DP World Tour announces title sponsorship extension, creation of Rory McIlroy Award

Get used to hearing the name DP World Tour for at least another decade.

On Tuesday, DP World and the DP World Tour extended their long-term partnership. Under the new partnership agreement, the largest in the Tour’s history, DP World will continue as title partner and official logistics partner until 2035. The original agreement, which started in 2022, saw the European Tour renamed the DP World Tour.

“The first stage of our landmark title partner relationship has been focused on raising awareness globally of the DP World brand and building a strong pipeline of new business leads for their sector-leading services. Over the past four years, that has been a tremendous success” said Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour. “The partnership has also evolved and will see DP World continue to become an integral cog in delivering our global tournament schedule, utilizing their supply chain expertise. This is a truly integrated partnership that will continue to deepen over the next decade.”

As part of the renewed agreement, DP World will continue as title partner of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai until 2035 – the season-ending Rolex Series event where the Race to Dubai Champion is crowned. In addition, DP World will become an official partner to a further 15 tournaments each season – providing greater opportunities to engage fans and communities across key markets.

It was also announced that the DP World India Championship will return in 2026, with the ambition to become a regular fixture on the Tour calendar. 

DP World’s association with the Tour stretches back to 2009, when it became a presenting partner of the Race to Dubai finale.

Furthermore, the DP World Tour announced the creation of the Rory McIlroy Award, a new annual trophy named in honor of Europe’s first winner of the Career Grand Slam.

The award will be presented to the individual member of the DP World Tour who performs the best across all four Major Championships in a season. It will be introduced for the 2026 season, with the winner being the member who cumulatively earns the most Race to Dubai points from the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open.

“To have something named after you, that will be presented to future generations of players, is a huge honor and it is very humbling,” McIlroy said in a press release. “It certainly means a lot to me because the DP World Tour was where I started my career. I’ve always loved playing on it and, of course, representing Europe and the Tour in the Ryder Cup.

“I’m incredibly proud to be the first European to achieve the Career Grand Slam. The Majors represent the pinnacle of our sport, and I hope my success can inspire other DP World Tour members to chase and achieve their own dreams for years to come. I look forward to seeing who becomes the first recipient of this new award in 2026 and it will be another very proud moment for me personally to present the trophy to them.

Given that the new award is named in his honor, McIlroy will be ineligible to win the trophy himself. Instead, it will be awarded to members seeking to replicate his achievements in golf’s four biggest individual tournaments.