Race To Dubai Winners and History
The Race To Dubai is a season-long competition on the European PGA Tour which culminates in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai (thus, the “Race to Dubai.”) The Race To Dubai replaced the European Tour’s longstanding Order of Merit rankings in 2009. In both cases, final standings are based on earnings in qualifying events during the season.
Earnings in the Race to Dubai are calculated in Euros.
The winner of the Race to Dubai receives a prize of $1.5 million, and a ten-year European Tour exemption. In addition, the winner is presented with the Harry Vardon Trophy. The Harry Vardon Trophy is a separate issue from the Vardon Trophy, which is awarded by the PGA of America to the PGA TOUR’s scoring average leader.
As currently construed, the Race to Dubai ends with a playoff system consisting of three tournaments: The Turkish Airlines Open, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the finals in the DP World Tour Championship. The Turkish Airlines Open field consists of the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai, three Turkish players, and five unrestricted tournament invitations. The Nedbank Golf Challenge Field consists of the top 64 available players from the current year Race to Dubai standings, the defending champion, the winner of the Sunshine Tour order of merit from previous year, and tournament invitations. Finally, the DP World Tour Championship field is comprised of the leading 60 players in the Race to Dubai at the start of the tournament.
From 1975 to 2008, the Race To Dubai was known as the Order of Merit. Rankings in the Order of Merit were based on either Euros (1999 – 2008) or on Pounds Sterling (1975 – 1998).
Prior to 1975, the Order of Merit was based on a points system. Under that system, points did not necessarily equate to earnings.
Colin Montgomerie holds the record for most Order of Merit/Race To Dubai titles, with eight. Seve Ballesteros won six. Among active players, Rory McIlroy has three.
A list of Race To Dubai Winners follows:
Race To Dubai Winners
| Year | Race to Dubai leader | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | Italy | 6,041,521 |
| 2017 | Tommy Fleetwood | England | 5,420,530 |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson (2/2) | Sweden | 5,289,506 |
| 2015 | Rory McIlroy (3/3) | Northern Ireland | 4,727,253 |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy (2/3) | Northern Ireland | 7,149,503 |
| 2013 | Henrik Stenson (1/2) | Sweden | 4,103,796 |
| Year | Race to Dubai leader | Country | Earnings (€) |
| 2012 | Rory McIlroy (1/3) | Northern Ireland | 5,519,118 |
| 2011 | Luke Donald | England | 5,323,400 |
| 2010 | Martin Kaymer | Germany | 4,461,011 |
| 2009 | Lee Westwood (2/2) | England | 4,237,762 |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (€) |
| 2008 | Robert Karlsson | Sweden | 2,732,748 |
| 2007 | Justin Rose | England | 2,944,945 |
| 2006 | Pádraig Harrington | Ireland | 2,489,337 |
| 2005 | Colin Montgomerie (8/8) | Scotland | 2,794,223 |
| 2004 | Ernie Els (2/2) | South Africa | 4,061,905 |
| 2003 | Ernie Els (1/2) | South Africa | 2,975,374 |
| 2002 | Retief Goosen (2/2) | South Africa | 2,360,128 |
| 2001 | Retief Goosen (1/2) | South Africa | 2,862,806 |
| 2000 | Lee Westwood (1/2) | England | 3,125,147 |
| 1999 | Colin Montgomerie (7/8) | Scotland | 1,822,880 |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1998 | Colin Montgomerie (6/8) | Scotland | 993,077 |
| 1997 | Colin Montgomerie (5/8) | Scotland | 798,948 |
| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie (4/8) | Scotland | 875,146 |
| 1995 | Colin Montgomerie (3/8) | Scotland | 835,051 |
| 1994 | Colin Montgomerie (2/8) | Scotland | 762,720 |
| 1993 | Colin Montgomerie (1/8) | Scotland | 613,683 |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo (2/2) | England | 708,522 |
| 1991 | Seve Ballesteros (6/6) | Spain | 545,354 |
| 1990 | Ian Woosnam (2/2) | Wales | 574,166 |
| 1989 | Ronan Rafferty | Northern Ireland | 400,311 |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros (5/6) | Spain | 451,560 |
| 1987 | Ian Woosnam (1/2) | Wales | 253,717 |
| 1986 | Seve Ballesteros (4/6) | Spain | 242,209 |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle (3/3) | Scotland | 162,553 |
| 1984 | Bernhard Langer (2/2) | West Germany | 139,344 |
| Year | Official Money List leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1983 | Nick Faldo (1/2) | England | 119,416 |
| 1982 | Greg Norman | Australia | 66,406 |
| 1981 | Bernhard Langer (1/2) | West Germany | 81,036 |
| 1980 | Sandy Lyle (2/3) | Scotland | 6,6060 |
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country | Earnings (£) |
| 1979 | Sandy Lyle (1/3) | Scotland | 49,233 |
| 1978 | Seve Ballesteros (3/6) | Spain | 54,348 |
| 1977 | Seve Ballesteros (2/6) | Spain | 46,436 |
| 1976 | Seve Ballesteros (1/6) | Spain | 39,504 |
| 1975 | Dale Hayes | South Africa | 20,508 |
The list of Order of Merit winners below are during the points system era.
Order of Merit Winners
| Year | Order of Merit leader | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Peter Oosterhuis (4/4) | England |
| 1973 | Peter Oosterhuis (3/4) | England |
| 1972 | Peter Oosterhuis (2/4) | England |
| 1971 | Peter Oosterhuis (1/4) | England |
| 1970 | Neil Coles (2/2) | England |
| 1969 | Bernard Gallacher | Scotland |
| 1968 | Brian Huggett | Wales |
| 1967 | Malcolm Gregson | England |
| 1966 | Peter Alliss (2/2) | England |
| 1965 | Bernard Hunt (3/3) | England |
| 1964 | Peter Alliss (1/2) | England |
| 1963 | Neil Coles (1/2) | England |
| 1962 | Christy O'Connor (2/2) | Ireland |
| 1961 | Christy O'Connor (1/2) | Ireland |
| 1960 | Bernard Hunt (2/3) | England |
| 1959 | Dai Rees (2/2) | Wales |
| 1958 | Bernard Hunt (1/3) | England |
| 1957 | Eric Brown | Scotland |
| 1956 | Harry Weetman (2/2) | England |
| 1955 | Dai Rees (1/2) | Wales |
| 1954 | Bobby Locke (3/3) | South Africa |
| 1953 | Flory Van Donck | Belgium |
| 1952 | Harry Weetman (1/2) | England |
| 1951 | John Panton | Scotland |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke (2/3) | South Africa |
| 1949 | Charlie Ward (2/2) | England |
| 1948 | Charlie Ward (1/2) | England |
| 1947 | Norman Von Nida | Australia |
| 1946 | Bobby Locke (1/3) | South Africa |
| 1940–45 | No award | |
| 1939 | Reg Whitcombe | England |
| 1938 | Henry Cotton | England |
| 1937 | Charles Whitcombe | England |
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