Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2024 DP World Tour Championship

On Friday at DP World Tour Championship, the final stop of the DP World Tour’s annual race to Dubai, the LIV pro was overheard ranting about the Earth Course’s par-5 18th before his second shot. Take it away, Mr. Hatton.

Tyrrell Hatton: “I despise everything about this hole. A truly awful golf hole.”

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— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) November 15, 2024

“I despite everything about this hole,” Hatton said, surveying the serpentine hazard winding up the 18th fairway. “A truly awful golf hole.”

As is usually the case with Hatton, there’s no need to read between the lines. He says what he thinks and mostly he thinks about how much he hates golf courses. To Hatton, they’re not puzzles to be solved, but mosquitos to be swatted. Hilariously in this case, the buzzing in his ear is the creation of his own boss Greg Norman, who designed Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course back in 2009.

We doubt Hatton will get called to the principle’s office for this one, though. First of all, Norman’s footing at LIV feels more tenuous by the day, and second, this is just Tyrrell being Tyrrell. When it comes to the Hatton, you take the good with the grumbling and always roll with the punches … lots and lots of punches.

Main Image: David Cannon

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The bigger brother of the two 18 holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates, measures over 7,600 yards from the tips, and the Earth Course greets you with 18 holes of its gorgeous green fairways, tree bark flanked rough and piercing white bunkers.

18th hole on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates

Each hole on the Earth Course was designed by The Shark to blend into the surrounding landscape, with the world-recognised 18th hole fairway split up its entire length by the creek built to (and successfully) gather many a golf ball into a watery grave.

Since 2009, the Earth Course has played host venue to the DP World Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where each year the event welcomes the Race to Dubai’s top 50 golfers to battle it out for the DP World Tour Championship title and the crowning of the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Rory McIlroy and Nicolai Hojgaard walked away winners from the 2023 DP World Tour Championship – David Cannon

This week will see the likes of Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Shane Lowry and plenty more, will be competing for a purse of US $10 million, the biggest cheque in the whole DP World Tour season and the biggest of the five Rolex Series tournaments.

In addition, the leading 10 players from the final Race to Dubai Rankings & Non-Member Race to Dubai Points List Bonus Pool at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship will be eligible for a share of a US $ 6,000,000 bonus pool. Players must have participated in at least 4 Counting Tournaments in the current season, including the DP World Tour Championship, to be eligible for a share of this bonus pool.

Main image: Supplied

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Billy Horschel confirmed for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai

Billy Horschel, who recently claimed his second BMW PGA Championship title, will tee it up on the world-renowned Earth Course alongside Major Champions Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Adam Scott and fellow Rolex Series winner Robert MacIntyre, who won the Genesis Scottish Open in July.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry – Chris Graythen

They join reigning Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy and his fellow Ryder Cup star and 2017 European Number One Tommy Fleetwood, who have already been confirmed for the final Rolex Series event of the season.

Horschel’s victory at Wentworth saw him move up to third on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, and the American will be making his second appearance in the season-ending event.

The 37-year-old won the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup in 2014 after claiming the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship titles in back-to-back weeks, and the eight-time PGA TOUR winner is excited by the opportunity to win the DP World Tour’s season-ending title.

“I’m excited to return to Dubai next month to finish my DP World Tour season,” said Horschel. “I really enjoyed my experience at Jumeirah Golf Estates three years ago and I’m looking forward to getting back to the UAE.

“It has been great playing in some of the DP World Tour’s most historic events in the latter part of the season and I hope to finish the year on a high note with another memorable experience in Dubai.

“I’m incredibly proud to have won the TOUR Championship on the PGA TOUR, so to have a chance to add the DP World Tour Championship title to my trophy cabinet would certainly be very special.”

Horschel finished joint runner-up at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon alongside Justin Rose, who has also confirmed his return to the DP World Tour Championship. Joining them in the field is Australian Adam Scott, who won the Masters Tournament in 2013, the same year that Rose won the U.S. Open at Merion.

Irishman Shane Lowry is returning to happy hunting ground of Abu Dhabi

Fellow Major Champion Lowry will be competing in back-to-back weeks in the UAE, after also confirming his appearance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Irishman, who won The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in 2019, has recorded 13 Top 20 worldwide finishes in 2024, including a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA TOUR alongside Rory McIlroy.

Luke Walker

Scotsman MacIntyre is enjoying a career-best season a year on from making his Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone, having won both the RBC Canadian Open and his home Genesis Scottish Open in 2024. The 28-year-old is currently sixth on the Race to Dubai Rankings and is hoping to eclipse his previous highest finish of ninth on the season-long standings, which he achieved in 2019.

The Top 50 players available from the Race to Dubai Rankings after the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, will then reach Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Main Image: Getty Images

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The 15th edition will see the top 50 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings compete at the fifth and final Rolex Series event of the 2023 DP World Tour season.

The Earth Course will once again test the DP World Tour’s finest as we determine who will walk away with the trophy and the winner’s cheque at the $10 million showdown, and also find out who will claim the season-long Race to Dubai crown. 

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Mates, teammates and roommates will have to put the pals’ act to one side after Team Europe’s Ryder Cup heroics in Rome, as this one will be every man for himself. 

We will have at least 10 of Team Europe’s stars on show. Defending DP World Tour Champ Jon Rahm and Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy will be back in town for the season finale, while Ryder Cup teammates Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Nicolai Højgaard, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Tommy Fleetwood will all enter the event on a high after they all helped Europe defeat Team USA at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club last month to reclaim the Ryder Cup.

The only absentee is rookie and nailed-on future superstar Ludvig Aberg, who only turned professional a few months ago and therefore does not have enough points to make the top-50 field. The last Team Europe member, veteran Justin Rose, has some work to do in Qatar and South Africa if he is to get into the last event of the DP World Tour season. 

McIlroy is looking to join Rahm as the only player to win the DP World Tour Championship three times — the Spaniard is the defending champion and also won in 2017 and 2019, while McIlroy claimed the title in 2012 and 2015 — and the Northern Irishman is the defending Race to Dubai champ. 

“Playing at the DP World Tour Championship is always an amazing experience,” McIlroy said. “Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a lot of success in Dubai and at this event in particular. The fans have been great, it’s amazing to have that support out there for us. When you have the top 50 golfers from the DP World Tour, you know it is going to be a fantastic competition. I’ve won here on a couple of occasions, and I would love to be right there come Sunday with both trophies to my name.”

Luke Walker/Getty Images

Rahm added: “It’s no surprise I love coming back to Dubai and to this golf course for the DP World Tour Championship. To win here three times, it means a lot to me, and it’s always an honour to defend any title you have put your name to.

“It’s going to be fantastic week. The vibe in Dubai is great, the field is world-class, and the fans get behind the players, so I am looking forward to the challenge and hopefully, I can give them something to cheer about come Sunday afternoon.”

Tom Phillips, Head of the Middle East for DP World Tour is anticipating a great event. “The 15th edition of the DP World Tour Championship marks a remarkable journey of growth, from its inception to becoming one of the key tournaments in our global calendar. 

“The vibrant atmosphere created by passionate fans in Dubai is a testament to the unwavering excitement that surrounds this event, making it a true celebration of golf, as well as being an entertaining day out for all spectators.

“Following Team Europe’s thrilling Ryder Cup victory in Rome, I am delighted Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Nicolai Højgaard, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and, of course, Tommy Fleetwood who joins us here, are confirmed for our season-ending tournament. We also have their Ryder Cup teammates Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm — our defending champion — already announced, so we cannot wait to see these world-class golfers all in action.”

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Fleetwood, who secured the Ryder Cup for Europe when he was guaranteed at least a half-point in his match against Rickie Fowler, added: “Dubai has a special place in my heart, both as my home away from England and the home to one of my academies.

“I’ve played a number of tournaments here at Jumeirah Golf Estates and I look forward to the 15th edition of the DP World Tour Championship in November. The fans have been unbelievable over the years and it has been amazing to witness it grow over time with all the activities available for kids and families, plus some pretty decent golfers.

“It’s an exciting tournament and I can’t wait to have some of my Ryder Cup teammates here as well, it is going to be another special week.”

The tournament will not only showcase the cream of the DP World Tour but also highlight the event’s commitment to a greener, more eco-conscious future. Building on foundations from previous years, this year’s Earth Lounge on the 16th hole will be fully powered by solar panels and hydrogen generators, resulting in a 100 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, while Averda, the event’s official waste management company, will recycle 75 per cent of tournament waste.

DP World Tour Championship’s commitment extends beyond the course, with the continuation of the G4D Tour, further reinforcing the event’s commitment to inclusivity. The G4D Tour Series Finale will be hosted on November 17, showcasing the leading gross-ranked players from the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Daniel Van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer of Group Communications at DP World, said: “The 2023 DP World Tour Championship in Dubai is just around the corner, and it’s set to be an exhilarating season finale. This event marks our second year as the Title Partner of the DP World Tour, and what a fantastic two years it’s been.

“We’re excited to welcome the world’s best golfers back to Dubai for what promises to be an incredible conclusion to the season. The tournament holds special significance for DP World, and it’s also a standout on Dubai’s sporting and social calendar. It’s an event that caters to the entire family and gets better year on year. We can’t wait to see everyone at Jumeirah Golf Estates in just a month’s time.”

Main image: Jumeirah Golf Estates

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The 14th DP World Tour Championship takes place from November 17-20, and promises to be another cracker as the top 50 players in the rankings fight it out on two fronts.

First of all, there is the DPWTC itself, the individual strokeplay event that brings the curtain down on the 2022 DP World Tour season. 

Then there is the season-long DP World Tour Rankings race, with the fans guaranteed a treat as two of the tour’s top names are set to fight it out on both fronts.

FedEx Cup champion, two-time DPWTC winner and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy is set to do battle with US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick as both are confirmed for the fifth and final Rolex Series event of the season on the famous JGE Earth Course.

Northern Irishman McIlroy has led the way in the Rankings since July when he finished third at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews. Fitzpatrick, who shot to global fame when he won his maiden major at the US Open in Brookline, is breathing down his neck.

Ras Al Khaimah champ Ryan Fox is hunting his third DP World Tour title of the season. Getty Images

JGE has been a happy hunting ground for both McIlroy and Fitzpatrick, with the world No. 1 having won the Race to Dubai (as it was known then) in 2012, 2014 and 2015, doubling up with the DP World Tour Championship in 2012 and 2015.

For his part, Fitzpatrick claimed the DPWTC in 2016 and 2020 and narrowly missed out on defending his title to Collin Morikawa last time out. 

“I’m really excited to return to the DP World Tour Championship, especially with a chance of winning the Harry Vardon Trophy [Rankings] for a fourth time,” McIlroy said. “I have some great memories of playing golf in Dubai, from making my first cut on Tour as an amateur, to winning my first DP World Tour title and then finishing top of the rankings on three occasions.

“To win both the DP World Tour Rankings and the FedEx Cup in the same season would be a great achievement and would cap what has been a memorable year on the golf course.”

Fitzpatrick, 28, has steadily rose to prominence over the past few seasons and won his eighth DP World Tour title at the US Open at the Country Club — the same course where he won the US Amateur nine years earlier, becoming just the second golfer in history after Jack Nicklaus to win both championships at the same venue.

The Englishman has stayed in form since his June triumph at Brookline, and just missed out on winning the Italian Open in September.

“It’s very exciting to go to Dubai with a chance of winning the DP World Tour Rankings,” said Fitzpatrick. “I’ve come very close to finishing top in the past, so I’ll be going to Jumeirah Golf Estates with a lot of confidence knowing that I’ve had some great results on the Earth Course in the past.”

McIlroy has a commanding lead in the Rankings standings, but with 12,000 points on offer in Dubai (2,000 to the DPWTC winner), things can change rapidly, as McIlroy knows all too well as he was overhauled on the final day of the 2021 campaign when Morikawa took both the Rolex Series title and the season-long race crown. 

Rory McIlroy is not the only Irish interest in Rankings contention as Shane Lowry also has a chance for glory. Getty Images

McIlroy can mathematically still be caught by seven other players in the standings and that could possibly increase with the Portugal Masters and Nedbank Golf Challenge still to be played ahead of the season finale in Dubai, and McIlroy expected to skip both events. 

Looking ahead to the event, Tom Phillips, Head of the Middle East, DP World Tour, said: “Anticipation is building across the UAE, not just among golf fans but also the general public who are looking forward to enjoying some of the finest premium experiences a golf tournament can offer.

“We’ve had a huge number of fans already register and we expect many more to avail the free general admission tickets in the final weeks leading up to the greatest weekend on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates.”

While this pair will certainly draw the crowds, there will be no shortage of other stars — some of whom while be plotting their own move to take one or both of the titles on offer. 

Ras Al Khaimah Classic and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship winner Ryan Fox has been in consistent form all year and the Kiwi would love to claim his third win of the year in Dubai.

Norwegian Viktor Hovland is no stranger to victory in the UAE and claimed the Dubai Desert Classic crown in January. Mr Consistent Will Zalatoris, Abu Dhabi HSBC champ Thomas Pieters, BMW PGA Championship winner Shane Lowry and Irish Open champion Adrian Meronk could all still reel in McIlroy as it stands. 

Whatever happens, everyone who can should get down to Earth.

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EVENTS

A week-long festival planned on Earth

The fun in Dubai begins well before Thursday’s official tee-off as the DP World Tour Championship, celebrating its 14th year, prepares for a week of entertainment on and off the course.

It all kicks off with the Rolex Pro-Am event on Tuesday, as guests will have the chance to watch the pro golfers, sporting stars and other celebrities play a fun competition. There will also be meet & greet opportunities as well as family-oriented activations, entertainment and F&B at the Jumeirah Fan Village.

On Friday, the tournament will host a Community Day, inviting schools, junior golfers and people of determination to experience behind-the-scenes tours, first-hand introduction to golf clinics, innovative kids’ workshops, as well as sundowners for the adults.

Following last year’s success, making its return to the DPWTC is Ladies Day on Saturday. Female guests will be treated to two complimentary beverages, ladies’ golf clinics, a ‘best dressed’ competition and plenty of perks.

Also taking place over Friday and Saturday is the new-look G4D (Golf for the Disabled) Tour Series Finale, which will see the world’s eight leading golfers of determination come together to compete in the series finale in Dubai. The G4D golfers will play on the same course as the top 50 golfing professionals participating in the DPWTC.

The finale on Sunday will see Jumeirah Golf Estates host a Family Day with a variety of activities including children’s shows and interactive events in the Village.

Gates will open at 7am each day with general admission tickets available free of charge. Tickets are also available for the tournament chalets and Earth Lounge.

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Earth’s sister 18 at JGE has undergone “significant enhancements” for the first time since opening in 2010.  Redefined fairways and “strategic updates” to landscaping and grass lines have been made to recreate the risk-reward strategy originally intended by Fire layout designer Greg Norman.

Even the Great White Shark himself is in on the sales pitch for Fire following “significant investments” to the 7480-yard course which is open for play in advance of the 11th DP World Tour Championship.

“From a design perspective, the Fire Course is worthy of recognition equal to that of the Earth Course and should be regarded as one of the region’s finest,” the Australian said.

“The Fire [course] delivers a true test of golf where risk and reward holes abound, and takes the honour of my personal favourite of the two.”

Enhancements will continue into 2020 with plans to improve the design of the native desert setting. Fire’s bunkers, which contribute to the layout’s challenging reputation and unique topography, will also be improved.

“Exposed wind, elevation changes, long reed grasses and sand dunes that mimic those of the Dubai landscape make for a visually stunning and challenging layout with an abundance of variation that leave the golfer wanting more,” Norman continued.

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By Kent Gray
The DP World Tour Championship might be consigned to history for another year but the grand living goes on year-round at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

For AED 5.75 million you could be the proud owner of this ‘Castellon’ style villa at Lime Tree Valley on a 7092 square-foot plot complete with views across the Earth course where Danny Willett recorded an emotional comeback win in last month’s Race to Dubai decider and Francesco Molinari was duly crowned European No.1.

A contemporary take on traditional Mediterranean living, each of the four bedrooms in the 4800 square foot (BUA, including terraces) villa come with full en-suite bathrooms. There’s also a family lounge, breakfast, dining and formal living space, a maid’s quarters, laundry, powder room and double garaging. The SieMatic BeauxArts kitchen comes fully equipped with the latest NEFF appliances. Outdoors in the fully landscaped garden, soak in the lakes views across Earth and take a dip in the private in-ground swimming pool. With easy access to Earth, sister course Fire and all JGE’s world-class amenities including the European Tour Performance Institute, what’s not to love?

For more information, contact:
Tanja Landsiedel
Senior Associate
Mobile: +971 50 254 7241
Email: tanja@fineandcountry.ae

golfhomes.ae

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1. Poker-faced Francesco

Check the Turin title-hunter for a pulse! The 35-year-old’s historic 5-0 record as Europe brilliantly regained the Ryder Cup in Paris continued a career year that could yet have a fairytale finish should Molinari hold onto his Race to Dubai points lead come November 18. It would be nothing more than the poker-faced Italian deserves after winning the European Tour’s flagship BMW Championship at Wentworth and the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie this summer. Indeed, the seemingly nerveless way Molinari captured his fifth and sixth European Tour titles either side of a maiden PGA Tour triumph at the Quicken Loans National in June-early July, it wouldn’t surprise if he emulates McIlroy, Stenson and Westwood by doing the DP World Tour Championship, Harry Vardon Trophy double.

Francesco Molinari holds the trophy after winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 27, 2018. (Richard Heathcote)

Has a form on Earth with five top 10s in nine starts to go with that dreamy driver, precision iron game and steely resolve. Regardless of what transpires at JGE, Molinari seems certain to eclipse his career-best R2D finish of 5th in 2010. That the front man of “Moliwood” departs Earth as one of the coolest cats on tour is also unquestioned.

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2. Tommy… Tommy Fleetwood

Major champion in waiting. Greens in reg machine. Ryder Cup rookie sensation. Social media sidekick to an icy cool Italian, the other half of Moliwood.

What’s not to love about Tommy Fleetwood who will bring those flowing locks and the fluid ambition of a second successive European money-list title to Jumeirah Golf Estates?

It’s amazing to think how far the 27-year-old Englishman has come from the low of the 2016 BMW PGA Championship when he openly admits he stood on the tee and had no idea where he’d hit it. As the defending two-time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, Fleetwood is something of a desert specialist but wasn’t happy finishing a lowly T-21 on Earth last November, a performance just good enough to nervously edge Justin Rose to the title of European Tour No. 1. Indeed, Fleetwood has just one DP World Tour Championship top-10 in five starts and a 70.25 stroke average that will need to be trimmed if he is to do the JGE double.

3. Social Media Magic

From that blockbuster Mannequin Challenge to cheeky ‘Little Billy’ roasting Rory McIlroy, there have been some doozies from Jumeirah Golf Estates in recent years. The young guns with the European Tour’s social media passwords are overdue another epic DP World Tour Championship entry in the endless list of videos that paint golf, the tour and its approachable stars is such a positive light and the budding Moliwood Bromance is still fertile content.  We’re positively giddy with anticipation. Watch and learn PGA Tour.

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4. Pied Piper Pepperell

“Is Eddie Pepperell too smart for his own good?”

That headline appeared on GolfDigestMe.com just before the now 27-year-old Englishman finished T-48 at last year’s DP World Tour Championship and 41st in the overall Race to Dubai rankings. It was the preface to an absorbing feature by the renowned Scottish scribe John Huggan on one of the most intelligent and insightful minds in golf, charting the rise and fall and rise again of the Oxford University graduate turned professional golfer.

It previewed Pepperell’s fascinating blog — eddiepepperell.wordpress.com if you haven’t yet been enlightened—and delved to places golf interviews normally don’t go.

“My writing improved markedly last year when my golf was so bad,” Pepperell told Huggan. “I tell people I don’t want to be blogging. When I’m playing well, I don’t think as much or write as much. And when I do, it isn’t from a place of such deep reflection. Last year [2016], when I was feeling low I was able to articulate my thoughts more honestly. So I think the difficult thing for me is writing like that when I’m playing well and not sounding arrogant.”

Pepperell has managed to achieve both tricky things this season, capturing both the Qatar and British Masters and more online fans with his musings.

“…I’ve always maintained that the most important thing in life is to be a nice person because careers come and go, but if you sacrifice being a good person in order to become a great achiever, you’ll experience the unintended side effects once it’s all over. And loneliness will probably top that list.”

You can bet Pepperell won’t be lonely when the galleries spread out around Earth for the 10th edition of the DPWTC.

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5. Rahmbo’s return

Jon Rahm’s brilliant DP World Tour Championship bow last November was almost lost in the battle within the battle as Justin Rose took Tommy Fleetwood to the wire on Earth for the overall Race to Dubai title. But how good was the Spaniard’s DPWTC debut – 69-68-65-67  for a 269 aggregate – on a layout other big names took much longer to learn; it was certainly impressive when you consider he’d just been confirmed as Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year. Rahm has gone on to win his first PGA Tour title and a third European Tour title – the Open de España – and beat tired Tiger Woods 2&1 in a memorable Ryder Cup debut. Don’t be surprised if Rahm, who celebrates his 24th birthday on the Saturday preceding the season decider, joins Henrik Stenson as just the second back-to-back champion.

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6. Ryder re-do

Eddie Pepperell, American Xander Schauffele and China’s reigning Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion Li Haotong are the only players in the Race to Dubai top-10 who didn’t tee it up at the Ryder Cup near Paris. Which translates to an intriguing lap (or four) of honour around Earth, unless of course, you’re Patrick Reed who will undoubtedly be out to atone for Team USA’s 17½-10½ hammering at Le Golf National in his own inimitable way.

More on Captain America soon but for now, savour the opportunity to watch Molinari (5-0-0), Fleetwood (4-1-0), Rahm (1-2-0), Thorbjorn Olesen (1-1-0 – how about that 5&4 thumping of Jordan Spieth), Tyrrell Hatton (1-2-0), Rory McIlroy (2-3-0), Alex Noren (2-1-0), Ian Poulter (2-2-0), Henrik Stenson (3-0-0), Sergio Garcia (3-1-0) engaged in some friendly fire on Earth. There is an injury question mark hovering over Stenson’s likely competitiveness after  the Swede underwent elbow surgery last month, forcing him to miss the WGC-HSBC Champions. But at least the Iceman is in sunny Dubai; the same sadly can’t be said for notable absentees Justin Rose (2-2-0) and Paul Casey (1-1-1).

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7. Rory’s redemption?

Rory McIlroy has won the DP World Tour Championship twice and the Harry Vardon Trophy as European No.1 three times since the inception of the JGE decider, the last of them when he did the second of his two doubles on Earth in 2015.

Related: McIlroy opts out of Desert Swing, may only play two ‘pure’ European Tour events in 2019

But the four-time major champion has seemed strangely out of sorts in the past 24 months after a rib injury ruined his 2017 season and saw him bypass JGE last November.

The 29-year-old Holywood star did win the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, his first victory since capturing the PGA Tour Championship and FedEx Cup in 2016. Has not won on the European Tour since the Irish Open earlier in 2016 and will still be smarting after coughing up a two-shot lead with five to play at January’s Desert Classic to open the door for Li Haotong. Desert redemption would be awfully sweet for the Northern Irishman and would no doubt stoke another premature U.S. Masters preview given the green jacket remains the only major prize missing from a career grand slam.

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8. Glorious Earth

Earth isn’t every touring professional’s cup of English Breakfast but there is no doubt the 7706-yard, par-72 layout provides a suitably dramatic canvas for the European Tour’s final showdown. The final four holes, a 1,703-yard stretch designer Greg Norman calls the “Golden Mile” are potential card-wreckers all and provide risk and reward to the last stroke, particularly the fan favourite par-3 17th – Dubai’s answer to the famed Island Hole at TPC Sawgrass – and the 651-yard par-5 18th which has proved a watery grave to numerous title challenges over the past decade while also producing some of the most iconic finales, aka Henrik Stenson’s exclamatory eagle in 2013.

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9. You can’t Shhh Paddy

There may suddenly be a few chinks in Captain America’s Ryder Cup armoury after he and Tiger Woods were beaten twice by ‘Moliwood’ in fourball contests at Le Golf National, but rest assured the 28-year-old has the mental fortitude, not to mention a proven record on Earth, to be a serious contender.

Reed has finished T-10 in both his two previous DP World Tour Championship appearances with -12 and -15 returns in 2015 and 2017. Remember too that the reigning Masters champion rebounded with a resounding 3&2 singles win over Tyrrell Hatton and has hardly stopped firing shots since as the Team USA fallout from Paris continues. If nothing else, Reed’s preview press conference will make for compelling copy.

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10. Fox hunt

From our alternative storyline file, how about Ryan Fox as an outside tip to win the $8 million title?

The stocky Kiwi, son of former All Blacks five-eighth Grant, is due a win and some Sunday luck after being desperately unlucky not to capture the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the victim of two improbable Russell Knox birdie putts at Ballyliffin in early July. Whatever happens at JGE, there are two guarantees with Fox : 1). He’ll stay up late to watch the penultimate match of the All Black’ annual end-of-season Northern Tour against Ireland on Saturday night, and 2). Standing behind the power-hitter on any of Earth’s tee-boxes with being a sight to behold.

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But Tommy Fleetwood is just happy to be the only other man left in the season-long fight alongside pole-sitter Francesco Molinari, his unbeaten Ryder Cup sidekick who is perhaps now better known as the front man of “Moliwood” after the duo famously went four from four together at Le Golf National .

Last year Fleetwood entered the final week of the season as the hare, Justin Rose emerging as the only serious challenger to the coveted Harry Vardon trophy. By his own admission Fleetwood “stumbled across the line” on Earth as he book-ended 65s with rounds of 73 and 74 on Thursday and Sunday respectively to finish 21st and hold off Rose, tied fourth, by one shot for the crown.

Related: Moliwood headline Thursday pairings at DP World Tour Championship

The equation this week, unlike last year, is far more simple. Fleetwood must win the 10th DP World Tour Championship and hope his best pal on tour finishes outside the top five at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Otherwise the Italian will add European No.1 to a year that already includes a breakthrough major championship win at Carnoustie, the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship and a first PGA Tour win.

“The math is pretty clear. It’s in Frank’s hands, but it’s another week, another start, where I’m hopefully going to be up there on Sunday,” Fleetwood said.

“Yeah, it’s tough. It was a lot closer last year and I was nervous on Thursday. Sort of never experienced anything like that playing for a year-long event.

“Justin, at the same time, on the form of his life and he’s one of the best golfers of our generation and it showed how hard it is to get over that line. I mean, a tournament’s hard enough when it’s four days, but The Race to Dubai, when it’s a year long and now all of a sudden you have nine holes to play and that’s what the year comes down to, it’s a very, very different feeling and very difficult.

“Hopefully, come the back nine on Sunday this year, I have a chance and I have a great week and I’m playing well, and I can give Frank something to think about. I am kind of chasing and it’s a nice kind of — it’s a lot of freedom in that.”

Fleetwood would have loved to have won more than his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship repeat to kick-start 2018. But he’s thrilled with his consistency – eight top 10s in 18 starts including four in succession leading into this week to keep the heat on Molinari – to have gained his PGA Tour card, an unforgettable Ryder Cup debut and improved his world ranking to 10. He also came within a shot of tying eventual champion Brooks Koepka at the U.S. Open after a closing 63 at Shinnecock Hills.

So how do you rate the consistency of 2018 compared to your breakout wins in Abu Dhabi and France last year?

“Consistency is great, but it’s difficult to see what’s better: Is it better winning three times or is it better finishing top 10 throughout the year? I’m sure I’ll probably pick winning trophies, and I wish I would have won more than I did, but majors have been a lot more consistent.

“I think apart from the PGA, either on Saturday or Sunday, I was within the last two or three groups within the majors. So I’ve been in contention a lot more and I’ve learnt a lot more about myself, and I’ve played a lot of different courses and I’ve played in the best fields pretty much every week.”

The challenge for Fleetwood is to convert more of the near run tournaments as he’s juggled playing in Europe and on the PGA Tour for the first time.

“There’s been a lot of times this year where I’ve been one round of golf away from winning, and I’ve just too many times, I have a round that should be level par; I’ve shot 4- or 5-over and that’s cost me.

“So on a whole, I’ve played much better golf this year, for sure, and I’ve been way, way more consistent, but I’ve always just fallen short for one round or a stretch of holes.

“Going forward, next year, which we’ve already started looking at, that is definitely a part of my game I need to improve if I want to win more.

“So many things have improved this year. I have a PGA TOUR card for the first time; got to the final event this year. I’ve still got a chance of winning The Race to Dubai, doing better in majors and World Ranking has gone up. I’ve kind of kicked on like I’ve wanted to, but there’s still sort of a lot more that I can do better.”

The game plan for Earth now you’re the hunter?

“I think, yeah, I’ll try and be as aggressive as I can, but in a way that, you know, I’m not going to play really stupid and then let myself in for 15 bogeys but 25 birdies. That’s not going to get it done.

“I’ll play to win and see where that ends up. There’s a bigger element of freedom because that’s just the way it is.  Unless I had a three-shot lead going into the back nine on Sunday, I can’t really lose anything. I either win or I don’t, and that’s pretty black and white this week.”

The post Fleetwood: It’s a ‘massively tall order’ but hopefully I can give Molinari ‘something to think about’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Rory McIlroy hopes a new driver will help him rekindle some of his old glory on Earth and turn a “B minus“ year into something slightly more palatable with a third victory in the DP World Tour Championship this week.

The 29-year-old Northern Irishman revealed he’d been struggling with an uncharacteristic “right miss” with his TaylorMade M3 throughout 2018 on the eve of the 10th edition of the Race to Dubai decider at Jumeriah Golf Estates.

A TaylorMade club-fitter walked the first three rounds of last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City where McIlroy finished T21 to end his slim hopes of a third DP World-Race to Dubai double after achieving that feat in 2012 and 2015. The upside at Gary Player’s tournament was a fourth round of 71 when McIlroy drove it better with a tweaked version of the M3.

Related: Moliwood headline Thursday pairings at DP World Tour Championship

“I’ve had that right miss in the bag with the driver pretty much all year and it’s never been a shot that I’ve had,” McIlroy said.

“If anything, I see maybe a little draw [even on straight holes], and I haven’t been able to do that this year. So I’ve sort of been playing against my natural instincts, which sometimes is tough to trust.

McIlroy has had no issue finding fairways with his 3-wood or 5-wood and has already seen benefits from the new big stick with a swing weight adjustment in the head and a new shaft.

“It’s better, this driver. Even some of the shots I hit on Sunday in Sun City, I felt if I had of put the same swing on it with the other driver, it would have been in the bushes right, but it actually was hanging in there which is great to see. That’s a big positive coming into this week.”

By most standards, McIlroy has had an acceptable 2018. He’s 6th on the Race to Dubai standings coming into the week with €2.89 million and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational en-route to finishing T-13 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings with $4.41 million in earnings.

But the four-time major champion isn’t judged by mortal standards and admits his runner-up finish to Haotong Li at this year’s Desert Classic “was one let get away” and still grates. He also finished runner-up to Francesco Molinari at the 147th Open Championship and has endured a few too many Sundays in contention when his driver hasn’t co-operated. 

“I’d maybe give it like a B minus, and a win this week would get it up to a B,” McIlroy said when asked to rate his season.

“I don’t want to continue to dwell on the negatives. There’s been a lot of positives in there, as well. I’ve played very consistently. I’ve had 10 top-10s. I finished second and had a great chance to win The Open. I played in the final group and had a great chance to win the Masters. I’ve had chances to win big, big tournaments.

“Yeah, look, results-wise, it hasn’t been the year that I wanted, even though I feel — I played in six final groups, and in ‘16 and ‘17 combined, I played in three or four final groups. That’s been a real big positive.

“Obviously the game’s right there. It’s just a matter of doing it when I need to do it most There’s a difference between getting into those final groups and finishing the job off, and finishing the job off hasn’t been quite where I’ve wanted it to be. So that’s something to work on next year, and the only way you’re going to get better at it is by putting yourself in those positions and learning from each and every one of them.”

Which brings us back to the driver.

“I drove it well parts of the year, but then whenever I got into final groups and under pressure, that right shot began to become more apparent,” he said.

“I think back to the first tee shot at Augusta on Sunday; Wentworth on the final day; Akron, final day; TOUR Championship, final day. The reason I didn’t play better was because I didn’t put the ball in the fairway, and the reason I didn’t put the ball in the fairway is because I have this right miss with the driver.

“The thing is, if I can hit my 3-wood good, I can hit my 5-wood good, I can hit my irons good, I can hit my wedges good. Then my thing is, okay, there might be a slight fault with the swing but it’s not so much of a fault that the other clubs have went awry, as well, so it’s just this one club.

“Basically that’s what we’ve got to this with driver: Lighter swing weight, and I don’t have to work as hard at it to get it back in front of me on the way down, so just little things like that.

“You’re always trying to make your equipment help you as much as you can.  I guess the technology is so good nowadays, you can do certain things to negate your misses.”

McIlroy admitted the late season change is bitter-sweet as he’ll likely be putting the the next iteration of TaylorMade equipment into his bag next season. But he won’t grumble too much if he can keep in play on Earth to end his year on a high. 

“The driver is a huge club around here. It always has been. There’s a lot of bunkers on holes that are around 300 [yard] carry, and if you can do that, it gives you massive advantage.

“That’s one of the reasons I’ve done so well around here is because I can hit the ball in the air a long way and if you hit it pretty accurately, you’re going to have a big advantage over the rest of the field.”

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