Jon Rahm And Ludvig Aberg Among Big Names Missing Abu Dhabi Championship As Rory McIlroy Headlines Field
The entry list for the first DP World Tour Play-Offs event is in, with the top 70 teeing it up at Yas Links next week


The 2024 DP World Tour season is drawing to a conclusion with just two events left before the Race to Dubai champion is crowned.
The final two tournaments make up the DP World Tour Play-Offs, with the top 70 players heading for Yas Links before the final 50 make it to the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The entry list is in for week one in Abu Dhabi, taking place from Nov 7-11, and there are a handful of notables not making the trip - which has allowed the the top 76 players a chance to tee it up.
Billy Horschel (4th in the Race to Dubai), Ludvig Aberg (16th) and Jon Rahm (34th) have decided to give week one a miss, while Matthieu Pavon (55th), Zander Lombard (56th) and Aaron Rai (57th) are also not listed, which means the latter three will not be in Dubai either due to their rankings.
Horschel, Aberg and Rahm are safely through to Dubai, with Rahm's omission understandable after he and wife Kelley recently welcomed their third child, Alaia Cahill.
Rory McIlroy headlines the field at Yas Links, in a tournament he has finished runner-up four times and third place four times too, including in his last three starts. McIlroy is in pole position to win his sixth Race to Dubai title, which would equal Seve Ballesteros' total of European Tour Order of Merit wins.
Take a look at how the full field is shaping up:
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship field
*brackets denotes Race to Dubai position
- Rory McIlroy (1)
- Thriston Lawrence (2)
- Rasmus Hojgaard (3)
- Tommy Fleetwood (5)
- Matteo Manassero (6)
- Niklas Norgaard (7)
- Jesper Svensson (8)
- Robert MacIntyre (9)
- Rikuya Hoshino (10)
- Adam Scott (11)
- Sebastian Soderberg (12)
- Jordan Smith (13)
- Guido Migliozzi (14)
- Romain Langasque (15)
- Tom McKibbin (17)
- Thorbjorn Olesen (18)
- Julien Guerrier (19)
- Matt Wallace (20)
- Angel Hidalgo (21)
- Tyrrell Hatton (22)
- Dan Bradbury (23)
- Frederic Lacroix (24)
- Jorge Campillo (25)
- Laurie Canter (26)
- Justin Rose (27)
- Shane Lowry (28)
- Joe Dean (29)
- Nacho Elvira (30)
- Antoine Rozner (31)
- Ewen Ferguson (32)
- Joaquin Niemann (33)
- Adrian Otaegui (35)
- Daniel Brown (36)
- Sam Bairstow (37)
- Darius Van Driel (38)
- Adrian Meronk (39)
- Johannes Veerman (40)
- Alex Fitzpatrick (41)
- Ugo Coussaud (42)
- Yannik Paul (43)
- Matthew Jordan (44)
- Min Woo Lee (45)
- David Ravetto (46)
- Aaron Cockerill (47)
- Paul Waring (48)
- Connor Syme (49)
- Andy Sullivan (50)
- Keita Nakajima (51)
- Bernd Wiesberger (52)
- Calum Hill (53)
- Grant Forrest (54)
- Jeff Winther (58)
- Casey Jarvis (59)
- Francesco Laporta (60)
- Dylan Frittelli (61)
- Alejandro Del Rey (62)
- Marcel Siem (63)
- Brandon Stone (64)
- Jayden Schaper (65)
- Thomas Detry (66)
- Nicolai Hojgaard (67)
- Shubhankar Sharma (68)
- Gavin Green (70)
- Matthew Baldwin (71)
- Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (72)
- David Micheluzzi (73)
- Joost Luiten (74)
- Adrien Saddier (75)
- Sean Crocker (76)

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, X and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
-
Joaquin Niemann Earns US Open Spot After Latest LIV Golf Win
The LIV Golf Mexico City champion has booked his spot for Oakmont via LIV's recently announced US Open exemption
By Elliott Heath
-
Tiger Woods Drops To New Ranking Low
The 15-time Major champion has fallen to his lowest ever world ranking position - and it's set to drop even further due to continued inactivity
By Elliott Heath
-
Tiger Woods Heads 8 Golfers To Make All Time Rich List Of Top 50 Highest Paid Athletes
Tiger Woods is the second highest paid athlete of all time behind only Michael Jordan in a new top 50 rich list from Sportico
By Paul Higham
-
Rory McIlroy And Shane Lowry Explain Golf Ball Tactics For Zurich Classic Foursomes
Defending Zurich Classic of New Orleans champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry explained how they go about picking which golf ball to use in foursomes
By Paul Higham
-
'I’ve Never Seen Someone Hit A Driver That Good. He Played So Freaking Good. And You Almost Feel Like, How Do I Compete With That?' - Akshay Bhatia Wowed By McIlroy's Masters Display
Akshay Bhatia lavished praise on Rory McIlroy's game at the Masters after playing the opening two rounds alongside the eventual champion at Augusta
By Paul Higham
-
‘I Spoke To Two Presidents The Day After’ – Rory McIlroy Reflects On 'Absolutely Amazing' Reaction To Masters Win
The five-time Major winner revealed he had spoken to two presidents in the aftermath of completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters
By Mike Hall
-
DP World Tour Pro Announces Retirement After 20-Year Career
Mike Lorenzo-Vera has announced he’s bringing the curtain down on his career as “my priorities have switched”
By Mike Hall
-
DP World Tour Announces New $4m Event Coming To India
The inaugural DP World India Championship will offer the circuit’s largest ever prize fund for an event on the subcontinent
By Mike Hall
-
Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Prize Money Payout 2025
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry defend their title as players compete for a record purse in the unique team competition
By Mike Hall
-
Hainan Classic Prize Money Payout 2025
The Asian Swing section of the DP World Tour season concludes with the Hainan Classic in China, where plenty is at stake for the competitors
By Mike Hall