This week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the 41st of 42 events in the 2025 season, the fourth of five Rolex Series tournaments, and also the first of the two end-of-year DP World Tour Play-Offs.
It’s a week that matters for players competing at the top end of the Race to Dubai (the seasonal rankings) and it’s a financially significantly week too with a prize purse of $9million.
It takes place, as does next week’s finale, the DP World Tour Championship, in the UAE and that matters because form in the desert of the Middle East tends to be repeated across all courses and nations.
The host layout, Yas Links, is also an important factor because it is, as the name suggests, something of linksy creation.
It is also a Kyle Phillips design and form on his courses has proved critical in the tour’s three previous visits.
Class and Race to Dubai position will also matter this week, but who comes out on top?
Let’s take a look at the leading contenders, give them marks out of 10, total them up, and see who emerges top.
1. Rory McIlroy
Race to Dubai ranking? 1st. (10)
Class? Won this year’s Masters (his fifth major triumph) and with it the Career Grand Slam. Enough said. (10)
Form? Won the Irish Open but failed to break the top 15 in his two starts since either side of the Ryder Cup. (7)
Middle East form? Has won four Dubai Desert Classic and three DP World Tour Championships. (10)
Event form? Has finished top three in nine of his 13 starts, but never won. (9)
Course form? T12 on debut in 2022 after a very slow start and third last year. (8)
Kyle Phillips form? Nothing beyond Yas Links. (5)
Total: 59/70
2. Tommy Fleetwood
Race to Dubai ranking? 26th. (5)
Class? This year’s winner of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and a three-time top three finisher in the majors. (9)
Form? Won the India Championship last time out. (10)
Middle East form? Won the 2024 Dubai Invitational and a two-time runner-up in the DP World Tour Championship. (8)
Event form? Won it back-to-back in 2017/18 and was second in 2020. (10)
Course form? Finished outside the top 30 on his first two starts, first round leader and then sixth last year. (6)
Kyle Phillips form? Fourth at The Grove in 2016. (6)
Total: 54/70
3. Tyrrell Hatton
Race to Dubai ranking? 2nd. (9)
Class? Tied fourth in this year’s US Open. (6)
Form? Fifth at Wentworth and second in the Dunhill Links Championship either side of the Ryder Cup. (8)
Middle East form? Winner of this year’s Dubai Desert Classic and twice runner-up in the DP World Tour Championship. (7)
Event form? Winner in 2021. (9)
Course form? Finished sixth, seventh and second with a final round average of 65.33. (9)
Kyle Phillips form? Ninth at The Grove and multiple fine rounds at Kingsbarns as a three-time winner (and three-time runner-up) in the Dunhill Links Championship. (9)
Total: 57/70
4. Robert MacIntyre
Race to Dubai ranking? 6th. (7)
Class? A two-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2024. (7)
Form? Winner of the Dunhill Links Championship last time out. (10)
Middle East form? Seven top 10s from 25 starts is not the best in this company. (4)
Event form? Best of T16 from five starts. (2)
Course form? MC-20-19 so improving but needs more. (2)
Kyle Phillips form? Had a 66 at Kingsbarns when winning last time out. (6)
Total: 38/70
5. Marco Penge
Race to Dubai ranking? 2nd. (9)
Class? A three-time winner on the DP World Tour this year. (6)
Form? Winner of the Open de Espana last time out. (9)
Middle East form? Poor (one cut made, and then only T35, in six starts). (0)
Event form? Debut. (5)
Course form? Debut. (5)
Kyle Phillips form? T43 at PGA National Oaks, Prague in 2024 and yet to go low at Kingsbarns. (1)
Total: 35/70
6. Alex Noren
Race to Dubai ranking? 8th. (7)
Class? Two-time winner of the BMW PGA Championship. (8)
Form? Won the British Masters in late August and the BMW PGA Championship in mid September. (8)
Middle East form? Second in the 2015 Dubai Desert Classic and also in the 2022 DP World Tour Championship. (7)
Event form? Not one top 10 at the previous venue. (4)
Course form? Fifth on his only start in 2023. (7)
Kyle Phillips form? Exceptional: winner at The Grove and PGA Sweden National, and many low scores at Kingsbarns including when he was second and third at the Dunhill Links Championship. (10)
Total: 51/70
7. Matt Fitzpatrick
Race to Dubai ranking? 15th. (6)
Class? The 2022 US Open champion. (9)
Form? Three top six finishes in his last four starts. (6)
Middle East form? Winner of the 2016 and 2020 DP World Tour Championship. (9)
Event form? Third in 2018 and second in 2020. (8)
Course form? Debut. (5)
Kyle Phillips form? Nothing to speak of. (3)
Total: 46/70
HSBC Championship standings
1. McIlroy 59
2. Hatton 57
3. Fleetwood 54
4. Noren 51
5. Fitzpatrick 46
6. MacIntyre 38
7. Penge 35
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Article Link: HSBC Championship: Highest ranked golfers revealed with $9m purse up for grabs