DP World Tour Lines Up Sotogrande as Dubai Playoffs Backup

The DP World Tour has reportedly earmarked Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande in Spain as a fallback venue for its end-of-season Playoffs if safety and security cannot be guaranteed in Dubai this November, according to a report from Spanish outlet Ten Golf. The tour's usual host country has been thrown into question by the ongoing war in Iran.

Why is Dubai in doubt?

Players including Matt Fitzpatrick have said they would not be fully comfortable traveling to Dubai as the situation stands, and Fitzpatrick called a change of host country a "no-brainer" while acknowledging the logistics involved.

Under the reported contingency plan, the tour would move its finale to Sotogrande, the regular host of the Andalucia Masters, cancel the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and expand the DP World Tour Championship field to accommodate all 70 players who qualify for the Playoffs.

What happens next?

For now, the DP World Tour is still planning to stage its season finale in the Middle East in less than two months, with the Sotogrande option held in reserve should conditions in Dubai not allow the event to proceed as scheduled.