Ranked: The 7 top contenders for the HSBC Championship revealed

This week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the forty first of 42 occasions within the 2025 season, the fourth of 5 Rolex Collection tournaments, and likewise the primary of the 2 end-of-year DP World Tour Play-Offs.

It’s every week that issues for gamers competing on the high finish of the Race to Dubai (the seasonal rankings) and it’s a financially considerably week too with a prize purse of $9million.

It takes place, as does subsequent week’s finale, the DP World Tour Championship, within the UAE and that issues as a result of kind within the desert of the Center East tends to be repeated throughout all programs and nations.

The host format, Yas Hyperlinks, can be an necessary issue as a result of it’s, because the identify suggests, one thing of linksy creation.

It is usually a Kyle Phillips design and kind on his programs has proved important within the tour’s three earlier visits.

Class and Race to Dubai place may also matter this week, however who comes out on high?

Let’s check out the main contenders, give them marks out of 10, whole them up, and see who emerges high.

1. Rory McIlroy

Race to Dubai rating? 1st. (10)

Class? Gained this 12 months’s Masters (his fifth main triumph) and with it the Profession Grand Slam. Sufficient mentioned. (10)

Kind? Gained the Irish Open however failed to interrupt the highest 15 in his two begins since both aspect of the Ryder Cup. (7)

Center East kind? Has gained 4 Dubai Desert Traditional and three DP World Tour Championships. (10)

Occasion kind? Has completed high three in 9 of his 13 begins, however by no means gained. (9)

Course kind? T12 on debut in 2022 after a really sluggish begin and third final 12 months. (8)

Kyle Phillips kind? Nothing past Yas Hyperlinks. (5)

Whole: 59/70

2. Tommy Fleetwood

Race to Dubai rating? twenty sixth. (5)

Class? This 12 months’s winner of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and a three-time high three finisher within the majors. (9)

Kind? Gained the India Championship final outing. (10)

Center East kind? Gained the 2024 Dubai Invitational and a two-time runner-up within the DP World Tour Championship. (8)

Occasion kind? Gained it back-to-back in 2017/18 and was second in 2020. (10)

Course kind? Completed exterior the highest 30 on his first two begins, first spherical chief after which sixth final 12 months. (6)

Kyle Phillips kind? Fourth at The Grove in 2016. (6)

Whole: 54/70

3. Tyrrell Hatton

Race to Dubai rating? 2nd. (9)

Class? Tied fourth on this 12 months’s US Open. (6)

Kind? Fifth at Wentworth and second within the Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship both aspect of the Ryder Cup. (8)

Center East kind? Winner of this 12 months’s Dubai Desert Traditional and twice runner-up within the DP World Tour Championship. (7)

Occasion kind? Winner in 2021. (9)

Course kind? Completed sixth, seventh and second with a remaining spherical common of 65.33. (9)

Kyle Phillips kind? Ninth at The Grove and a number of high-quality rounds at Kingsbarns as a three-time winner (and three-time runner-up) within the Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship. (9)

Whole: 57/70

4. Robert MacIntyre

Race to Dubai rating? sixth. (7)

Class? A two-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2024. (7)

Kind? Winner of the Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship final outing. (10)

Center East kind? Seven high 10s from 25 begins shouldn’t be the most effective on this firm. (4)

Occasion kind? Better of T16 from 5 begins. (2)

Course kind? MC-20-19 so bettering however wants extra. (2)

Kyle Phillips kind? Had a 66 at Kingsbarns when successful final outing. (6)

Whole: 38/70

5. Marco Penge

Race to Dubai rating? 2nd. (9)

Class? A 3-time winner on the DP World Tour this 12 months. (6)

Kind? Winner of the Open de Espana final outing. (9)

Center East kind? Poor (one reduce made, after which solely T35, in six begins). (0)

Occasion kind? Debut. (5)

Course kind? Debut. (5)

Kyle Phillips kind? T43 at PGA Nationwide Oaks, Prague in 2024 and but to go low at Kingsbarns. (1)

Whole: 35/70

6. Alex Noren

Race to Dubai rating? eighth. (7)

Class? Two-time winner of the BMW PGA Championship. (8)

Kind? Gained the British Masters in late August and the BMW PGA Championship in mid September. (8)

Center East kind? Second within the 2015 Dubai Desert Traditional and likewise within the 2022 DP World Tour Championship. (7)

Occasion kind? Not one high 10 on the earlier venue. (4)

Course kind? Fifth on his solely begin in 2023. (7)

Kyle Phillips kind? Distinctive: winner at The Grove and PGA Sweden Nationwide, and lots of low scores at Kingsbarns together with when he was second and third on the Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship. (10)

Whole: 51/70