The prize fund for the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship has increased to become $3 million, the largest in golf.

The winner of the 2019 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will take home $3 million, up from US$1.33 million last year when English golfer Danny Willett took the title.

The championship forms the final part of the Race to Dubai, a set of three European Tour tournaments at the end of the Rolex Series.

The prize funds for the other events, the Turkish Airlines Open and the Nedbank Golf Challenge, have also increased significantly.

2018 winner Danny Willett with the CEO and managing director of DP World

As the size of the prize fund has increased, the size of the playing field has been cut, and the DP World Tour Championship will now only be open to the top 50 players on the Race to Dubai, down from 60 in previous years.

Danny Van Otterdijk, senior vice-president communications, DP World said: “This is excellent news for everyone involved in European Tour golf.

“It means more entertainment for the fans, more incentive for the players, and an even bigger profile for the sport.”

The Race to Dubai bonus pool prize, previously shared between the top ten players, will now only extend to the top five, but has been increased so that the winner’s share is now US$2 million.

Last year’s winner Francesco Molinari took home just US$1.25 million, and if one player wins both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai they would now take home US$5 million.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The changes we have announced today in terms of enhanced winner’s cheques, Race to Dubai points and Bonus Pool dividend are designed to increase the excitement around the end of the season for or fans, as well as encourage greater top player participation in our final three events.”

Despite the increased winner’s prizes, the overall prize fund for the DP World Tour Championship remains at US$8 million, with that money now being shared between fewer players.

The more exclusive, higher stakes championship will take place at the Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 21-24, 2019.