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Rahm waves to the gallery on the 18th hole during the third round at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

By Kent Gray
Jon Rahm knows exactly what it takes to win the DP World Tour Championship and that some sweet Spanish history awaits if he can do it again. Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, knows how the Race to Dubai is won and lost on the final day on Earth, having experienced both scenarios the past two years.

Cue an epic final day of the 2019-20 European Tour season with potential Race to Dubai-plot spoiling cameos from Rory McIlroy and Mike Lorenzo-Vera. Struggling Bernd Wiesberger will have his fingers crossed for either McIlroy or Lorenzo-Vera knowing victory for either Rahm or Fleetwood is likely curtains to his chances of being crowned European No.1.

Rahm takes the projected Race to Dubai lead into the final round after a Saturday 66 saw him draw level with Lorenzo-Vera atop the leaderboard at -15. Victory on Sunday would give the 25-year-old Spaniard a fourth Rolex Series title, his sixth European win and a place in history alongside Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to win the tour championship and finish European No.1. It’s not that a second order of merit win wouldn’t be just as meritorious for Fleetwood but it’s not often you get the chance to emulate the late, great Seve. 

“Gives me goosebumps to think about that,” said Rahm, the current world No.5 who won the DPWTC title two seasons ago.

“I’ve said it many times, as a Spanish player, as a Spaniard, any time you join or you have the chance to put your name on a list where there’s only one name and that name is Seve, it’s pretty impactful. It’s really emotional for all of us.

“To think in a not even Sergio or Miguel Ángel or Ollie or many other great players couldn’t get it done. It’s hard to believe that I have the chance to be the second. But again, I’m just going to try to enjoy the afternoon. There’s still 18 more holes to play.”

Indeed. And plenty of furious calculations on the European Tour abacus to come before we all figure out exactly who wins the Race to Dubai title. If you like your sport with plenty of last-gasp drama, you’ve come to the right place. A degree in mathematics would probably make it even more exciting because the season could conceivably come down to the very last putt.  

After a 70 to move to -11 under for the championship, Fleetwood is just thankful to remain in the hunt four shots adrift of Rahm and Lorenzo Vera on a course historically receptive to low Sunday scoring.

“I’m obviously used to this situation and that’s a positive,” said Fleetwood who won the R2D in 2017 before his Ryder Cup pal Francesco Molinari snuck through last season. “I’ve got all the experience, so I’ve got to hit golf shots now. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Rahm too knows that it’s all about staying in the present, as hard as that will prove with history and the largest first prize cheque in golf, all $3 million of it, on the line.

“There’s 18 holes to play and try to really be in the present and really focus on each shot, think of each shot as if it was the last and kind of play my game and not everybody else’s game. I just focus on my own game and that’s it,” Rahm said.

“I know there’s a couple of guys close enough that are going to be teeing off in front of us and I’m sure they are going to get off to a hot start. Hopefully I can stick to my game plan and do what I’ve done the last few days and close it out.”

Wieseberger has almost become the forgotten man in all the drama after a sloppy 73 on Saturday. At least he’s in better shape than Matthew Fitzpatrick (-6) and Shane Lowry (-5), if not on the DPWTC leaderboard, then at least in the R2D points standings.

After coming into the week atop the Race to Dubai standings, Wiesberger almost got himself back into the conversation at six-under for the championship through eight holes of his third round. But four successive bogeys from the ninth and a frustrating birdie miss on the 18th left the Austrian languishing at -2, 13 shots adrift of the co-leaders. Even if Rahm and Fleetwood, solo fourth on -11, don’t win, Wiesberger is going to need an almighty charge up to the leaderboard to cap his three-win season with Race to Dubai glory.