Special Features
Race to Dubai - Who can win?
The Race to Dubai enters the finishing straight this week and it’s a sprint to the line as all the top nine players still have the chance to be crowned European Tour Number One. Henrik Stenson is in the driving seat as he enters the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 2,379,194 points to his name.But with 985476 points available to the winner from the $8 million prize fund, all players down to last week’s Turkish Airlines Open Champion Victor Dubuisson can still catch the Swede.
Here are the various permutations which could determine the winner of The Race to Dubai.
Henrik Stenson: Current points = 2,379,194.
Last place points = 19,512
So Stenson will finish season with at least 2,398,706 Points. That is the minimum target for the chasing pack.
Therefore to have any chance of overtaking leader Stenson and winning the Race to Dubai:
• Justin Rose – needs fifth or better
• Graeme McDowell – needs third or better
• Ian Poulter – needs third or better
• Jamie Donaldson – needs second or better
• Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño – Must win
• Thongchai Jaidee – Must win
• Richard Sterne – Must win
• Victor Dubuisson – Must win
Victory in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai:
• If Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose or Graeme McDowell win the DP World Tour Championship, they will win The Race to Dubai.
• If Ian Poulter wins DP World Tour Championship - Stenson needs to finish second to win The Race to Dubai
• If Donaldson wins – Stenson and Rose needs second
• If Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño wins - Stenson needs seventh, Rose top three, McDowell and Poulter top two
• If Jaidee wins - Stenson needs 19th , Rose fourth, McDowell and Poulter top 2
• If Sterne wins - Stenson needs 23rd , Rose fourth, McDowell, Poulter and Donaldson top two
• If Dubuisson wins - Stenson needs 31st, Rose fourth, McDowell third and Poulter and Donaldson top two.
Placed at the DP World Tour Championship Dubai:-
• If Rose is second - Stenson will have to win to win R2D
• If Rose is third - Stenson has to finish seventh or better
• If Rose finishes fourth - Stenson needs top 18
• If Rose finishes fifth – Stenson needs 53rd
• If McDowell finishes second – Stenson needs third
• If McDowell finishes third – Stenson needs24th
• If Poulter finishes second - Stenson needs third
• If Poulter finishes third- Stenson needs 38th
• If Donaldson finishes second - Stenson needs 24th
Lots of what ifs and buts and it could come down to tied positions but the simple fact is if Stenson, Rose or McDowell win this week, they will be Race to Dubai champion regardless what anyone else does. It’s in their own hands.
