News
Amazing Race
4 November 2009
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The positive impact The Race to Dubai is having on the sport is becoming even more apparent in the final weeks of the season with tournaments scheduled in the run-in to the Dubai World Championship announcing world-class player fields.
The penultimate event of the season, the Hong Kong Open, this week announced its strongest field ever, with 40 of Europe’s top 60 players battling for position in The Race to Dubai or aiming to secure their places in the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The impressive field will feature current Race leader Lee Westwood and many in the chasing pack, including Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, world number 4 Paul Casey, and Ian Poulter who won the Singapore Open last weekend.
“It is far and away the best field ever seen in Hong Kong,” said tournament promoter Martin Capstick. “We have 40 of the leading 60 players in The Race To Dubai, including four of the top six.
“The latest player confirmations, together with those already unveiled, mean we have 14 of the world’s top 50 according to the Official World Golf Ranking, which is unprecedented.”
This view is shared by leading golf agent Chubby Chandler who believes the new format has encouraged The European Tour’s leading golfers to commit to more tournaments during the season run-in for fear of losing ground on rivals.
“The Race to Dubai has been fantastic, even if no-one has given it any credit,” said Chandler.
“Numbers one (Westwood) and two (McIlroy, now third) are going to be fighting it out to the end and will play exactly the same schedule between now and the climax.
“Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey will be in there too. The last few weeks are going to get better and better because these are the very best European players. There are no flukes up there.”
Westwood currently leads The Race to Dubai, which concludes at the Dubai World Championship on November 19-22, ahead of Germany’s Kaymer and McIlroy.
The Hong Kong Open, co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, takes place from November 12-15.
