Sports16 September, 20262 min read
Matt Fitzpatrick Says He Is Not Comfortable Playing DP World Tour Events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
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Fitzpatrick is not comfortable traveling to Abu Dhabi/Dubai for the season-ending events. He cites ongoing Middle East conflict and personal safety concerns driving hesitation.
Fitzpatrick doubts Dubai finals
Matt Fitzpatrick said he is “not that comfortable” playing DP World Tour events in the Middle East, with the Abu Dhabi Championship scheduled for 5-8 November and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai a week later. Fitzpatrick, who is due to defend the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, told the BBC Sport he is concerned the United Arab Emirates could be a target in the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.
“I was having dinner the week I won in that hotel.”
At Wentworth ahead of the BMW PGA Championship, Fitzpatrick linked his reservations to a hotel hit earlier this year, saying, “I was having dinner the week I won in that hotel.” The BBC reported DP World Tour officials are assessing safety issues for the final two play-off events in Abu Dhabi and then Dubai, while the tour said it continues to monitor the situation and take advice from its international travel advisors.
Tour says it will monitor
Fitzpatrick accused the DP World Tour of being “very vague” over plans to retain or move the tournaments, and he said his management was informed in April that a decision would be made by June. The Irish Examiner quoted a DP World Tour spokesman saying, “We are in constant dialogue with our members and their management teams,” while adding that players’ schedule choices remain theirs to decide.
Shane Lowry, last week’s Irish Open winner, said the tour faces “huge decisions for everyone” and that he is not going to comment on the whole thing because “if the tournaments are on, the players are going to go.” Lowry also said, “As of last week, I wasn’t in them,” and he described planning a “decent break this winter” as he waits for the tour’s decision.
Safety, planning, and uncertainty
Fitzpatrick said he would like to see the Dubai event switched to a different host country, calling it a “no brainer” before adding that he is “not a sponsor” and “not paying the bills.” The Independent reported DP World Tour leadership is yet to make a decision over whether to still stage the events in the planned locations, and it described the finale as back-to-back events in the United Arab Emirates.
The BBC said Fitzpatrick is “not 100% comfortable” and that he still needs to qualify, while the tour reiterated its intention to play as scheduled in the UAE and to continue monitoring safety advice. In the same coverage, Lowry said he will keep watching and that “if they are not, they will find an alternative,” framing the stakes as whether the playoffs happen in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as planned.