Fitzpatrick and Lowry Among Ryder Cup Stars Skipping Dubai Finale Over Middle East Safety Fears

The DP World Tour's season finale will go ahead in Dubai this week without some of its biggest names. European Ryder Cup heroes Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry are among the players who have decided against travelling to the Middle East, and their absence has left the championship with a field that looks very different from the one the rankings promised.

Both men qualified comfortably. Fitzpatrick finished 14th in the Race to Dubai standings, Lowry 20th, and both had earned their place at Jumeirah Golf Estates for the tournament that runs from Thursday to Sunday. Instead, they will watch from home, joined by Fitzpatrick's younger brother Alex, who finished 35th, and Australian Min Woo Lee, who secured his place in 48th. All four also bypassed last week's Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, the opening leg of the playoffs.

Fitzpatrick had already raised his concerns in public. Speaking during September's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he admitted he was uneasy about the trip. "Being completely honest as things stand right now, I would say I'm not that comfortable," he said, adding that becoming a father in August had changed his perspective. His management team later confirmed he would not travel.

The withdrawals have reshaped the field. Ewen Ferguson, Matt Wallace, Victor Perez and Joost Luiten have moved into the 50-man field in their place, while Ludvig Åberg declined the chance to take one of the open spots, having also skipped Abu Dhabi. Bob MacIntyre and Justin Rose are out too.

Fitzpatrick's absence will sting the most. The former US Open champion has won the event three times, sharing the record with McIlroy and Rahm, and has four wins in 2026.

The unease is not abstract. During the Abu Dhabi event, precautionary evacuation notices appeared around Yas Links, outlining the procedures players and caddies would need to follow in an emergency. Play would be suspended immediately following an emergency mobile phone alert from UAE authorities, while a prolonged air horn blast would signal danger, and everyone would make their way to the clubhouse.

McIlroy, who finished third in Abu Dhabi to move from third to second in the Race to Dubai standings, has insisted he has no concerns about competing in the region. "I don't think I would ever feel unsafe," he told reporters at Yas Links. "The UAE has great defence systems. Yeah, I think the only thing would be that if they closed the airspace and you were stuck here for a period of time, like people were at the start of year, but like I would still feel safe. I wouldn't feel like I would be in any danger."

"If everyone deems that it's safe to be here, then who am I to say otherwise?" he added. "This is important to me. I want to play well. I want to end my year well. I wanted to have a chance to win another Race to Dubai. I don't feel like there's any risk coming here, but if I did feel like there was a risk, I feel like the reward is worth it."

While Fitzpatrick and Lowry stay away, Rahm has given himself a major opportunity to finish the season on a high. The Spaniard claimed a two-shot victory in Abu Dhabi, his sixth Rolex Series title and 11th DP World Tour win, climbing from 51st to sixth in the standings. Eugenio Chacarra still leads the Race to Dubai on 4,243.79 points, more than 500 clear of McIlroy. The finale will crown a champion. It just will not have all of its stars there to contest it.