines Open - 1st place: $2 million
Nedbank Golf Challenge - 1st place: $2.5 million
DP World Tour Championship - 1st place: $3 million
