The season-ending DP World Tour playoffs is underway, culminating at the DP World Tour Championships in mid-November. Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai will again be the setting of the European (DP World) Tour’s Race to Dubai where Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra leads, with the closest pursuer being former LIV star and major winner Patrick Reed.
The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, stands as the world’s second most prestigious pro tour, second only to the PGA Tour. With all the disruption that LIV has brought to professional golf in the last four years, and with the PGA Tour putting its foot down when it comes to would-be returnees, Europe is one of the clearest pathways to players who got tempted to jump ship.
Traditionally, Europe and its professional tour has produced topnotch players who would become major champions and some of the game’s legends. Seve Ballesteros and his memory has done wonders for Europe and has broken the US dominance in golf when he barged into the scene in the late 70s. Today, while the usual career path for elite amateurs from all over the world is to get US college scholarships and join the PGA Tour via Q-school or exemptions for stellar amateur play, a lot of aspiring pros still target Europe to test their mettle and see if they can slug it out there before trying for the biggest stage.
Aside from the usual aspiring professional and elite amateur, the DP World Tour is now the top choice for some pros who joined LIV and would like to qualify their way back to the PGA Tour. Unlike their American counterpart tour that can set strict rules for returning LIV players, the DP World Tour can use its unique position to attract former PGA Tour stars who have at the moment nowhere to play. With LIV Golf’s bankruptcy, the players they were able to poach now need to scramble to find a tour that would let them play their way in. And being the stars that they are, DP World would also gain from big names playing in events that usually would just feature a handful of top talent. Imagine a tournament in Europe or Asia that would usually have 3-5 top level players suddenly have major winners like Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and the like joining the field. It would surely spike ticket sales and sponsorships.
While Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra tries to cap off a stellar year by winning the DP World Championships this November, eyes will also be watching who will be joining DP World tournaments in the hopes of earning exemptions back to the PGA Tour.
Philippine Open
Here at home, mid-November will be huge too as the 108th Philippine Open is set to played at The Manila Southwoods from November 12 to 15. The Masters course in Silang, Cavite will host top Asian and international players, alongside the Philippines’s best professionals and amateurs all in search of hoisting the trophy at Asia’s oldest national golf open. The Philippine Open has come a long way from its beginnings at the old Manila Golf Club in Caloocan where the first Philippine Open was held in 1913. That old course has since become a subdivision (University Hills), but the tournament it hosted has grown tremendously, both in stature and in prize money which now offers a $1 million purse.
This year’s Philippine Open went through some huge changes and is fortunate to be pushing through. Initially scheduled as part of LIV Golf’s International Series, With the closure of LIV and the pulling out of title sponsors, the tournament needed some determined organizers and needed funding for it to push through. Thankfully, the Philippine Sports Commission through its chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio stepped in and gave the much-needed sponsorship. And in another twist, the Asian Tour’s scheduled final event in Saudi Arabia was scrapped due to security concern, making the Philippine Open the final tournament in the Asian Tour’s 2026 season.
In less than two weeks, Manila Southwoods will be the venue for another historic Philippine Open. Local hopefuls like Miguel Tabuena, Clyde Mondilla, Sean Ramos, Justin delos Santos and Angelo Que will be trying to wrest the trophy back from defending champion Julien Sale of France. It should be an exciting week as the gusty Masters course is known for its slick greens, swirling winds and penal hazards. Here’s to hoping for a successful Philippine Open and maybe another local champion.