Wiesberger targets PGA Tour place at Dubai finale

Bernd Wiesberger will chase one of 10 PGA Tour places at the DP World Tour finale in Dubai, where he faces a field including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed, ORF reports.

The places go to the highest-ranked players in the season standings who do not already have PGA Tour status. Wiesberger is 11th in the Race to Dubai but seventh in the separate ranking for the qualifying places.

The Austrian arrives in strong form after finishing fifth at last week’s first playoff event in Abu Dhabi. The result earned him about 288,000 euros and valuable ranking points. Wiesberger said he had seen “a lot of good things, a few weaker shots, but I gave everything until the end.” Rahm won ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton and McIlroy. Wiesberger will play alongside Hatton in Thursday’s opening round.

Only 50 golfers will compete at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai for a share of 10 million dollars in prize money, with no cut. The winner after four rounds will receive three million dollars. A further six million dollars will go to the top 10 in the season standings. Wiesberger needs to climb one place to qualify for that additional payout.

Last year, Matt Fitzpatrick beat McIlroy in a playoff. Fitzpatrick will not compete this time. McIlroy is second in the Race to Dubai, behind Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, and is aiming for a fifth consecutive overall title.

Wiesberger has already had a strong season, highlighted by his win in Shanghai, his ninth on tour. He has also recorded four top-five finishes, including fourth place at the tournament in Kitzbühel, and has earned more than 1.4 million euros in prize money. Securing PGA Tour status would cap the season. If he qualifies, he is more likely to split his time between the two tours than move to the United States.