The DP World Tour Championship is all set to get underway, and the excitement around it couldn’t be higher. As the Tour announced its final list of entries, the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course in the United Arab Emirates will witness a stacked lineup. Quite expectedly, it will be headlined by the star golfer, Rory McIlroy.

Other big names that will be fighting it out for the ultimate glory are Marco Penge, Tyrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Robert McIntyre, and more. However, while the 50-player field is scheduled to be played over four days, there are still some big names who have been missing from the glamorous event. 

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3. Brandon Robinson Thompson

Perhaps one of the unluckiest names on the excluded list is Brandon Robinson Thompson. Just a week before the tournament, things looked quite rosy for Thompson as he was in 50th place in the Race to Dubai. Unfortunately, while he ended Yas Links in a share for 49th, the 33-year-old slipped out of the bubble, taking the 51st rank. 

However, while this would come as quite a heartbreak for Thompson, he must look back at his season, which had quite a few positives to take away. Back in May 2025, the English golfer came up with a stellar show, firing a 62 to nudge ahead three shots clear in the Turkish Airlines Open. Unfortunately, he could not maintain his fine form and bogeyed the sixth, allowing Martin Couvra to get a head start and ultimately go on to win the title. Thus, all in all, it is evident that Thompson might have missed his mark by a whisker, but with renewed focus, the Englishman can surely make a strong comeback in the future.

2. Alex Fitzpatrick

While elder brother Matt Fitzpatrick qualified for the DP World Tour Championships, the younger brother will be missing out on the opportunity. Alex Fitzpatrick, unfortunately, could not qualify for the championship. Just the previous year, the 26-year-old English golfer finished T24 in the DP World Tour Championships. But after having an unsatisfactory run this year, he failed to make it to the event.

In the Race to Dubai, Alex Fitzpatrick’s position dropped to 62. Recently, at the DP World India Championship, Alex finished in third position. Adding to that, at the Genesis Championship, he ended his run in the 21st position. Despite starting the season on a high note with strong finishes like T17 at the Hero Indian Open and T19 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, fans will just get to witness one Fitzpatrick on the course in the DP World Tour Championships.

1. Jon Rahm

Among the notable misses, perhaps the biggest name sitting out is Rahm. While he finished 66th in the Race to Dubai, the 2x Major Champion already announced that he would not be a part of the DP World Tour. After missing the title at the Open de España, Rahm decided to call it a day for the season. Announcing a four-month break, the star golfer added that he will not be returning until the commencement of the LIV Golf in 2026. 

Looking back at his season, Rahm won’t be feeling particularly well. After all, this was the first time that the 31-year-old had gone winless since turning pro. And not only on the PGA Tour, but the star athlete also found it difficult to get going in LIV Golf as well as the DP World Tour. Meanwhile, despite this season coming as a setback, Rahm is expected to bounce back right away. For the past couple of seasons, the 31-year-old has been having a blast. Back in 2023, Rahm won as many as four tournaments. These included the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express, Genesis Invitational, and the Masters. Last year, too, he emerged victorious in a couple of LIV events held in Chicago and the UK.