Major champions Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox have confirmed their places at the DP World Tour Championship, taking place from November 12–15 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, with both players targeting the coveted Harry Vardon Trophy.
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The pair sit fifth and sixth respectively on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, with Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed also among the leading contenders. With the two Rolex Series events of the DP World Tour Play-Offs still to come, Rai and Fox still have the opportunity to overhaul current leader Eugenio Chacarra and be crowned European Number One on the Earth Course.
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Rai arrives in Dubai as the reigning US PGA Champion after the 31-year-old sealed his maiden Major title with a masterclass in composure at Aronimink Golf Club in May, where a sublime back nine made him the first Englishman in 107 years to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
That victory, combined with a 48th-place finish at the Masters, a tie for 11th at the US Open and a tie for 79th at The Open, earned him the inaugural Rory McIlroy Award, presented to the DP World Tour member who earns the most Race to Dubai points across the four Major Championships.
Rai will also open the DP World Tour Play-Offs as defending champion at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship the week before, having claimed his second Rolex Series title at Yas Links last November by beating Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to the UAE. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two great events, and having them back-to-back makes it a really important couple of weeks. If I can play well in both, I know I’ll give myself a good chance in the Race to Dubai,” said Rai, who will join Reed and Rory McIlroy at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
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Fox, meanwhile, will tee it up on the Earth Course as Champion Golfer of the Year after the New Zealander birdied the 72nd hole to win his maiden Major title in a thrilling climax to The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale in July, and he will now be bidding to add a second Rolex Series title to his victory at the 2023 BMW PGA Championship.
“Lifting the Claret Jug at Birkdale is something I’ll never forget, but I want to finish the year off strongly,” said Fox. “The DP World Tour Championship is one of the biggest events of the season and, with so much still to play for in the Race to Dubai, it’s going to be a great week.”
