Tommy Fleetwood has surged to the top of the Race to Dubai standings following his victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Fleetwood, who turned 26 on Thursday, ended a 1,247-day wait for a second European Tour title on Sunday when he triumphed in the UAE capital. The Englishman clinched the Falcon Trophy by one shot ahead of Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and American world No 3 Dustin Johnson. Fleetwood also impressed in his other European Tour outing this season, finishing tied-third at the Hong Kong Open in December.
As a result of his triumph and the €421,139 (Dh1.67 million) winner’s prize, Fleetwood assumes top spot in the European Tour’s order of merit, which concludes with the tour’s top 60 players competing at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Larrazabal’s runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi moved him up to third, while Australia’s Sam Brazel, winner of the Hong Kong Open, separates the two in second place.
Meanwhile, reigning Race to Dubai winner and British Open champion Henrik Stenson occupies 27th, with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy in 11th. However, both have only played in one tournament so far this season, with Stenson tied eighth in Abu Dhabi, while McIlroy, who withdrew from Abu Dhabi due to a rib injury, claimed second at the South African Open.
The European Tour heads to the Qatar Open this week before returning to the UAE for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on February 2 to conclude the three-part Desert Swing.
* The National staff
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Read more
■ Tommy Fleetwood: Sixth-time lucky for 'very proud' Abu Dhabi champion
■ Photo gallery: Pictures from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship final round
■ Dustin Johnson: Plans 2018 return and aims to go one better next time
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RACE TO DUBAI STANDINGS
1. Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) 526481
2. Sam Brazel (Australia) 318540
3. Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 276594
4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 237776
5. Andrew Dodt (Australia) 227984
6. Graeme Storm (Britain) 204709
7. Brandon Stone (South Africa) 198498
8. Harold Varner III (US) 175631
9. Dean Burmester (South Africa) 141976
10. Richard Sterne (South Africa) 138000
11. Rory McIlroy (Britain) 119287
12. Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 116550
13. Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 107306
13. Martin Kaymer (Germany) 107306
13. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 107306
16. Jordan Smith (Britain) 98972
17. David Lipsky (US) 93990
18. Thomas Detry (Belgium) 89160
19. Alexander Bjoerk (Sweden) 83523
20. Benjamin Hebert (France) 73845
21. Paul Waring (Britain) 67855
22. Danny Willett (Britain) 65488
23. Carlos Pigem (Spain) 64029
24. Brett Rumford (Australia) 63298
25. Joel Stalter (France) 58966
26. Scott Jamieson (Britain) 58241
27. Lee Westwood (Britain) 56770
27. Peter Hanson (Sweden) 56770
27. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 56770
30. Peter Uihlein (US) 56546
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