For months, one question has hung over the DP World Tour’s season finale: will it really be played in the Gulf? The Middle East conflict has left players uneasy and even pushed Formula 1 to cancel races in the region. Through it all, the Tour has held its line. On Sunday, chief executive Guy Kinnings told Sky Sports the UAE plan still stands. Now a fresh report suggests the Tour is not leaving everything to chance, as it plans contingency options.
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Sharing the exclusive update on X, Daily Mail’s chief writer, Riath Al-Samarrai, tweeted, “Exclusive: DP World Tour exploring options in Spain and Portugal in an unlikely event that they have to relocate the season-ending championship from the Middle East.”
Daily Mail Sport further understands the Tour has discussed Real Club de Golf Sontogrande in southern Spain as a possible alternative venue. Several clubs in Portugal are also believed to have been considered if the situation in the region worsened. No final decision has been made to move either event.
For context, the discussion revolves around DP World Tour season playoffs, set to take place in the Middle East. The report centers on the Tour Championship in Dubai, but the Abu Dhabi Championship that runs the week before would also be affected. Abu Dhabi is set for November 5-8 at Yas Links. Dubai follows on November 12-15 at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Together, they carry a $19 million prize purse.
With the fragile situation in mind, Sontogrande would serve as familiar ground, as it hosted the Andalucía Masters in 2023 and 2024.
Notably, the DP World Tour is not the only one looking for contingency. Formula 1 is weighing a similar choice. The head, Stefano Domenicali, said in July that contingency plans exist if the season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot go ahead, with a European backup being prepared.
That being said, the development comes as a sudden twist. In an interview with Sky Sports on September 20, Kinnings sounded certain about his plan to continue in the UAE just yesterday.
“Our plan is definitely to play the playoffs in the UAE.” He further added that building work had started at both venues and that Tour will stay in touch with travel advisors.
Reasonably, the decision had created unease among the players, and for valid reasons too. Political instability in the region has been going on since late February, with the UK Foreign Office relaxing its “all-but-essential travel” guidance only in June.
Matt Fitzpatrick, for example, admitted he was “not that comfortable” returning to the course. He also recalled dining at a hotel during his title-winning week that was later hit by a missile. Furthermore, Bob McIntyre admitted he was unsure about the trip as well. Rory McIlroy sat on the other end of the decision. He believes the “local governments would not put their citizens or people visiting in harm’s way.”
But for now, the concerns can be put to some ease, as contingency plans might be on their way.
HotelPlanner Tour has already reshuffled its UAE plans
The Tour has faced this dilemma once already this year. Its feeder circuit, the HotelPlanner Tour, pulled its sanctioned India event in March because of travel disruptions tied to the conflict. Within two weeks, they moved back-to-back UAE events from April to late September and early October.
Then in July, it dropped the RAKBANK UAE Challenge altogether as tensions kept arising. The Abu Dhabi Challenge, set for October 1-4, became its only UAE stop. Furthermore, the circuit has said it continues to “monitor the travel situation in the region very closely.”
Now that event doubles as a test run. It is set to begin October 1st, which is roughly just five weeks before the playoff, and the tour is pushing ahead with it.
Smaller regional circuits have also felt the impact. The MENA Golf Tour cancelled its last four events of the season, which were due in Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE in early March.
For now, contingency planning is not the same as backing out, and no event has moved yet. The playoffs are just six weeks away, and relocating two events is worth a combined $19 million in stakes. The longer the DP World Tour awaits for clarity, the fewer options it may have left. That clock, more than any venue, may decide how the discussion finally ends.