History of DP World Tour Championship in Timeline

The DP World Tour Championship is a prominent golf tournament on the European Tour, serving as the finale of the Race to Dubai. The event is held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, specifically on the Earth course designed by Greg Norman. DP World, a Dubai-based company, is the title sponsor of the championship.

September 2009: Prize Fund Reduction

In September 2009, there was an announcement of a 25% reduction in both the overall prize fund and the winner's cheque for the DP World Tour Championship.

2009: First DP World Tour Championship

In 2009, the inaugural DP World Tour Championship was held, marking the replacement of the Order of Merit with the Race to Dubai. The tournament featured the top 50 players in the DP World Tour Rankings and succeeded the Volvo Masters.

2012: Race to Dubai Bonus Pool Cut in Half

In 2012, the Race to Dubai bonus pool was cut in half to US$3,750,000 and reduced to the top 10 golfers, with the winner getting US$1,000,000.

2012: Prize Fund Increase

In 2012, the prize fund for the DP World Tour Championship was increased to US$8,000,000.

2013: Economic Benefit to Dubai

In 2013, the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates delivered a US$44 million gross economic benefit to Dubai, according to independent research commissioned by tournament organizers, The European Tour as stated in Vision magazine.

2013: Introduction of the Final Series

In 2013, the European Tour introduced the Final Series, a four tournament end of season series of tournaments consisting of the Turkish Airlines Open, WGC-HSBC Champions, BMW Masters, and culminating in the DP World Tour Championship.

2016: Reduction of Final Series Tournaments

In 2016, the Final Series was reduced to three tournaments with the removal of the WGC-HSBC Champions and BMW Masters, and the addition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

2017: Launch of the Rolex Series

In 2017, the Rolex Series was launched. It is a series of tournaments with higher prize funds than regular tour events and included the three Final Series tournaments.