Stenson tightens grip on Race to Dubai and returns to the top 10 Official World Golf Ranking
After his fourth consecutive top three finish, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson has tightened his grip at the top of The Race to Dubai and made a welcome return to the top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking.
With just twelve events remaining until the top 60 players on The European Tour descend on Dubai for the season’s exciting conclusion at the
US$8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai from 14-17 November, the resurgent Swede is in imperious form.
Third place in the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York, three shots behind eventual winner Jason Dufner, is the latest top three finish for Stenson who last month revealed his target for the season was a return to the world’s top ten by the end of 2013.
With that target achieved by early August, the Swede will no doubt have set his sights on new goals including the prestigious Race to Dubai crown as well as the DP World Tour Championship title to be decided on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and won by fellow Swede Robert Karlsson in 2010.
“I’m happy and proud of my performance this week and although I didn’t play my absolute best on Sunday, I still gave it a good fight and I have had some great tournaments in the last month,” said the new World Number 10. “I will take a lot of positives out of that and we still have a lot of big tournaments this year, including The Final Series on The Race to Dubai.”
Karlsson also became the first Swede to win the Harry Vardon Trophy as European Number One in 2008, and Stenson will give it his best shot to emulate his countryman.
“It would be good to follow in his footsteps. I finished well in Dubai last year (tied seventh at the DP World Tour Championship) and it’s a place I always enjoy going back to.
“You have great hotels and the weather is almost always fantastic at that time of year, so it’s an event I’m looking forward to, particularly as I should have a chance to make it very successful for me – although there’s a lot of golf to be played before then.”
While Stenson continued his recent run of podium finishes by finishing as the highest European Tour player in the year’s final Major, there were also positive showings from reigning DP World Tour Championship title holder Rory McIlroy, former US Open Champion Graeme McDowell and Scotland’s Marc Warren.
McIlroy’s final round 70 saw him finish in a share of eighth place in defence of the title he won in 2012, while fellow Northern Irishman McDowell claimed a tie for 12th place alongside Warren who sealed a career-best finish in only his third Major Championship appearance.
“It was a very big week for me and hopefully I can just bring that through to the next few weeks and have a strong finish to the season,” said McIlroy, who lifted the DP World Tour Championship trophy at the Earth course last year and is now up to 47th place in this year’s Race to Dubai.
The European Tour returns to Scotland for the next stop on The Race to Dubai with the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles from 22-25 August. Stenson now leads The Race to Dubai from McDowell who moves from third to second swapping places with US Open Champion Justin Rose.
Only the top 60 players on The European Tour prior to the final event of the season will qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, which also offers a Race to Dubai Bonus Pool of $3.75m to be divided amongst the top ten players in The Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the tournament.
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 www.DPWTC.com.
RACE TO DUBAI STANDINGS AFTER US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Henrik Stenson (SWE) € 2,118,961
2. Graeme McDowell (N. IRE) € 1,693,388
3. Justin Rose (ENG) € 1,661,271
4. Richard Sterne (RSA) € 1,265,514
5. Matteo Manassero (ITA) € 1,228,188
6. Branden Grace (RSA) € 1,069,469
7. Ernie Els (RSA) € 1,036,616
8. Sergio Garcia (ESP) € 1,016,700
9. Ian Poulter (ENG) € 973,716
10. Brett Rumford (AUS) € 948,180
