Sergio Garcia continues to set the early pace in the 2013 Race to Dubai

Spain’s Sergio Garcia continues to set the early pace as the 2013 Race to Dubai gathers momentum towards its climax at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November.

With 16 tournaments completed, including an exciting first Major of the season at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, USA earlier this month, 33 year-old Garcia leads the standings in the 46-tournament Race to Dubai.

This year the season will conclude with “The Final Series”, a four-event stretch beginning on 24 October at the BMW Masters in China followed by the WGC-HSBC Champions in China and the Turkish Open, before culminating at the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship from 14-17 November.

Once again The European Tour’s top 60 players in The Race to Dubai standings following the Turkish Open will qualify for the season finale on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

With earnings of €774,010 from just six events, World Number 13 Garcia leads The Race to Dubai from Argentina’s Angel Cabrera with Richard Sterne of South Africa in third place, closely followed by Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and former Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa.

Last year, the then World Number One Rory McIlroy crowned a phenomenal season, during which he won both The Race to Dubai and the US PGA Tour Money List, by birdieing the last five holes of the Earth Course to win the DP World Tour Championship.

“Last year’s DP World Tour Championship was the most exciting in the history of the event,” said European Tour Director Middle East, Dubai Office, Nick Tarratt. “Not only did we enjoy a thrilling finish with Rory McIlroy taking both titles and Justin Rose setting a new course record of 62 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, we also saw record attendance figures over the four days for the DP World Tour Championship.

“Thanks to the valued ongoing support of title sponsor DP World and the tournament’s other key sponsors and suppliers, the DP World Tour Championship is now truly established as one of the premier sporting events in the Middle East and a key date on The European Tour International Schedule.”

Tarratt added: “The introduction of “The Final Series” will focus even more attention on The Race to Dubai and the crowning of the overall champion at the DP World Tour Championship. Once again, the event will be the only European Tour event in the Middle East offering free entry to the general public.”

Free tickets for the four-day tournament featuring the top 60 players on The European Tour can be obtained by registering online at the event website http://www.dpwtc.com