If Rory McIlroy wants to make it five straight years as the DP World Tour’s top player and tie Colin Montgomerie for most titles in history, he’ll have to shake off a pair of Spaniards this week in the United Arab Emirates.
That’s at least according to the sportsbooks, who have tapped McIlroy as the favorite to win the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
He enters 534 points behind Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra in the Race to Dubai, with the player who finds the winner’s circle on Sunday set to earn a crucial 2,000-point bump. Second place nets 1,335 points and third goes home with 752. All three outcomes would help McIlroy earn his eighth career Race to Dubai crown and catch Montgomerie, dependent on how Chacarra fares.
But also standing in McIlroy’s way is the tournament’s second favorite and his Ryder Cup teammate, Jon Rahm. The former LIV star won in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, lifting the window ever so slightly for a possible Race to Dubai crown.
Both McIlroy and Rahm know how to close out here. McIlroy won the season-ending tournament in 2024 before losing in a playoff to Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff a year ago, while Rahm edged out Alex Noren and Tyrrell Hatton by two shots in 2022.
Let’s see how McIlroy and Rahm stack up atop the oddsboard and where the rest of the field slots in.
DP World Tour Championship odds (as of Monday, November 9, courtesy of DraftKings)
- Rory McIlroy (+305)
- Jon Rahm (+540)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+990)
- Adam Scott (+1325)
- Eugenio Chacarra (+1650)
- Tyrrell Hatton (+1800)
- Matt Wallace (+1900)
- Kristoffer Reitan (+2350)
- Daniel Hillier (+2450)
- Patrick Reed (+2600)
- David Puig (+2900)
- Victor Perez (+2900)
- Ryan Fox (+3500)
- Aaron Rai (+3600)
Who will win the 2026 DP World Tour Championship?
The disrespect for Eugenio Chacarra is palpable here with four names listed above him — all of whom he’s outplayed this season, for what it’s worth. It could be the sportsbook factoring in stress, fatigue and possible conservative play considering his lead.
We know and understand the case against Chacarra but that’s opting to ignore a player who tripled the par-3 eighth in Sunday’s final round in Abu Dhabi and still found a way to get in under par. He’s also the same guy who finished a shot off Grant Forrest in Madrid with a broken toe. Also this fall, Chacarra posted 17 consecutive rounds of 70 or lower. We could go on and on but you get the point.
DP World Tour Championship longshot winner
If you’re looking for a longer shot, we’re not really sure why South Africa’s Casey Jarvis is getting +6700 when he sits No. 4 in the Race to Dubai behind Patrick Reed.
Jarvis’ recent form hasn’t been anything to write home about — he missed four out of five cuts during a late summer swoon and finished an unremarkable T-51 last week in Abu Dhabi.
However, he’s collected two trophies this year and had a pair of top-5 finishes at the Alfred Dunhill Links and the Genesis heading into Yas Links. Worth a flier at this number!
DP World Tour Championship best bet
Adrian Meronk at +295 to finish top 10 is a solid bet with some decent-to-favorable odds in a board that’s lacking them. Meronk, who enjoyed a breakthrough win at the Alfred Dunhill Links after leaving LIV Golf this fall, has gotten under par 13 of his last 16 rounds thanks to a well-rounded iron game and some strong putting.
If he wins, he’ll finish inside the top 10 in the Race to Dubai (he currently is No. 23) and gain PGA Tour membership next year. He’s got to be playing with a little less stress than some others, too, considering he already wrapped up full-time DPWT status thanks to his fifth career win last month.
What’s at stake this week at the DP World Tour Championship?
The top 10 DP World Tour members on the Race to Dubai after this week who are not otherwise exempt on the PGA Tour, will qualify for Tour membership in 2027.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.