The Race to Dubai's top three share the final tee time
On 3 November 2026, the DP World Tour announced the first-round groupings for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, staged 5–8 November at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi. Eugenio Chacarra, Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, the leading three players in the current Race to Dubai standings, will begin together on Thursday 5 November at 11:50 a.m. UAE local time, in the day's final group, from the first tee.
For the first time at the opening tournament of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, first-round groups are being sent out in reverse Race to Dubai ranking order. The higher a player sits in the standings, the later his starting group. This offers no advantage or handicap in scoring: every stroke still counts normally. It does, however, place the closest title rivals in the same conditions and allows spectators to follow a direct comparison from the opening hole.
How Chacarra, Reed and McIlroy reached this showdown
Chacarra moved into the standings lead after securing his third title of 2026 at the DP World India Championship. Reed held the lead for an extended period earlier in the season following victories including Dubai and Qatar. McIlroy, now third, is pursuing an eighth Harry Vardon Trophy, which would equal the existing record, and a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai crown.
The preceding group, scheduled for 11:39 a.m., features Casey Jarvis, defending Abu Dhabi champion Aaron Rai, and New Zealand's Daniel Hillier. Jarvis, fourth in the standings, can also move to the top this week depending on results. Consequently, the title race cannot be reduced to the last three-ball alone.
Tour status is a second race alongside the season title
Abu Dhabi is the first of the two DP World Tour Play-Offs events. The leading 70 available players contest the tournament, after which the top 50 qualify for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Yas Links hosts a 72-hole stroke-play event with no 36-hole cut. Play has not yet begun: tee times are not results and no first-round leaderboard positions have been established.
For several players, a separate contest concerns dual membership with the PGA TOUR for the following season, awarded according to the relevant DP World Tour eligibility and qualifying standings. Chacarra, Reed, Jarvis and Hillier are among those currently positioned to gain such rights. Yet a provisional qualifying position is not an awarded PGA TOUR card; qualification remains dependent on the final applicable standings.
Why Thursday's groupings matter
Grouping leaders by ranking makes the early stages more transparent: viewers can compare choices, approaches, putting and course management directly without confusing differences in weather or tee-time conditions. But no sporting advantage should be inferred simply from being grouped with a rival, and any live numbers must come from the official leaderboard once play starts.
The broader stakes extend beyond Sunday's Abu Dhabi trophy. Players are also setting themselves up for the final Race to Dubai event the following week. These pairings were published on 3 November for the first round on 5 November 2026.
