Rory McIlroy makes expected announcement ahead of 2026 season

Rory McIlroy will start his 2026 campaign on the DP World Tour as opposed to the PGA Tour. 

McIlroy, 36, has confirmed he will be playing in his first tournament of the new year at the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour. 

The event takes place at Dubai Creek Resort from 15-18 January. 

McIlroy finished second to Tommy Fleetwood in the inaugural Dubai Invitational in 2023 - and he is already seeking redemption. 

"I’m excited to be starting my year in Dubai," said McIlroy.

"The UAE is a place where I’ve enjoyed a lot of great weeks, and I’m sure this will be no different.

"Dubai Creek Resort was a fantastic host venue two years ago, and Abdulla and his team put on an incredible event.

"I came very close to winning that week, so I’m hoping 2026 will be another really good year for me - and to start strong in the Middle East would be the perfect way to get it under way."

There was no Dubai Invitational in 2025 as the Team Cup was hosted in Abu Dhabi instead as a warm-up event for the Ryder Cup.

Rory McIlroy starting 2026 campaign on DP World Tour

McIlroy has also confirmed he will sticking around in Dubai to compete in the Dubai Desert Classic the following week too. 

The World No.2 is a record four-time winner of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Those are McIlroy's only two confirmed tournaments for the start of 2026 as it stands. 

McIlroy will, however, be making his first start of the official 2026 DP World Tour season at the Australian Open, which gets underway at Royal Melbourne from 4-7 December 2025. 

The DP World Tour's wraparound 2026 season begins at the BMW Australian PGA at Royal Queensland from 27-30 November 2025. 

McIlroy has confirmed recently that his playing schedules each season will involve much more international-based events.

A decision likely made easier for him now having completed the career grand slam. 

The update to McIlroy's early 2026 season schedule should come as little surprise to his most ardent fans given the Northern Irishman has only ever started his year once on the PGA Tour.

That came in 2019 when McIlroy played in The Sentry at famed Kapalua in Hawaii.

Other than that, McIlroy has always begun his season in the United Arab Emirates on the DP World Tour.

Unfortunately for the PGA Tour, their season-opening Sentry tournament will not be contested in 2026.

The decision to pull The Sentry from the schedule for 2026 comes after severe drought conditions made it impossible to prepare the Plantation Course at Kapalua to PGA Tour standards.

The Sony Open in Hawaii, held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu from 12-18 January 12–18 will now serve as the 2026 season-opening event.

Even though McIlroy was never going to play in the tournament, the 2026 Sentry was set to feature the top 50 players from the 2025 FedExCup standings, plus any winners from the 2025 season.

Those players inside the top 50 will remain eligible for all Signature Events next year, while 2025 winners outside that group will now gain entry to an additional Signature Event — the RBC Heritage in April.

Because The Sentry will not be contested in 2026, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be the season’s first Signature Event from 12-15 February. 

There will now be just eight Signature Events on the 2026 PGA Tour schedule as opposed to an initial nine. 

Although McIlroy has yet to confirm his partipation at Pebble Beach for 2026, there is a strong chance he will return as defending champion.

McIlroy won for the first ever time at iconic Pebble earlier this season. 

McIlroy looking to cap 2025 season in style

McIlroy is currently closing in on a seventh Race to Dubai title on the DP World Tour after enjoying arguably his most successful ever season. 

He holds the lead over England's Marco Penge heading into next month's DP World Tour Playoffs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

McIlroy completed the career grand slam at The Masters in April before going on to win his home Irish Open for a second time at The K Club in September. 

He's also added wins on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach and for a second time at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. 

On top of all that, McIlroy helped Donald's European Ryder Cup team defeat Keegan Bradley's Team USA 15-13 at Bethpage last month.

McIlroy performed admirably taking three and half points, which bumped him up into seventh in the all-time European points list (21.5). 

Should McIlroy see things out as expected in the Race to Dubai then he will move to within one of record eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie. 

He will then play in his first tournament of 2025 at the Australian Open in early December, where he will go in search of etching his name on the famous Stonehaven Cup for a second time in his career.

McIlroy won his first Australian Open title at Royal Sydney in 2013.