LONDON , England -- Dubai will stage the world 's richest golf tournament as part of the European Tour 's 2009 schedule . Lofty ambition : The world 's richest golf event was launched at the world 's tallest hotel in Dubai . The Dubai World Championship , to be held at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 19-22 of that year , will have a prize pool of $ 10 million -- with $ 1,666,660 on offer for the winner . The Tour 's Order of Merit will be renamed The Race to Dubai with a prize pool also of $ 10 million , and is expected to start in January from 2010 instead of late November on the current calendar . The top-ranked player will receive $ 2 million , the runner-up $ 1.5 million and the third-placed player $ 1 million , with prizes down to the 15th player , who will earn $ 250,000 . European Tour chief executive George O'Grady said : `` This is so much more than a tournament sponsorship . It is a long-term partnership which will see the European Tour and Dubai joining together to significantly enhance the game worldwide and take golf to a new level for spectators everywhere . '' The first five years of the Tour 's new partnership with Leisurecorp , the company developing Dubai 's leading residential golf community , will also see the building of a new international headquarters for the governing body and the creation of a global property company to develop new tournament venues around the world . The inaugural event will run on either the Fire or Earth course , both of which were designed by former world No . 1 Greg Norman . The Jumeirah complex also includes a Water course designed by Vijay Singh and a Wind course carrying the names of Norman , Sergio Garcia and American designer Pete Dye . The agreement signed between Leisurecorp and the European Tour includes an option to extend for a further five years . O'Grady added : `` The scale of this agreement is testament to the vision of Dubai and its ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , who has recognized the dynamic role golf can play in developing the global profile of this amazing city . `` It is also testament to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem ( chairman of Leisurecorp 's parent company Dubai World ) , who has been instrumental in turning that vision into reality . `` The Race to Dubai will bring a new dimension to the European Tour , creating great drama and theatre throughout the year as all the best players in the world are given the opportunity to compete in the world 's richest tournament . `` Moreover , as the European Tour has become ever-more global in its outlook , it has become increasingly important to us to have an international base in a strategically-placed location . `` Dubai is a massively important and growing hub , with outstanding air links to all our locations , and the perfect place for us to offer a tailor-made service to all our members through the Center of Excellence at the European Tour International Headquarters . '' As with the current season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama in Spain , the Dubai World Championship will be restricted to the leading 60 players on the European money list . The money on offer exceeds what is currently on offer at the four major tournaments . The British Open is the richest of those at the moment at $ 8.6 million , with the Masters , U.S. Open and U.S. PGA all just under $ 7 million this year . The U.S. Tour 's Players Championship is the richest single event , offering a purse of almost $ 9 million . E-mail to a friend .
The European Tour will feature the world 's richest golf event in Dubai in 2009 . The Dubai World Championship will have a prize purse of $ 10 million . Comment: