Matt Wallace has risen to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex for the first time this season after finishing tied 12th at the U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach, which was won by America’s Gary Woodland by three strokes after handling the pressure put on him by World Number One Brooks Koepka.
England’s Wallace has been in tremendous form with seven top 20 finishes so far this season and he replaces Kevin Kisner at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings after earning 162 points and a cheque for €201,206.
Wallace finished in a tie for second place at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates last year and has given himself a brilliant chance of being crowned the Race to Dubai champion for 2019 if he can continue this rich vein of form and produce another dazzling performance at the prestigious finale in Dubai.
Fellow Englishman Justin Rose again highlighted his penchant for the Major Championships by getting into contention, eventually finishing in a share of third place to help him catapult up to 29th from 103rd in the Race to Dubai Rankings after taking home 475.25 Race to Dubai points.
Joining him in third was the 2017 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, winner Jon Rahm, who has risen from 74th to 25th, and both he and Rose have all but secured their spot in the season’s final Rolex Series event where the top 50 players battle for the richest tournament prize in golf.
Xander Schauffele also finished third thanks to a final round 67 and he has climbed up to fourth place in the Race to Dubai Rankings. The American made his DP World Tour Championship, Dubai debut last year and has proved he is one of the most talented players on the European Tour and a man for the big occasion with his fourth top 20 Major Championship finish in succession.
Dubai fans’ favourite Henrik Stenson also made a telling move in the Race to Dubai Rankings after a ninth-place finish in California helped him rise to 46th from 82nd as he looks to secure a spot in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai where he lifted the coveted title in 2013 and then again in 2014.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy birdied the final hole to creep into a share of ninth alongside Stenson and with that has moved from 117th up to 63rd in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
Reigning Race to Dubai champion Francesco Molinari has entered the top ten in the Race to Dubai Rankings after finishing in 16th place at the third Major Championship of the season and will look to chase down Wallace with six Rolex Series events, two World Golf Championships and one Major remaining before the top 50 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings contest the season-ending US$8million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
