Special Features
Race to Dubai
The Race to Dubai is a US$10 million season-long competition spanning a minimum of 47 tournaments on The 2010 European Tour International Schedule. The Race to Dubai winner will receive The Harry Vardon Trophy (first awarded in 1937), US$1,500,000 from the Bonus Pool and a seven year European Tour Card exemption. The winner of The Race to Dubai will secure Category 1 Membership of The European Tour similar to the winners of The Open Championship, the US Open, the US PGA Championship and the Masters Tournament. The Bonus Pool will count as Official Money on the final Race to Dubai standingsEngland’s Lee Westwood won the inaugural Race to Dubai in 2009, winning twice during the season – in the Portugal Masters and the Dubai World Championship – and accumulating a record €4,237,762. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished second and 15th place went to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
The Number 1 to 60 players in The Race to Dubai (ranked according to their earnings from all events on The European Tour International Schedule) following the conclusion of the tournament held the previous week will qualify for the Dubai World Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE, from November 25-28, 2010.
The Dubai World Championship winner will receive US$1,250,000 from the US$7,500,000 prize fund and a seven year European Tour Card exemption. The winner of the Dubai World Championship will secure Category 2 Membership as does the winner of the BMW PGA Championship.
The Dubai World Championship took place in 2009 on the Earth Course designed by Greg Norman. The last four holes measure exactly one mile – 1760 yards – comprising a short par four, a long par four, a par three and a medium to long par five.
A full Member in Categories 1-11 of The European Tour must play 11 tournaments to qualify for the Dubai World Championship which by playing in would enable him to reach the minimum number of 12 required to retain full Membership of The European Tour. A player must compete in The Dubai World Championship to receive a payment from The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool and therefore to be eligible to finish Number One and win The Harry Vardon Trophy unless he has a Mitigating Circumstance*. Affiliate and/or Category 15 Members do not have to play a minimum of 12 as they do not have the right to enter tournaments and can only play on invites or qualification.
* Mitigating Circumstance: A player withdrawing from the Dubai World Championship for reasons of injury, serious disability or personal emergency which is deemed acceptable** by the Chief Executive (in his absolute determination) will remain eligible to receive any applicable Bonus Pool payment.
