The European tour wraps up its 12-month season with Rory McIlroy in strong position to capture the Race to Dubai for the sixth time
Course: Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth). Yardage: 7,675. Par: 72.
Prize money: $10 million. Winner’s share: $3 million.
Television: Thursday-Saturday, 2-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-7:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Nicolai Hojgaard.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last week: Paul Waring won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Notes: This is the final event of the 2023-24 European tour season. Rory McIlroy is headed toward his sixth Race to Dubai title unless Thriston Lawrence wins and McIlroy finishes lower than 11th place alone. … The 50-man field is missing only two eligible players. Ludvig Aberg is recovering from knee surgery and Jon Rahm is home in Arizona after his wife gave birth to their third child in September. … Jordan Smith of England has a 63-point lead over Tom McKibbin for the 10th and final PGA Tour card for 2025. … Paul Waring’s victory in Abu Dhabi was his first in eight years and assures him a PGA Tour card for next year. … This will be McIlroy’s third time playing in Dubai this year. He was runner-up in the Dubai Invitational and won the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year. … Billy Horschel is in the field, making his fifth start this year on the European tour, not including the majors.
LPGA Tour
THE ANNIKA
Site: Belleair, Florida.
Course: Pelican GC. Yardage: 6,349. Par: 70.
Prize money: $3.25 million. Winner’s share: $487,500.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-2:30 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-2 p.m. (NBC Sports app); 2-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Lilia Vu.
Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.
Last week: A Lim Kim won the Lotte Championship.
Notes: This is the final tournament before the top 60 qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Any of the 60 players who wins the last tournament wins the $4 million top prize. … Nelly Korda makes her return to competition for the first time since Sept. 22. She already has clinched LPGA player of the year. … The only race to be determined in the final two events are the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average (between Haeran Ryu and Ayaka Furue) and rookie of the year (between Mao Saigo and Jin Hee Im). … Two-time major champion Brittany Lincicome is playing her final event before retiring. … Stephanie Kyriacou is No. 60 in the Race to CME Globe, 14 points over Gaby Lopez. … WNBA star Caitlin Clark is playing in the pro-am. She has a corporate deal with presenting sponsor Gainbridge. … The field features 18 of the top 25 in the women’s world ranking.
