The Race is on for European Number One

The 2020 Race to Dubai reaches its conclusion at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai this week, with players battling it out to end the year as European Number One.

As it stands, four players are guaranteed to claim the Race to Dubai crown with victory at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai: Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Lee Westwood. For four others – Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Victor Perez, Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton – victory is guaranteed provided Reed doesn’t finish second alone.

But with 2,000 points of the 12,000 points going to the winner, there is still a mathematical chance that any of the leading 60 available players on the Race to Dubai standings, and Joost Luiten in 72nd position, could be crowned Race to Dubai Champion.

Here, we take a closer look at the key contenders.

Patrick Reed

Patrick reed is bidding to become the first American winner of the Race to Dubai, and currently leads the standings on 2427.7 points.

It’s a position he has held for much of the season. He missed the cut during his first event – the Saudi International – but quickly jumped to the number one position following his win at the WGC Mexico Championship. Adding to that was a strong finish in all three of the year’s Major championships, finishing tied for 13th at both the US PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, in addition to a tie for 10th at the Masters.

His best finish on the Race to Dubai so far was second to Francesco Molinari in 2018, and he is hoping to go one better this week – a goal he made clear during his third place at the BMW PGA Championship.

Tommy Fleetwood

Currently in second place on 1,967.7 points, Tommy Fleetwood is searching to become a two-time Race to Dubai champion, having been crowned European Number One at the end of the 2017 season.

Fleetwood began his European Tour season as the joint runner-up in Abu Dhabi, which saw him enter the Race to Dubai standings as number three. He then finished tied for 11th at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but it was further stand-out performances during this season’s Rolex Series events that helped consolidate his position near the top of the rankings: The Englishman made an impressive Sunday fight-back at the ASI Scottish Open before losing in a play-off to Aaron Rai, and recorded a tie for 13th place during the BMW PGA Championship the following week.

The World Number 16 has been close to claiming the top spot for a second time several times over the past few years, having finished third to Francesco Molinari in 2018 and as the runner-up to Jon Rahm here last year.

Collin Morikawa

One of 20 players making their tournament debut in Dubai this week, Morikawa has the same chance as Patrick Reed to become the first American winner of the Race to Dubai with a victory this week.

The World Number Seven, who is an affiliate member of the Tour, entered the standings at 113th following his tie for 42nd place at the WGC Mexico Championship, improving that position to 79th after he ended the week at the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational in a tie for 20th.

Morikawa then jumped to the top of the standings with his impressive Major triumph at this year’s PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park – making history with the lowest closing 36-hole tally ever record by a Major champion.

He currently sits in third place on 1,881.7 points, and is also in the running for the Rookie of the Year award.

Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood is the only player in the field to have teed up in all 12 editions of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and currently sits in fourth place on 1793.0 points.

The Englishman entered the Race to Dubai standings in the top position with his 25th career victory during his first start of the year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – which marked the first Rolex Series event of the season.

Like Fleetwood, Westwood has made the most of the points on offer during the biggest events of the year, finishing inside the top 20 at both the ASI Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship, and tied for 13th at the U.S. Open.

Westwood, who claimed the inaugural DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai in 2009, is looking to end the year as European Number One for a third time in his career, having also claimed the former Order of Merit in 2000.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Christiaan Bezuidenhout made a big move late in the season with back-to-back victories over the past two weeks at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South Africa Open, and currently sits in fifth place on 1717.7 points.

The South African finished in a tie for 12th during his tournament debut at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai last year, and could finish a stand-out season as European Number One if he were to win for a third consecutive week – provided Patrick Reed doesn’t finish second.

Victor Perez

Victor Perez made a strong start to the year to enter the Race to Dubai in third position following a runner-up finish to Lee Westwood in Abu Dhabi.

It was the first of three impressive Rolex Series performances that helped him remain in contention for the Race to Dubai crown throughout the year, which also included a tie for 14th at the ASI Scottish Open and another runner-up finish, this time to Tyrrell Hatton, during the BMW PGA Championship in October.

He currently sits in sixth position on 1713.9 points, and like Bezuidenhout, is reliant on victory – and Patrick Reed – in order to end the year as Race to Dubai champion.

Aaron Rai

Aaron Rai struggled at the start of the season, but a return to form after the Tour’s restart earned him make a considerable move up the rankings after he followed up a runner-up at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with a victory at the ASI Scottish Open.

He came close to a second victory of the year two weeks later at the AXA Scottish Championship, and will head into the final event of the season in seventh position on 1688.2 points.

Tyrrell Hatton

The World Number 10 has finished inside the top 10 in the Race to Dubai standings three of the past four years (he finished 12th in 2017), and heads into the final event of the season in ninth position on 1453.0 points.

Hatton, who has a best finish in this event of second in 2016, made a significant move up the standings late in the season after realising his childhood dream of winning the BMW PGA Championship, where he jumped from 80th position into the top 10.

Points Breakdown

This is how many Race to Dubai points will be awarded for each position at the DP World Tour Championship