DP World Tour makes huge announcement regarding tour cards ahead of 2026 season

The DP World Tour will implement a series of structural changes for the 2026 season that will ultimately reduce the number of available tour cards in 2027, a move chief executive Guy Kinnings says is designed to give members “more-balanced playing opportunities” and greater certainty over their schedules.

Just like on the PGA Tour and under the revised framework, only the top 100 players on the DP World Tour's 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings will retain full playing privileges for the following season, down from the traditional top 110.

Pathways onto the DP World Tour will tighten as well with the number of cards awarded through the Hotel Planner Tour dropping  from 20 to 15.

• Which big name golfers lost their PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season?

The DP World Tour's Qualifying School will also offer spots only to the top 15 and ties, rather than the previous top 20.

Collectively, the changes will mean around 20 fewer card holders for 2027. 

The 2026 DP World Tour season gets underway at this week's BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland. 

Kinnings insists the decision was driven by the need to adapt to an evolving global schedule and to strengthen clarity for those who earn their place.

“The schedule has changed a lot and we needed to reflect that,” Kinnings told The Scotsman. 

“If you have earned your card, you should have greater playing certainty. This approach gives those players more-balanced opportunities across the season.”

Kinnings, who succeeded Keith Pelley as CEO of the European Tour Group in April 2024, said the overhaul was not a quick fix but the result of a broad internal review.

“There was recognition that it was time to make changes and that there was no point in tinkering,” he said. 

“The tournament committee felt strongly about this. We’ve had working groups analysing it all year, running multiple scenarios to get it right.”

The adjustments also sit alongside the DP World Tour's Strategic Alliance with the PGA Tour, which recently created a pathway for players finishing 126–200 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings to access DP World Tour events. 

With multiple entry routes now in play, Kinnings said the priority was to ensure that those who secure their playing rights—whichever path they take—start the season with a clearer sense of where and when they can compete.

“You’ve got to listen, and we do that all the time,” said Kinnings. 

“Nothing will please everyone, but our job is to work for the members. If they play well, they should reap the benefits. That’s why we looked at this in the first place.”

Kinnings added that the tour will track the impact of the changes once they take effect.

“We wanted to make significant changes to make things work better, and we will monitor how they go,” he said. 

“We won’t please everyone, but we can try to please the majority.”

The DP World Tour now enters a crucial transitional period, aiming to balance opportunity with security as it reshapes the competitive landscape for 2027 and beyond.