The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship and a new venue for the Amgen Irish Open headline the changes to DP World Tour schedule for 2026.
Featuring a minimum of 42 Race to Dubai tournaments in 25 countries, the schedule will comprise three phases – beginning with five Global Swings followed by the Back 9, with the season then culminating with the DP World Tour Play-Offs in November 2026.
Members will compete for a record total prize fund of $157.5million (outside the major championships) next season.
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, the first tournament on the European Swing, will take place May 7-10 at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona. The announcement of the new event follows the agreement announced earlier this summer that the 2031 Ryder Cup will be played at Camiral in Catalunya, with Spain becoming the first continental European country to host the biennial contest twice. El Prat will host a DP World Tour event for the first time since the 2015 Open de España.
In addition to the ISCO Championship (July 9-12), DP World Tour members will also have access to the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship (July 16-19) in the Dominican Republic, which features as part of the Race to Dubai for the first time.
The Genesis Scottish Open (July 9-12) at the Renaissance Club will once again be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour and is one of five Rolex Series events on the 2026 global schedule – along with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 22-25), the BMW PGA Championship (September 17-20) and the two Play-Off events, the Abu Dhabi Championship (November 5-8) and DP World Tour Championship (November 12-15), where the 2026 Race to Dubai Champion will be crowned.
In total, the DP World Tour will visit Dubai three times in 2026, with the Dubai Invitational (January 15-18) returning to the schedule after alternating with the Team Cup in 2025.
There is a new venue for the Amgen Irish Open, which will be played at Trump International Golf Links Ireland, Doonbeg, for the first time on September 10-13. The tournament, which was won in spectacular fashion by Rory McIlroy this year, will again be part of the Back 9.
Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour’s chief executive, said: “Our 2026 schedule once again showcases our global talent in global destinations as we celebrate the diversity of the courses and cultures we visit. The five Global Swings, the Back 9 and the DP World Tour Play-Offs provide a compelling season-long narrative on the Race to Dubai, comprising many historic national opens and international events that have an enduring appeal to our members and our fans.
“Our thanks go to our partners, broadcasters, promoters, federations and partner tours for their support and commitment to the DP World Tour and we look forward to once again spotlighting the considerable depth of international talent we have.”
In addition to the 2026 schedule, the DP World Tour also announced changes to its membership structure which will come into effect from the start of the 2026 season.
The changes, which were approved by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee, are designed to provide greater schedule certainty and more balanced playing opportunities for all players who earn a DP World Tour card through any of the existing pathways. They include:
- The cut-off to retain a full card through the 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings (for the 2027 season) will be reduced from the top 110 to the top 100
- All players listed on the Race to Dubai and/or Road to Mallorca Rankings will count when defining the categories for the following season. No players will be treated in addition (Exception: ranked amateurs and associate members will continue to be treated in addition on the Road to Mallorca Rankings)
- Players finishing in positions 101–110 on the 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings will be eligible for Category 18 (conditional card) and will be initially ranked below the Qualifying School graduates (for the 2027 season). They will be re-ranked during the season alongside the Qualifying School graduates
- The number of cards available to top finishers on the HotelPlanner Tour will be reduced from 20 to 15
- Players finishing in positions 16-20 on the 2026 Road to Mallorca Rankings will be eligible for Category 19, immediately below players finishing in positions 111-125 on the Race to Dubai Rankings
- The DP World Tour cards available at the 2026 Qualifying School will be reduced from the top 20 and ties to the top 15 and ties
- The leading players from six international tours will continue to be eligible for Category 17. The next two leading available players from each of PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, Japan Golf Tour, and Korean Golf Tour will be eligible for a full HotelPlanner Tour card
