Race to Dubai heating up with 2 rounds to go before the DP World Tour Championship
As the clock counts down to the 2013 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai some of golf’s most exciting talents are using the European Tour Final Series to make a late charge in The Race to Dubai.
Following the US$7 million BMW Masters presented by SRE Group at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, tournament winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Italy’s Francesco Molinari have all made significant moves with both Fernandez-Castano and Jaidee crashing into the top ten.
To be staged on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 November, the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship will also determine who will benefit from the US$3.75 million Race to Dubai Bonus Pool, which will be divided among the final top ten.
Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson may have finished nine shots behind Fernandez-Castano but a tie for 34th place was still enough to strengthen Stenson’s position at the top of the standings with the Swede now leading former US Open Champion Graeme McDowell by €443,725.
“The Final Series will go a long way to determining not only the top ten in The Race to Dubai but also the final 60 qualifiers for the DP World Tour Championship,” said European Tour International Director, Dubai Office Nick Tarratt.
“With such large prize-money on offer, players can make huge leaps up the rankings as has been shown by Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano who has gone from 35th to fourth in The Race to Dubai thanks to his victory in Shanghai.”
The Race to Dubai now moves just 29 miles to the second of two back-to-back tournaments in Shanghai with the Sheshan Golf Club the venue for the WGC-HSBC Champions, which gets underway on Thursday (31 October).
Defending champion, Ian Poulter – currently 15th in The Race to Dubai – will be aiming to become only the second player to make a successful defence of a WGC event and with US$8.5 million to play for even more twists and turns are expected in The Race to Dubai before the final 60 players are confirmed for the DP World Tour Championship.
Tickets for the four-day DP World Tour Championship are free of charge and can be obtained now by registering online at the event website HYPERLINK “http://www.DPWTC.com“www.DPWTC.com.
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RACE TO DUBAI TOP 20 STANDINGS AS OF OCTOBER 28
1. Henrik Stenson (SWE) € 2,154,099
2. Graeme McDowell (N. IRE) € 1,710,374
3. Justin Rose (ENG) € 1,661,271
4. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) € 1,517,530
5. Richard Sterne (RSA) € 1,356,957
6. Thongchai Jaidee (THA) € 1,279,235
7. Matteo Manassero (ITA) € 1,270,028
8. Thomas Bjorn (DEN) € 1,247,282
9. Peter Uhlein (USA) € 1,241,079
10. Brett Rumford (AUS) € 1,191,144
11. Francesco Molinari (I) € 1,149,549
12. Branden Grace (RSA) € 1,097,298
13. Ernie Els (RSA) € 1,082,366
14. Joost Luiten (NED) € 1,054,987
15. Ian Poulter (ENG) € 1,046,219
16. David Howell (ENG) € 1,045,149
17. Stephen Gallacher (SCO) € 1,026,181
18. Sergio Garcia (ESP) € 1,016,700
19. Lee Westwood (ENG) € 997,714
20.Charl Schwartzel (RSA) € 964,246
