Forty-seven down, one to go.
The Race To Dubai’s finish line is in sight, this is it, the grand finale for the European Tour.
The DP World Championship begins Thursday at the Earth Course of the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai and all you need to know is that this is a simple three-man race.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood leads the pack in points coming in. If Fleetwood wins, he’s the big winner. But it may be a tough task.
Breathing down his neck is Justin Rose, winner in his last two tournaments. Rose took the week off and comes in fresh to make a run at the overall title.
The third man in the picture is Sergio Garcia, but he basically has to win this week to take “The Race.”
Rose and Fleetwood have more interesting combinations. As long as Fleetwood doesn’t win, a second-place finish by Rose would do the trick. Rose can also finish solo fifth and still win, depending on what Fleetwood does.
Fleetwood will be able to keep a close eye on Rose, the two are paired the first two rounds.
Garcia will play with countryman Jon Rahm, who received the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie Of The Year award for the European Tour.
As for Fleetwood, he’s pretty relaxed coming in and knows what’s ahead of him:
“I’ve played brilliant all year. I think to be in with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai, it’s pretty special, really. It’s not a burden. I don’t feel stressed about it, I don’t feel anxious. I just think it’s great that I’ve got the chance to win it and a good chance,” he said after last week’s Nedbank Challenge.
“And as much as it depends on what they do, it is in my hands. I can take it out of everybody’s hands but we’ll see.
“I don’t know how I’ll feel next week. It’s going to be a new experience, it’s going to be a great experience. Playing in the Race to Dubai is very, very special and it’s something that actually very few people get the chance to do.
“I’m very proud of the year overall. We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully I can come back on Sunday and I’ve won both, I’ve won the tournament and the Race to Dubai. That would be great, wouldn’t it?
Yes it would, Tommy.
