Across four events in three countries, and with multiple rewards at play, the DP World Tour continues its global odyssey with the Asian Swing.
After the Opening and International swings, the Global Swings phase of the 2026 Race to Dubai calendar continues with stops in China, India and Türkiye.
Once again, the run of events - with the first men's Major Championship of the year Masters, sandwiched in between - promises to highlight the depth of international talent on Golf's Global Tour.
With the world coming to play, here is all you need to know about the Asian Swing.
Starting with the Hainan Classic, the DP World Tour will make the first of two visits over back-to-back months to China.
After its inaugural edition at Mission Hills last year, the tournament on the island province is the 51st visit to the country since the Tour's inception in 1972.
A week later, India will be in golf's international spotlight as the treacherous DLF G&CC - widely considered as one of the toughest tests on the schedule - plays host to the Hero Indian Open.
The Masters Tournament sits next, either side of two off weeks, with the world's best set to gather at Augusta National in an event - as with all four Majors - that does not count towards the Swing rankings, but will see players claim points for the Race to Dubai Rankings.
We then return east for the Volvo China Open at Enhance Anting GC, before the Turkish Airlines Open moves to National GC at Regnum Carya - one of six confirmed first-time venues this season - as it serves as a bridge ahead of the European Swing.
Across the seven-week span, the DP World Tour's country count will move into double figures as Türkiye is set to be the 11th of the campaign.
What's at play?
As with all Global Swings since the DP World Tour schedule was revamped ahead of the 2024 season, an overall swing champion will be determined based on their performances in the four counting tournaments across China, India and Türkiye.
DP World Tour members will compete for a total prize fund of US$10,600,000 million.
The player who finishes top of the mini order of merit standings will earn a place in all events in Phase Two of the DP World Tour season, the Back 9, and a $200,000 bonus.
Which players are set to feature?
Major champion and Ryder Cup winner Francesco Molinari is confirmed to play at both the Hainan Classic and the Hero Indian Open over the opening two weeks of the Swing.
Wenyi Ding - a graduate of the Global Amateur Pathway in 2024 - will hope to star in front of home crowds in China along with teenage sensation, who claimed more wins than Scottie Scheffler last year.
Molinari will be joined in India by South African stars Casey Jarvis and Jayden Schaper among a host of DP World Tour regulars, with the South African pair riding high on the Race to Dubai after claiming back-to-back DP World Tour titles so far this season.
Among others teeing it up in the world's most populous nation are Akshay Bhatia, who won his third PGA TOUR title earlier this month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, winner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India's (PGTI) order of merit last year, will be among the local stars that week as will two-time DP World Tour winner Shubhankar Sharma.
Martin Couvra, one of golf's rising stars, having won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award last year is set to defend in Türkiye.
Who won the Asian Swing last year?
Japan's Keita Nakajima recorded back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Porsche Singapore Classic and Hero Indian Open last year on his way to scooping a $200,000 bonus and book his place at the US PGA Championship and the Back 9 events.
What follows next?
After the Asian Swing, the DP World Tour schedule will head straight into the European Swing.
Starting with the inaugural Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship and ending with the BMW International Open, there will be six counting events across as many countries alongside two Majors.
The European Swing will be followed by the Closing Swing before the Back 9 leads into the DP World Tour Play-Offs.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
No comments:
Post a Comment