Two-time Major Champion Retief Goosen added another honour to his CV when he launched The 2012 Race to Dubai, hitting the opening tee-shot of the new season at the curtain-raising Africa Open.
The South African’s drive at East London Golf Club heralded the fourth edition of the season-long Race to Dubai, which will consist of a minimum of 46 tournaments spread across 11 months, 25 countries and five continents.
“It is a great honour to be hitting the first tee shot of the season and getting The 2012 Race to Dubai underway, especially as the Africa Open is in my home country and is a tournament I have won in the past,” said the 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion. .
“The Race to Dubai itself is a superb concept and is going from strength to strength every year. You only need to look at the calibre of players who have won it so far – Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald – to see that, and I am sure this year’s Race will be equally as exciting.
“It was a thrill for me to finish European Number One in both 2001 and 2002 and it would be great way for me to celebrate the tenth anniversary of that latter triumph by challenging for The Race to Dubai in 2012. One thing is for sure, I will be giving it my best shot, starting this week.”
The 2012 Race to Dubai will culminate with the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE, from November 22-25, 2012, when the top 60 players will contest the US$8,000,000 season-ending event.
The top ten players on The Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the event will share the US$3,750,000 Bonus Pool and the leading player will receive the Harry Vardon Trophy, succeeding Luke Donald as European Number One. Englishman Donald was the third winner of The Race to Dubai, following in the footsteps of inaugural champion Lee Westwood, also of England, and 2010 winner Martin Kaymer of Germany.
