While the battle to be crowned European Number One is poised for a thrilling conclusion this week at the DP World Tour Championship, so too is the race to be named the 2016 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
No fewer than five worthy candidates are each looking to seal the coveted award at Jumeirah Golf Estates in the European Tour’s season finale, with it all to play for in the fight to follow Byeong Hun An as winner of the annual accolade.
With 72 holes of the campaign remaining, Korea’sJeunghun Wangleads the charge at 15th in The Race to Dubai, China’sHaotong Liis in 19th, Korea’sSoomin Leesits a further 21 spots back in 40th place, South Africa’sBrandon Stoneis at 48th, while Portugal’sRicardo Gouveiais the fifth and final rookie to qualify for the elite 60-man field.
Whoever finishes highest in The Race to Dubai come Sunday evening scoops the prize.
So, ahead of the first round on Thursday, EuropeanTour.com profiles the high quality quintet.
JEUNGHUN WANG – 15th in The Race to Dubai
21events
2wins
4top tens
7missed cuts
71.90stroke average
1,486,578points earned
91stin the Official World Golf Ranking
Sprang to prominence on the European Tour with two wins in as many weeks back in May, when he returned victorious in the Trophée Hassan II and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in back-to-back events to beat Seve Ballesteros’ record as the youngest player to win consecutive European Tour tournaments aged just 20 years and 263 days. Took pole position in the race to capture this year’s Rookie of the Year award heading into the season’s climax in Dubai thanks to a runner-up finish last week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, where he led after three rounds.
“It’s cool but I’m trying not focus too much on the Rookie of the Year because it adds a little bit of pressure. I only have a chance do it once in my life! But I will play my own game, do my best this week and maybe it’ll happen.
“The wins earlier in the year were huge for me, I can’t forget those, but the whole experience this year has been amazing. I’ve played with a lot of great players, I’ve played with Lee Westwood, I played last week with Louis Oosthuizen and I learned a lot from them. The whole experience, playing with those guys, playing European Tour courses, it’s been fantastic. I keep learning and learning.”
Delicate. https://t.co/q1z7WGveNk
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) 12 November 2016
HAOTONG Li – 19th in The Race to Dubai
17events
1win
2top tens
6missed cuts
70.91stroke average
1,295,639points earned
136thin the Official World Golf Ranking
Announced his name on the European Tour in swashbuckling style in May as he claimed a maiden victory on home soil at the Volvo China Open, courtesy of a flawless eight under par final round 64, to become the second successive home winner of that event. At 41st heading into the Final Series, he secured his biggest professional prize with a tied runner-up finish at the Turkish Airlines Open two weeks ago to soar up The Race to Dubai.
“I feel like I’m quite far away, it’s already 200,000 points gap! It’s been fantastic for me this year and to be in with a chance of winning Rookie of the Year is great. Things have been good recently, especially finishing second in Turkey two weeks ago. I’m very happy with my first season, it’s definitely been good enough and I’ve just tried to enjoy these last three events.
“The win in China changed my life in a lot of ways. I started playing the European Tour and I’ve made a lot of good friends here.
“To win Rookie of the Year would be great, but if not, I’ve still made a lot of money!”
SOOMIN LEE – 40th in The Race to Dubai
24events
1win
3top tens
10missed cuts
72.39stroke average
810,969points earned
142ndin the Official World Golf Ranking
After finishing third in his European Tour debut at the UBS Hong Kong Open at the tail end of last year, he led going into the final round of the Maybank Championship Malaysia before eventually finishing second to Marcus Fraser in Kuala Lumpur in February. Quickly bounced back, though, winning his first title in wire-to-wire fashion at April’s Shenzhen International in China.
“It would be fantastic to win Rookie of the Year but I just want to play good golf. It’s been very exciting this year. When I won in Shenzhen I was very lucky so I’ve just been enjoying things and hopefully I can enjoy this week, too, because it’s the first time I’ve played the tournament.
“Experiencing the different events, different players, different courses this year has been amazing. Every tournament I learn something different from. It’s been so good for my golfing life and maybe next year it’ll be even better!
A hole #ShenzhenIntl winner @Soominlee12 is never going to forget.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) 25 April 2016
https://t.co/iCrYKsezMN
BRANDON STONE – 48th in The Race to Dubai
24events
1win
6top tens
8missed cuts
71.61stroke average
700,515points earned
116thin the Official World Golf Ranking
Regarded as one of South Africa’s next great stars, he didn’t take long to mark his mark on Tour. The 23 year old won on his second start of his rookie year at the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni. The jet-setting life of the European Tour hasn’t halted his progress since then, with top ten finishes in China, Mauritius, France and Germany.
“It’s been incredible this year. To sum it up, this time last year I was here doing some practice ahead of the Road to Oman finale and now to be playing this event is incredible. Any time anyone can make it to the Final Series in their rookie year that is something special – even if you don’t win Rookie of the Year. But it’s a carrot dangling in front of my face, for sure.
“Outside of the Majors, the one you want to win is your National Open so to do that in my first season was incredible and sets the tone for what I want to accomplish over the next two decades.
“The standard by the rookies this year has been unbelievable and to see five of us here is tribute to that.”
RICARDO GOUVEIA – 53rd in The Race to Dubai
27events
0wins
3top tens
7missed cuts
71.47stroke average
670,900points earned
121stin the Official World Golf Ranking
After topping the Challenge Tour Rankings in record-breaking fashion last season, he took to the European Tour with aplomb in 2016 in a consistent maiden campaign. Saved his best until last, though, as a season-high tied third place last week in South Africa secured him a debut in the DP World Tour Championship. An outsider for Rookie of the Year at more than 800,000 points behind Wang with one week remaining but don’t count the Portuguese out just yet.
"It's massive for me to make it to Dubai. Going into the last regular-season event in Portugal, I had to play well to get into Turkey and then I had to play well in Turkey to get into Nedbank, and again, I had to play well this week to get in Dubai. So I'm just really happy."
Making a tough chip shot look easy. Really easy.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) 13 November 2016
Nice @Melinhogolf. https://t.co/bN2tqNg5jF
