Dubai gears up for year-ending climax as Moliwood face off

By Rahul Banerji

Shubhankar Sharma lines up in a field of 60 for the climax of the Race to Dubai when the DP World Tour Championship tees off at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Thursday

Attention though is on Order of Merit leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari ahead of the eighth and final Rolex Series tournament of the season.

There were five in the race for Europe’s number one at the start of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.

However, Li Haotong, Lucas Bjerregaard and Rory McIlroy failed to make up ground on the leaders.

That left Moliwood, as Molinari and Fleetwood came to be known at the Ryder Cup this year, in contention for the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Head-to-head

The Italian leads Fleetwood by 1,025,166 points in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.

This effectively means the Englishman, also reigning champion, needs to win outright and hope Molinari finishes outside the top five.

Any other outcome will see the Italian crowned winner this year.

Between them, Molinari and Fleetwood won four points together from four matches in Europe’s 17.5-10.5 win in the Ryder Cup in September.

Molinari, 36, has had his best season to date on the European Tour.

He became the first Italian to win a major at the 142nd Open Championship, and then nailed a maiden Rolex Series title at the BMW PGA Championship.

For his part, Fleetwood is looking to become the first since Rory McIlroy in 2014 and 2015 to top the Race to Dubai in successive seasons.

After defending his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title and a further seven top ten finishes, including second at the US Open, Fleetwood will aim for victory this week.

Another first for Sharma

Meanwhile, Shubhankar will become the first Indian to feature in a Hero Challenge for the second time at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai on later in the day.

Sharma, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn and Fleetwood complete a world-class field for the final Hero Challenge of 2018.

Sharma also played at the Hero Challenge in Edinburgh before the Scottish Open.

The trio join Masters champion Patrick Reed, two-time Race to Dubai winner and 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson, and former world no. 1 Lee Westwood in the shoot-out.

Said Bjørn, “I experienced the Hero Challenge in London and I’m looking forward to yet another iconic location.

“It will be a great way to get the 10th anniversary week of the DP World Tour Championship started.”

Very cool

Added Fleetwood, “I took part in the Hero Challenge in Dubai last year, at the start of what turned out to be a fantastic week for me.

“It was a lot of fun, with a competitive edge, and I’m excited to get involved again.”

Sharma who won two European Tour titles this season said: “I’m making my debut at the DP World Tour Championship and the Hero Challenge will start an exciting week.

“My first experience of the Hero Challenge was at Edinburgh Castle and it will be very cool to tee it up in another world-famous venue.”

Also read: Shubhankar Sharma leads race for European Rookie of the Year