The European Tour season concludes this week at the DP World Tour Championship with Tommy Fleetwood leading the standings
Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship
The European Tour season concludes this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and three men are in the running to become Europe’s number one.
Tommy Fleetwood leads the standings and looks to win his first ever Race to Dubai title, with Justin Rose in second, 256,737 points behind.
Sergio Garcia can also seal his first Race to Dubai title but is over a million points behind.
According to the European Tour, Fleetwood has a 73% chance of winning, Rose a 24% chance and Garcia a 3% chance.
Tommy Fleetwood’s hopes were increased with a top-10 finish last week in South Africa, and whilst Rose didn’t play at the Nedbank, he has won his previous two events at the WGC-HSBC Champions and Turkish Airlines Open.
Garcia, of course, won the Masters in April and then went on to lift to Andalucia Valderrama Masters in October.
Justin Rose is the closest challenger to Tommy Fleetwood this week. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Interestingly, Garcia looks to be using new clubs this week after being spotted playing with Callaway equipment.
Justin Rose won the European Tour’s Order of Merit back in 2007 with victory at the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. In similar circumstances to this week, he overtook Ernie Els to pip the South African at the final hurdle.
Fleetwood has had the season of his life, winning the Abu Dhabi Championship in January before wrapping up the Open de France in July. The world #19 was 2nd at the WGC-Mexico Championship, 2nd at the Shenzhen International, fourth at the US Open and T6th recently at the Italian Open.
Scenarios:
Fleetwood to win the Race to Dubai
The Englishman simply needs to match or better Justin Rose’s finish this week.
Rose to win the Race to Dubai
The world #6 will win the Race to Dubai if he finishes second on his own, as long as Fleetwood doesn’t win. He needs to finish no worse than solo fifth to have any chance.
Garcia to win the Race to Dubai
The only way the Spaniard will lift the Race to Dubai trophy if he wins the DP World Tour Championship, and Tommy Fleetwood finishes outside of the top-20 and Rose finishes worse than solo fourth.
Fleetwood and Rose are paired together for the first round in the final group, going off at 12.40pm local time (GMT +4).
Garcia is in the penultimate group with Jon Rahm at 12.30pm local time.
Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick is in the field this week after he won this tournament last year with a birdie at the 72nd hole. He beat Tyrrell Hatton by a stroke to win his third European Tour title.
Last week’s winner Branden Grace tees it up this week in a very strong field including all of the European Tour’s biggest names barring Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson.
The par 5, 18th hole on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
The action takes place over the famous Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates which has hosted this tournament each year since 2009.
The course measures almost 7,700-yards and the final four holes all feature water – it could be a grandstand finish on Sunday.
DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nov 16-19
Purse €7,400,000, par 72 7,675 yards
TV Coverage:
Thursday 16 – Sky Sports Golf from 8am, Sky Sports Main Event from 11.15am
Friday 17 – Sky Sports Golf from 8am, Sky Sports Main Event from 11.15am
Saturday 18 – Sky Sports Golf from 7.30am
Sunday 19 – Sky Sports Golf from 7am, Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30am
Not a Sky Sports customer and want to watch the DP World Tour Championship?
Why not buy a Now TV pass? For £6.99 you can get a day pass, if you just wish to watch one of the rounds, or for just £10.99 you can get a week pass to see the whole tournament.
Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99
Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99
Player watch:
Justin Rose – The Englishman has won his last two events and will be gunning for the Race to Dubai title.
Tyrrell Hatton – Hatton just missed out here last year and won both the Dunhill Links and Italian Open in back-to-back weeks in October
Jon Rahm – The world #5 was announced as the 2017 European Tour Rookie of the Year after a phenomenal season which included his Irish Open win in the Rolex Series as well as his first PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
Don’t forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
This article Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship appeared first on Golf Monthly.