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Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger faces the media on the eve of the 11th DP World Tour Championship.   

By Kent Gray
Bernd Wiesberger is doing his best not to get ahead of himself but it’s no cinch when you are four rounds from a place in history.

The Race to Dubai title is the 34-year-old Austrian’s to lose at Jumeirah Golf Estates, a fact he’s trying hard to ignore. But it’s impossible when everyone keeps asking you what it would mean to become his country’s first European Tour No.1.

“Personally it would be obviously a huge achievement for me,” he said.

“Growing up watching European Tour golf and watching legends like Seve, Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie who has won so many times in a row at the time when I started getting into golf; something that looked a long distance away, but obviously much closer now,” said Wiesberger.

“So we are looking forward to those next four days and going to give it everything we have, and hopefully, if we count up all the points at the end of Sunday [and] we’re still up there and it would be amazing.”

After a three-win season, Weisberger will tie up the R2D with victory on Earth and probably with a solo or T-2 finish. Basically one of the four other contenders still in the race – Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry and Matthew Fitzpatrick – need to win and hope the pressure gets to the Austrian. But the world No.23 knows the worst thing he can do is have his abacas at the ready.

“Right now my focus is on that first tee shot, really, and get the week going,” he said.

“I’ve been here so many times in different situations on the Race to Dubai leaderboard, but I know the golf course really well. Most of the guys do. So it’s not about getting over-prepared on a golf course, because it hasn’t changed much over the years.

“So game plan is there and just see whatever the conditions are going to be from day-to-day. From then on, just be as offensive as possible out there. Be positive towards my targets. You know, we add up four rounds of golf and a couple of points and we’ll see where we’re at.

“There’s just absolutely no point in getting into the mathematics and what-ifs and all that. I’m just trying to play as good golf as possible and that’s all we can do.”

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Whatever happens, Wiesberger can reflect on a breakout year with wins at the Made in Denmark, Scottish Open and Italian Open giving him an early season impetus that he’s carried through to the last week of the season. This time last year he was in Dubai but not for the DPWTC after seven months on the sidelines with a wrist injury curtailed his year. He was instead making the most of the weather to prepare himself for the second event of this wrap-around 2018-19 season in Mauritius later last November.

In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise.

“ We’ve got to keep it in perspective. I mean, I wasn’t in a life-threatening situation. I had a minor injury in my wrist that is not ideal for a golf professional and it set me back for a couple months not playing golf and doing what I love doing and competing.

“But I was able to do a lot of different other things that you don’t have time for as a golf professional. I spent a lot more time with friends, family and that was nice. Kept me hungry to come out here again and enjoy the times we are up there on the leaderboard.

“It was good getting a new perspective, for sure, on everything. I was able to make a couple of changes which worked out nicely, as well. Therefore, it’s even more pleasing to sit here now in the position and enjoy this last week of the year and try to do our best, just as we’ve done the whole year.”