Aaron Rai thinks the DP World Tour matches the PGA Tour’s high-level play and strong competitive depth—a stark contrast from what a majority believe. For professional golfers, the PGA Tour is the biggest platform to showcase their skills.
That is why they prefer PGA Tour stops. They focus on the DP World Tour for exemptions, especially the season-ending playoffs for those who are eligible. But Rai thinks the world of the DP World Tour. Speaking at the 2026 Wyndham Championship’s pre-tournament press conference, he named two DP World Tour events he would like to see elevated.

“Putting like any of the politics to one side, I think the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is an incredible tournament. I think it’s a fantastic start of year as well in the Middle East and on the DP World Tour. Obviously I don’t know how all of this looks and how it comes together. Just speaking from purely golf course perspective and kind of the magnitude of the events, I think those two are phenomenal events on the DP World [Tour].”

Wentworth is the obvious traditional choice because many international stars play there. Just like the Players Championship on the PGA Tour, the BMW PGA Championship is the DP World Tour’s flagship event. The organization’s headquarters has hosted it since 1984. The event usually features a star-studded field. For instance, in 2025, several tour pros, including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, and Ludvig Aberg, graced the field.

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Rai himself was in the field and finished tied for third alongside Patrick Reed. He carded rounds of 68-67-71-66 to finish 16-under 272.

Apart from that, the event has major sponsor backing and Rolex Series status.

The Englishman didn’t explicitly mention the other event’s name, but his “fantastic start of the year as well in the Middle East” phrase likely refers to the Dubai Invitational. Hosted at Dubai Creek Resort, it is the opening event. Or it might refer to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which is hosted in the Middle East, the second event of the year on the DP World Tour, and a Rolex Series status event.

Unlike the BMW PGA Championship, which is scheduled after the regular PGA Tour season, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic falls alongside PGA Tour events. Therefore, despite the Rolex Series status, few elites play in it. Last year, Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm, and many other stars skipped it. Meanwhile, the Dubai Invitational sees even fewer popular names participating.

Both events are part of the DP World Tour’s International Swing. Therefore, they have become a central part of the Tour’s global identity, which is why they deserve recognition, as Rai pointed out.

Rai also spoke about the changes to the playoffs format. As the PGA Tour moves toward a controversial two-tier system starting in 2028, there are many concerns surrounding playoffs, too. Some have suggested match-play playoffs. When a media representative asked Rai about it, he said that it was not his job to think about all of that. What he focuses on instead is playing good golf.

“And whatever format that falls in, whether that’s match play or whether that’s stroke play, I think having strong competition, having the best competing against each other is always a good thing no matter what format,” he added.

Rai is confident that the PGA Tour will make the right decision.