Classy Warren moves into Race to Dubai top 20 after Denmark win
Marc Warren continued his fine season with a two-stroke victory over Bradley Dredge in the inaugural Made in Denmark.
The Scotsman has been in stellar form of late finishing third at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and tied 15th at the US PGA Championship.
He was already guaranteed his spot in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, taking place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday 20 to Sunday November 23, but he propelled himself into the top 20 on The Race to Dubai with a classy display in Denmark that saw him shoot 66-68 in testing conditions over the weekend to finish nine-under-par 275 for the tournament.
“It feels incredible,” said Warren after winning his third European Tour title and his first since the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2007. “I felt the last couple of years I’ve been close to winning a couple of times but for whatever reason it hasn’t quite happened for me, whether I’ve made mistakes or someone else has played really well.
“This summer I feel more confident than I’ve ever done. Today I kept telling myself I was swinging the club really well and I was confident in what I was doing.”
Warren will line up in Dubai in November for the third time having made it into the season-ending grand finale by virtue of a 33rd place finish on The Race to Dubai in 2013 and a 55th place finish in 2012. He joins what already promises to be one of the strongest fields since the tournament began in 2009.
“It now looks like the top 39 on the current Race to Dubai have already won enough to qualify for the season ending DP World Tour Championship,” said Nick Tarratt, Director of The European Tour International Dubai Office. “Historically €500,000 has been the qualifying mark and that is currently held by Matteo Manassero with €20,567 more than this line.
“A more than impressive field is now being assembled for November at Jumeirah Golf Estates including Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, Jamie Donaldson, Justin Rose, Stephen Gallacher, Graeme McDowell, Miguel-Angel Jiminez, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els and Luke Donald who will join Marc Warren in what will undoubtedly be one of the strongest fields in the six years of the tournament.’
The top ten in The Race to Dubai remains unchanged after the weekend, with Thomas Bjorn, the only one of the front-runners in action in his home country’s first European Tour event. The Dane, third on The Race to Dubai, boosted his Ryder Cup hopes with an impressive tied fourth place finish to move to seventh on the World Points List with only two weeks to go until the teams are confirmed.
The top 10 European Tour Race to Dubai Rankings as of 18 August:
Rory MCILROY €5,120,709
Sergio GARCIA €2,275,712
Thomas BJORN €1,759,931
Henrik STENSON €1,691,231
Martin KAYMER €1,570,937
Jamie DONALDSON €1,538,785
Justin ROSE €1,503,781
Victor DUBUISSON €1,458,102
Stephen GALLACHER €1,284,633
Louis OOSTHUIZEN €1,226,249
