European Tour becomes DP World Tour

The European Tour will become the DP World Tour from the start of the 2022 season, with 47 events across 27 different countries and a total prize fund that tops $200 million for the first time in the Tour’s history.

DP World, the Dubai-based logistics company, has been associated with the European Tour since 2009, with the season-ending tournament renamed the DP World Tour Championship in 2012.

This agreement starts a new era in the history of the European Tour group, which, along with DP World, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022.

New events, increased prize money

New events in the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Africa and Belgium will be included on the new Tour and, for the first time, three events will be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour.

Events only sanctioned by the DP World Tour will have a minimum prize fund of $2m, with 13 – outside of the majors and World Golf Championships – having even bigger purses, while the three events co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour are part of the alliance signed between the two organisations last year.

The Barbasol Championship, Barracuda Championship and Genesis Scottish Open will count towards both the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai and PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings.

The Rolex Series will expand from four tournaments to five, while the season-ending DP World Tour Championship will be the first regular European Tour event to have a prize fund of $10m.

This will make the season finale – the final Rolex Series tournament of 2022 – the first European Tour event in history outside the Majors and WGCs to feature an eight-figure prize fund.

The first four Rolex Series events will be the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Genesis Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, followed by the DP World Tour Championship.

A total prize fund topping $200 million is a significant increase when compared to $104 million in 2021 and $70 million in 2020, and it is hoped it will attract even more higher ranked players and bigger names to its events.

The agreement will also see investment into prize funds on the Challenge Tour, with increased playing opportunities for players and the new John Jacobs Bursary Award supporting the top five players on the Challenge Tour Rankings, with their travel and expenses the following year on the DP World Tour.

Morikawa brings era to a close

The European golf season formally known as the European Tour came to a close when Collin Morikawa became the first American to win both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai title (the European Tour’s money list) at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 21.

Now, the new season has already started… but with a new name. Now called the DP World Tour, the annual circuit teed off its 50th year at the Joburg Open in South Africa on November 25.

DP World Tour 2022 schedule

November 25-28: Joburg Open – Randpark Golf Club, South Africa

December 2-5: South African Open Championship – Gary Player Country Club, South Africa

December 9-12: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – Leopard Creek Country Club, South Africa

January 20-23: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – Yas Links Abu Dhabi, UAE

January 27-30: Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic – Emirates Golf Course, UAE

February 3-6: Ras Al Khaimah Championship – Al Hamra Golf, UAE

February 10-13: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – Venue TBC

February 17-20: Middle East event TBC

February 24-27: Hero Indian Open – Venue TBC

March 3-6: Magical Kenya Open – Muthaiga GC, Kenya

March 10-13: Pecanwood Classic – Pecanwood G&CC, South Africa

March 17-20: Steyn City Championship – The Club at Steyn City, South Africa

March 23-27: WGC-Dells Technologies Match Play – Austin Country Club, Texas

April 7-10: The Masters – Augusta National, Georgia

April 14-17: Asia event confirmed

April 21-24: Japan event confirmed – Venue TBC

April 28-May 1: Volvo China Open – Genzon GC, China

May 5-8: Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett – The Belfry, England

May 12-15: Soudal Open – The Rinkven International Golf Club, Belgium

May 19-22: PGA Championship – Southern Hills Country Club, Oklahoma

May 26-29: KLM Open – Bernardus Golf, The Netherlands

June 2-5: Porsche European Open – Green Eagle Golf Courses, Germany

June 9-12: Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik and Annika – Halmstad GC, Sweden

June 16-19: US Open – The Country Club, Massachusetts

June 23-26: BMW International Open – Golfclub München Eichenried, Germany

June 30-July 3: Irish Open – Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Ireland

July 7-10: Genesis Scottish Open – The Renaissance Club, Scotland

July 7-10: Barbasol Championship, Keene Trace Golf Club, Kentucky

July 14-17: The 150th Open – St Andrews Links (Old Course), Fife

July 14-17: Barracuda Championship – Tahoe Mountain Club, California

July 21-24: Cazoo Classic – Venue TBC

July 28-31: Hero Open – Fairmont St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland

August 4-7: Cazoo Open – The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales

August 11-14: ISPS Handa World Invitational – Galgorm Castle & Massereene, N. Ireland

August 18-21: D+D Real Czech Masters – Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic

August 25-28: Omega European Masters – Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Switzerland

September 1-4: Made in HimmerLand – HimmerLand, Denmark

September 8-11: BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Club, England

September 15-18: DS Automobiles Italian Open – Marco Simone GC, Italy

September 22-25: Open de France – Le Golf National, near Paris

September 29-October 2: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns, Scotland

October 6-9: Acciona Open de España – Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Spain

October 13-16: Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters – Real Club Valderrama, Spain

October 20-23: European event TBC

October 27-30: WGC-HSBC Champions – Sheshan International GC, China

November 3-6: Cyprus Open – Aphrodite Hills Resort, Cyprus

November 10-13: Nedbank Golf Challenge – Gary Player CC, South Africa

November 17-20: DP World Tour Championship – Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth Course, UAE