This week marks the culmination of the 2018 Race to Dubai, as 60 players head to the season-ending event in the Middle East. Here are five things to know ahead of the eighth and final Rolex Series tournament of the season, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Moliwood go head-to-head
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari will go toe-to-toe in the battle to be crowned European Number One, with 1,025,166 points separating them in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
The duo, who were affectionately nicknamed Moliwood as they teamed up to win four points from four in Europe’s 17.5 – 10.5 win over the United States in the Ryder Cup in September, currently lie in first and second place with the Italian leading the way
The 36 year old has had his best season to date on the European Tour, becoming the first Italian to win a Major Championship with his victory at The 142nd Open Championship, and securing a maiden Rolex Series title at the BMW PGA Championship.
Fleetwood is looking to become the first player since Rory McIlroy in 2014 and 2015 to top the Race to Dubai in successive seasons. After defending his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA title and recording a further seven top ten finishes, including second place at the U.S. Open, the Englishman will be aiming for victory this week to overtake his close friend.
Rolex Series finale
The DP World Tour Championship not only brings the Race to Dubai to a close, it also marks the final event of the 2018 Rolex Series, the European Tour’s eight premium tournaments, all part of the Race to Dubai, each with a minimum prize fund of $7million.
There will be six champions from the 2018 season in the field - Molinari, Russell Knox, Alex Noren, Thorbjørn Olesen, Brandon Stone and Lee Westwood.
Tenth anniversary
It will be a special week at Jumeirah Golf Estates as the DP World Tour Championship celebrates its tenth anniversary
Since its first appearance on the European Tour’s International Schedule in 2009, only three players have appeared in every edition – Molinari, Westwood and Martin Kaymer.
Seven different players from four countries have won the season-ending prize - Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick from England, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Jon Rahm, and Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson from Sweden.
60 of the best
The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates welcomes the leading 60 available players on the Race to Dubai this week.
Robert Rock is the last player in the field in Dubai following his share of 21
st
place at the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player. He is joined by Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt and Aaron Rai, all of whom played their way into the final event of the season after a good week in South Africa.
Wonderful Westwood
After his emotional victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, where he carded a stunning eight under par final round of 64 to win his first European Tour title in four years, Westwood heads to a place he knows well following his victory on the Earth Course in 2009.
Like last week, the Englishman shot a final round of 64 to seal victory in the debut DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. Ten years on from his triumph and following last week’s success, back-to-back Rolex Series titles could see Westwood end the Race to Dubai inside the top ten.
