After 47 events, in 31 different countries, there can only be one Race to Dubai Champion.
Going into the eighth Rolex Series event of 2019 and the final tournament of the season, here’s our guide to who can still claim number one spot in the season-long rankings.
1) Bernd Wiesberger – 4802.4 points
What a year it’s been for the Austrian. Following seven months out on the side lines with a wrist injury, the 34-year-old arrives at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai firmly in pole position to claim his country’s first Race to Dubai crown.
Following three victories this season, including two Rolex Series triumphs in Italy and Scotland, the seven-time European Tour winner comes into the final week of the season with a commanding 723-point lead over Tommy Fleetwood, his nearest challenger.
Simply put, Wiesberger will win the Race to Dubai if he wins the DP World Tour Championship, or if he finishes in outright second.
Although his lead is substantial, four other players – Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick – could finish on top of the pile should results go their way.
2) Tommy Fleetwood – 4079.8 points
Arriving in the Middle East on cloud nine is England’s Fleetwood, who ended a 22-month wait for victory in South Africa last week.
The 28-year-old, who has shown his remarkable level of consistency by making his last 41 worldwide cuts, re-entered the winner’s circle by carding three final round eagles before beating Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult in a play-off to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.
As a result of that outstanding triumph, Fleetwood is firmly in the hunt for a second Race to Dubai title – the 2017 champion also pushed last year’s Race to Dubai winner Francesco Molinari close before finishing in third place in the 2018 standings.
Fleetwood can win the Race to Dubai again, if:
· He wins this week and Wiesberger finishes lower than solo second.
· He finishes solo second, with Wiesberger finishing lower than tied third place with two others, and neither Rahm or Lowry winning the event.
· He finishes tied second with one other, with Wiesberger finishing lower than tied seventh place with one other, and neither Rahm, Lowry or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
· He finishes tied second with two others, with Wiesberger finishing lower than solo 15th place, and neither Rahm, Lowry or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
· He finishes tied second with three others, with Wiesberger finishing lower than solo 42nd place, and neither Rahm, Lowry or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
3) Jon Rahm – 3898.3 points
In close pursuit of the top two is Spain’s Rahm, who won’t go away quietly.
Not only is Rahm the only player to win three Rolex Series titles, but he has finished inside the top five in seven of his nine Rolex Series appearances.
Add in the fact that he’s won once and claimed a share of fourth in his two starts at the Earth Course, and you can’t help but feel that the 25-year-old will be making a charge for a first Race to Dubai title this week.
Rahm will win the Race to Dubai if:
· He wins the DP World Tour Championship and Wiesberger finishes lower than solo second.
· He finishes solo second, with Wiesberger finishing worse than tied fifth place with one other, and neither Fleetwood, Lowry or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
· He finishes tied second with one other, with Wiesberger finishing worse than solo 21st, and neither Fleetwood, Lowry or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
4) Shane Lowry – 3613.0 points
Regardless of the outcome this week Ireland’s Lowry will look back fondly on 2019.
A season-opening victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the first Rolex Series event of the season, set the tone for a career year for the 32-year-old whose six-shot triumph in The Open at Royal Portrush will live long in the memory.
Lowry will win the Race to Dubai if:
· He wins the DP World Tour Championship and Wiesberger finishes lower than tied second with one other.
· He finishes solo second, with Wiesberger finishing worse than solo 19th, and neither Fleetwood, Rahm or Fitzpatrick winning the event.
5) Matthew Fitzpatrick – 3321.0 points
With the slimmest odds of winning the Race to Dubai is Fitzpatrick.
Although a sixth European Tour win has evaded the Englishman this season, he has still amassed four runner-up finishes to go into the season finale with an outside chance of overtaking Wiesberger.
For this to happen, the 25-year-old would have to win the DP World Tour Championship and would need Wiesberger to finish lower than tied fourth with one other, with Fleetwood finishing lower than solo second too.
*All is not lost though for those who don’t top the Race to Dubai, with the final top five in the season-long rankings sharing a $5million bonus pool. Going into this week all players down to Adri Arnaus, in 37th, have a mathematical chance of finishing the season inside the top five in the rankings.
