Daniel Hillier will carry New Zealand’s challenge into the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs this week as the season reaches its decisive fortnight in the United Arab Emirates.
Hillier tees it up at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship from 5–8 November, with the leading available players on the Race to Dubai gathering at Yas Links for the first of two season-ending Rolex Series events.
Ryan Fox will not play in Abu Dhabi, leaving Hillier as the sole Kiwi in the field.
Fox’s season is not over, however. The Open champion has confirmed his place in the following week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai from 12–15 November.
Hillier Enters Playoffs In Strong Position
Hillier arrives in Abu Dhabi seventh on the Race to Dubai after a strong finish to the regular season.
His standout result came at the DP World India Championship, where the Kiwi recovered from a difficult start to finish outright second behind Eugenio Chacarra.
He followed that with a share of 11th at the Genesis Championship in South Korea.
Those performances have also strengthened Hillier’s push for a 2027 PGA Tour card, one of his biggest goals heading into the closing weeks of the season.
The leading ten eligible DP World Tour players who do not already hold PGA Tour status will earn cards for next year, and Hillier enters the Play-Offs firmly inside that group.
Four Rounds To Make His Mark
The Abu Dhabi field features the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai standings.
Unlike a standard Tour event, there is no halfway cut, meaning every player receives four rounds at Yas Links.
After Abu Dhabi, the top 50 available players in the standings will progress to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Hillier is already strongly positioned to reach Dubai, allowing his focus to shift towards climbing the rankings and strengthening his PGA Tour prospects.
Major Names Await At Yas Links
Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra heads into the Play-Offs leading the Race to Dubai following a three-win season.
American Patrick Reed sits second, with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy third and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis fourth.
Defending Abu Dhabi champion Aaron Rai is also back, while Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Adam Scott add further strength to the field.
Hillier enters the week among the leading players in the season-long standings and with plenty still available to him.
Fox To Return In Dubai
Fox’s absence means New Zealand will have only one player to follow at Yas Links, but the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year remains part of the season finale.
He is confirmed for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where he will rejoin Hillier should his fellow Kiwi progress as expected.
For now, the spotlight belongs to Hillier.
After his remarkable comeback in India and another strong showing in Korea, the 28-year-old enters Abu Dhabi with form, confidence and a childhood PGA Tour dream moving increasingly close.
Four rounds at Yas Links provide the next opportunity to take another significant step towards it.
