An exciting final day awaits during the final event of the season, with a multitude of players still in with a chance of claiming the 2020 Race to Dubai crown.
As it stands, eight players are within two shots of the 11 under par lead held by Patrick Reed, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Laurie Canter, and of that number there are several who could also make history with a win at the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the season.
In addition, the contest for this year's Rookie of the Year continues to heat up, with everything still to play for.
The Race for European Number One
Patrick Reed remains on track to be crowned European Number One after making a birdie at the final hole of the third round to retain a share of the 54 hole lead with English duo Laurie Canter and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
The American led the 2020 Race to Dubai ahead of the season-ending tournament, but relied on a superb short game during a day he described as 'sloppy' to retain his position at the top of the board after a Saturday 71.
As it stands, the projected rankings place Reed at the top of the pile, while a victory for co-leaders would require the World Number 11 to falter considerably on Sunday. Canter entered the week ranked 44th, and Fitzpatrick 16th, meaning as it stands their projected rankings are sixth and second respectively.
However, Reed will still face stiff competition on Sunday for both the title and the Race to Dubai, thanks to a chasing pack comprised of Viktor Hovland, Adri Arnaus, 2019 Rookie of the Year Robert MacIntyre and two-time Race to Dubai champion Lee Westwood. Of that number, Westwood is the only other player who could guarantee he takes home two titles with a victory, while others would need some help along the way.
| Player | How they can win Race to Dubai |
|---|---|
| Reed (-11) | Can win with a win, or can finish 2nd if Fleetwood/Morikawa/Westwood don’t win. He can also finish 3rd if Fleetwood/Morikawa finish lower than second, and Westwood, Bezuidenhout, Perez, Rai, Hatton, Sullivan, Hojgaard and Van Rooyen don’t win |
| Fitzpatrick (-11) | Wins with a win if Reed, Fleetwood, Morikawa and Westwood finish 3rd or lower |
| Canter (-11) | Wins with a win if Reed finishes 10th or lower, Fleetwood finishes 4th or lower, and Morikawa, Westwood, Bezuidenhout, Perez, Rai, Hatton 3rd or lower |
| Westwood (-10) | Wins with a win, or can finish 2nd if Reed is 4th or lower, Fleetwood & Morikawa 3rd or lower, and Bezuidenhout, Perez, Rai, Hatton, Sullivan, Hojgaard, Van Rooyen & Im don’t win |
| MacIntyre (-10) | Wins with a win if Reed finishes 6th or lower, and Fleetwood, Morikawa, Westwood, Perez, Rai finish 3rd or lower |
| Hovland (-10) | Can only win DP World Tour Championship |
| Arnaus (-10) | Wins with a win if Reed finishes 18th or lower |
| Valimaki (-9) | Wins with a win if Reed finishes 4th or lower, Fleetwood, Morikawa, Westwood 3rd or lower |
| Hatton (-8) | Wins with a win if Reed finishes 3rd or lower |
Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award
Sami Valimaki made another big statement during Saturday's third round as the race to be crowned Rookie of the Year comes to a head at this week's DP World Tour Championship.
Valimaki, who earned his maiden European Tour title at the Oman Open, fired a three under par 69 to move into the top ten in the DP World Tour Championship, and is currently projected to finish at 14th in the 2020 Race to Dubai.
That puts him two places higher than Danish teenager Rasmus Højgaard, who has two victories to his name during his rookie season on Tour but has struggled this week with rounds of 76, 68 and 78.
American Collin Morikawa, who has impressed on his European Tour regular season debut so far this week, currently sits as the highest placed rookie in the Race to Dubai thanks to his maiden Major victory at the PGA Championship.
However, unlike previous years, the Rookie of the Year will be decided by a committee comprising two members of the Tournament Committee and two members of the Tour’s Executive following the end of the DP World Tour Championship. This is due to the unforeseen impact of Covid-19, which includes lower Race to Dubai points being available, members in the U.S. not travelling to events as intended due to quarantine issues, the repositioning of Major Championships and the revision of the qualification process into the U.S. Open, all of which have impacted on the opportunities for a broad range of members.
A chance at making history
Several players have a chance to earn their way into the history books with a victory at the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday. Two of those come from the penultimate pairing of Patrick Reed and Robert MacIntyre.
Reed has long spoken of his desire to be a truly international player, and he has a very real chance at becoming the first American to lift the Harry Vardon Trophy on Sunday.
"I'm trying not to really think about that, honestly," he said. "If it happens, it would be unbelievable. It was always a goal of mine obviously to win golf tournaments but to win this one and also to win the Race to Dubai and be the first American would be amazing.
"We still have a full 18 holes left and you can't really sit back there and think as much about that as just stay in the present and try to play some good golf tomorrow."
Meanwhile, MacIntyre will need plenty of help from co-leader Reed, but he still has the chance to become just the second player in European Tour history to graduate from Rookie of the Year to Race to Dubai Champion/Order or Merit winner in consecutive seasons, following in the footsteps of fellow Scot Sandy Lyle. Bernard Gallacher also achieved the feat of winning the Sir Henry Cotton award and the Harry Vardon Trophy in back-to-back years in 1968-69, but it was prior to the European Tour officially began.
To make it happen, MacIntyre would need to win, but he would also need Reed to finish 6th or lower, and all five of Fleetwood, Morikawa, Westwood, Perez and Rai to finish third or lower.
