Author: Mathieu Wood
DP World Tour Dubai 2024 features new initiatives, resulting in a series of fascinating episodes.
Across five Global Swing events and the new Back 9 event, a total of 42 events will be held, with the Olympics not counting towards the Dubai rankings in partnership with Rolex, where DP World Tour members will compete for a record total prize money of $148.5 million.
Ahead of the DP World Tour Middle East play-offs, we've chosen six of the standout storylines from the regular season.
Renaissance in Manacero
Matteo Manassero continues his strong recovery by returning to the DP World Tour this season after winning twice on the Challenge Tour in 2023. Victory at the Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa in March ended his nearly 11-year wait for a fifth DP World Tour title as he continues to go from strength to strength. Four top-10 finishes followed, followed by back-to-back top-five finishes at the Amgen Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship. Those performances earned praise from Rory McIlroy, who played alongside Manassero in the final rounds at Royal County Down and Wentworth Club, and was full of admiration for his return to form. “It's unbelievable. I don't think you'll find a player on Tour who's not that happy with him. To act like a young talent and then lose, to go to the Alpine Tour and compete; I guess You need that character. It's really nice to see. He's a good guy, level-headed and it's nice to see him back where he belongs,” Manasseh said. Law, who quit the tour in his twenties and even stopped playing golf altogether, now finds himself on the verge of receiving dual membership and playing on the PGA Tour next year.
Hidalgo defeated Lahm in a “vulnerable” victory
There were plenty of dramatic endings over the course of the season, but perhaps the highlight was the Spanish Open in Madrid. Angel Hidalgo has been in the lead since the opening day, joining Jon Rahm and David Puig in the final round of the Spanish three-goal tie , who is competing for a record fourth title at the National Open. Playing in his 80th DP World Tour event, the charismatic 26-year-old impressed with his striking performance against the former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion. impression. Perhaps most notable was Hidalgo's ability to overcome a potential “what if” moment when he missed a short birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and embrace it at Madrid's Campo Villa club. Hidalgo was ecstatic to claim his first DP World Tour title after a birdie putt on the second extra hole. What's even more remarkable is that this player had watched Lahm play in the same game as a fan a few years ago.
Former delivery driver Dean's incredible journey
There's no doubt that Joe Dean's life has changed immeasurably over the past 12 months. After completing three stages of qualifying last year, the Briton did not start participating in the DP World Tour until the Commerzbank Qatar Masters in February due to the financial demands of tour life. After returning from the Middle East, he Start competing in the DP World Tour. Back to work delivering groceries for Morrison. However, those days were a thing of the past as at his next event he finished tied for second in Kenya and he never looked back. He has since gone on to finish in the top five four more times, including a loss in the KLM Open play-offs, an appearance at the Open Championship, and only two cuts in the main draw in Dubai, ensuring he would compete in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As if all this wasn't enough to make headlines, he raised eyebrows when he revealed that he wouldn't hit the driving range before a round, instead choosing to focus on chipping and putting, and that hypnotherapy was the answer helped his breakthrough campaign.
McIntyre realizes dream of opening up the country
The Scot has taken his game to new heights since earning dual membership in last season's Tour of Dubai ranking event. But it didn't happen right away, as he revealed early in the campaign how lonely he felt as he adjusted to life in the United States after leaving his home in Auburn. But his year took a dramatic turn for the better when he won his first PGA Tour title by winning the RBC Canadian Open with his father, Dougie, caddying by his side. Soon after, he won the title he had been seeking – the National Open Championship. Rory McIlroy came up short at last year's Genesis Scottish Open, and this time he birdied his last to win his first Rolex Series event Championship and sparking wild celebrations in front of adoring fans, this was his moment of acclaim. In doing so, he became the first Scot to win the event since Colin Montgomerie 25 years ago and climbed to a career-high No. 16 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has since finished tied for fifth at the Amgen Irish Open and will be hoping for a stronger finish in the Middle East over the next two weeks as he looks to once again qualify for next year's European Ryder Cup team.
McIlroy shines in adversity
A sixth Dubai title fight certainly awaits the Northern Irishman. He finished runner-up to Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood at the Dubai Invitational and lost a one-shot lead on the final hole, but he immediately recovered from the disappointment to win a record-breaking fourth Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner. Since then, he has remained at the top of the rankings throughout the season and has racked up a string of outstanding results. That includes three more runner-up finishes, including runner-up finishes on home soil in Northern Ireland in consecutive weeks at the Amgen Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship in Surrey. In the former, Rasmus Højgaard put in a stellar performance – four birdies in his final five holes – to chase him down at Royal County Down, while Billy Horschel denied the latter in the playoff at Wentworth. He was further heartbroken earlier this year when he missed a chance to end a decade-long wait for a major victory at the U.S. Open, briefly missing putts on the 16th and 18th holes that led to him losing by one shot in the pines. To American player Bryson DeChambeau. .
Swenson promoted from Challenge Tour to PGA Tour in 12 months
Like Challenge Tour graduate Manassero, Sweden's Jesper Svensson is on course to earn a spot on the PGA Tour in 2025 after a stellar rookie season on the DP World Tour. After two second-place finishes in South Africa and Bahrain, the 28-year-old defeated Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Porsche Singapore Classic in March to win his first DP World Tour title. The result helped him earn an invitation to the PGA Championship, where he made his debut at Valhalla Golf Club. After missing out on the Open in July, he bounced back to the form he showed earlier in the year with back-to-back top-five finishes at the D+D REAL Czech Masters, taking the lead after 54 holes, and the Betfred UK Presented by Sir Nick Fedor Masters. Those performances and the prospect of him continuing to improve make him someone who could force his way into Luke Donald's Ryder Cup team next year. Ranked in the top 10 on tour in driving distance, he's certainly one to watch over the next two weeks as he looks to cap off his year with a strong finish in the Rolex Series double header.
