Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship

Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship

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.

Race To Dubai Concludes At DP World Tour Championship

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.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV