Justin Rose has his eyes set firmly on a second Race to Dubai title as he tees it up at the sixth Rolex Series event of the season in Turkey this week.
The World Number Six arrives at the Turkish Airlines Open off the back of a stunning triumph at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China where he produced a back nine of 31 to overturn a six-shot deficit and win for a sixth consecutive season on the European Tour.
That victory moved him 1,056,597 points behind Tommy Fleetwod in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex but with 22.5million US dollars up for grabs over the last three events of the season - starting this week at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort - there is still all to play for.
Rose won the Order of Merit ten years ago and while he has since won a Major Championship, two World Golf Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal, he would love to get his hands on the Harry Vardon Trophy again.
"It matters because you've beaten the best players in Europe and for the most part the best players in the world," he said.
"If you can win a tournament, you've beaten the guys over a week and that's fantastic but a lot of guys can have hot weeks. If you win over the course of a season that speaks volumes. I think to measure your game over the course of a year tells you that you've really been solid and you've really achieved something special.
"I was very aware that I needed to play some special golf in my last three events. I'm not playing South Africa next week so, for me, it was always going to be China, then here in Turkey and then obviously take a week off just to go home and see the children and play Dubai.
"The simple maths was I had to win at least two of them so part one is done, anyway. But it's really now about focusing on the next two events that I have to make a difference. So starting this week.
"It was certainly on my mind and I knew that I had to play some great golf to catch Tommy."
Reigning Race to Dubai champion Henrik Stenson has a lot of ground to make up if he is to be crowned Europe's Number One for a third time but he will not be giving up his title without a fight.
I think to measure your game over the course of a year tells you that you've really been solid and you've really achieved something special - Justin Rose
The Swede is 2,326,448 points behind Fleetwood but finished second in China last week and will be playing every week until the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai as he looks to close the gap.
"If I were to be one of the ones on the top of the leaderboard this week, there's still more chances to challenge for the overall Race to Dubai," he said. "I certainly need to get something going and I know Justin has Tommy in his sights as well with a win last week. We've still got the opportunity to challenge for that.
"It's been a pretty good year. It has not been as good as 2016 for me but still a year when I managed to win on the PGA Tour and it would be nice to win on the European Tour as well and I would love to make it happen this week.
"I've had pretty good success here. I think I was seventh and third in my two previous appearances. Even though I've got someone next to me (Rose) and a few other guys that make sure I don't improve on that number, I will try my hardest this week.
"I'm glad it's part of the Rolex Series and one of our final events in the Race to Dubai and one of the big events of the year."
