Tommy Fleetwood could have sealed the Race to Dubai title had he won in South Africa on Sunday. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Tommy Fleetwood could have sealed the Race to Dubai title had he won in South Africa on Sunday. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Tommy Fleetwood could have sealed the Race to Dubai title had he won in South Africa on Sunday. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Tommy Fleetwood could have sealed the Race to Dubai title had he won in South Africa on Sunday. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images

Golf

Race to Dubai: Who are the contenders and what are their chances?

A look at how Fleetwood, Rose and Garcia have fared in 2017 and what their are chances to win European Tour's order of merit title

John McAuley
John McAuley

November 13, 2017

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Tommy Fleetwood (4,235,987 points) After concluding 2016 with a tied-third in Hong Kong, the Englishman sprung out of the blocks in 2017, winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship among a star-studded field in January. Fleetwood shot a superb 67 on Sunday to triumph by a single stroke from Dustin Johnson and Pablo Larrazabal. Since, he has won in France, finished second at the WGC event in Mexico and then again in China, and fourth at the US Open. Fleetwood, 26, could have sealed the Race to Dubai one week early, but had to settle for a share of 10th at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa on Sunday.

Justin Rose has enjoyed a successful two weeks in the run up to the DP World Tour Championship. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Justin Rose has enjoyed a successful two weeks in the run up to the DP World Tour Championship. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images

Justin Rose (3,979,250) Having already been crowned Europe's No 1, in 2007, the Englishman has made a late charge for another seasonal crown. Rose, 37, registered two huge victories back-to-back these past few weeks, first landing the WGC HSBC Champions event in China and then the Turkish Airlines Open seven days later. It propelled the 2013 US Open champion into second in the standings, making him Fleetwood's main threat in Dubai. Based in the United States, Rose has contested 11 events on the European Tour this season, in comparison to Fleetwood's 23. Other highlights include second at the Masters and tied-fourth at the Irish Open.

Sergio Garcia, left, has already won a title in Dubai this season and will be raring to have another go in the emirate this week. Richard Sellers / Press Association
Sergio Garcia, left, has already won a title in Dubai this season and will be raring to have another go in the emirate this week. Richard Sellers / Press Association

Sergio Garcia (3,184,582) One of the most popular players on the European Tour, the Spaniard got his year up and running properly at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, when he went wire-to-wire to record a three-shot victory over nearest competitor Henrik Stenson. Little more than two months later, Garcia had the major championship he had so long craved: at the Masters, he prevailed in an epic Sunday battle with Rose, sealing the Green Jacket at the first play-off hole. Garcia, 37, has three wins from 12 starts on the tour this season having clinched his own tournament in Spain in October, while he also finished tied-second at the BMW International Open.

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Read more

DP World Tour Championship: All you need to know

Stenson hoping to play at DP World Championship

Rose says Garcia deserves Golfer of Year award

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