After 47 tournaments played in 26 countries, The 2015 Race to Dubai reaches the home strait with the seventh edition of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where seven players can still top the Rankings and Henrik Stenson is bidding to lift the trophy for the third successive season.
Stenson successfully defended his title on the Earth course 12 months ago, but a glittering cast – led by World Number Three and current Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy – stand between the Swede and his bid to re-write the record books.
Even a third successive win would not be enough for Stenson to emulate his achievements of 2013, when he finished the season as Europe’s Number One; but with eight million points up for grabs this week, no fewer than seven players are still in with a chance of departing Dubai with the Harry Vardon Trophy in their suitcase.
In the event that McIlroy finishes in last place at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and with 1,333,330 on offer to the winner, anyone down to Korean Byeong Hun An – who tied for third alongside Stenson in last week’s BMW Masters – could still overtake the Northern Irishman at the top of The Race to Dubai Rankings.
Given that McIlroy took the title in 2012 and has finished in the top five in five of his six appearances in the US$8 million event – his worst finish was a tie for 11th in 2011 – that scenario would appear to be rather unlikely.
But if second placed Danny Willett – who closed to within 1,614 points of the top spot last week – were to win the DP World Tour Championship, there would be nothing McIlroy could do to prevent him from being crowned The Race to Dubai champion.
Willett said: “If I can win this week then I win The Race to Dubai, it’s as simple as that so it’s a good situation to be in. Even though last week in Shanghai was a bit frustrating because I could have put a bit of space between me and Rory with a better result, I’ve got to try to take the positives from it.
“I’m obviously going to have to play very well, because Rory’s got a great record, but at least I’m still in with a good chance. I’m going to take a day off on Monday, then get my head back on and get my thoughts together. Hopefully a few putts drop and we can finish the job.”
I'm still in with a good chance.
Danny Willett
Willett’s fellow Englishman Justin Rose has also set his sights on replacing McIlroy at the top of the Rankings after moving into third place courtesy of a tied seventh finish in the BMW Masters.
Rose possesses an enviable record in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, having finished runner-up in two of his last three visits to Jumeirah Golf Estates.
He said: “No one ahead of me in The Race to Dubai had the best of weeks at the BMW Masters, so it was nice to make up a bit of ground on Rory and Danny. It’s going to be very tight going into Dubai, I’m going to have to win so that focuses the mind.
“It’s nice that I’ll be out in the second last group on the first day, so that gets me right in the action from the get-go. I just need to sharpen up my iron play, because I feel very good about everything else.”
Further down the Rankings, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (14th in The Race to Dubai) and Indian Anirban Lahiri (19th) will challenge An for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.
With An having claimed the BMW PGA Championship, Fitzpatrick winning the British Masters supported by Sky Sports and Lahiri securing two European Tour titles, any one of the three would be considered worthy successors to last year’s Rookie of the Year, American Brooks Koepka.
An and Fitzpatrick are also on course to qualify for the US$5 million Bonus Pool money, awarded to the top 15 players in The Race to Dubai, as is Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg after he climbed to 12th place courtesy of his maiden European Tour title in the BMW Masters.
American Patrick Reed, who lost in a play-off to Broberg in Shanghai, currently occupies the 15th and final berth in the Bonus Pool places.
So the scene is set for another grandstand finish, as the greatest show on Earth once again brings the curtain down on another dramatic season on The European Tour.
