The DP World Tour season reaches its climax this week with the Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Estates Golf & Country Club in Dubai with Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence the two players who can end the year as the circuit’s top player.
However, there is also a $3m first prize up for grabs for the top 50 players in the Race to Dubai rankings and treasured places available on next year’s PGA Tour so there is plenty of motivation for a strong end to the campaign.
- MATT WALLACE TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
- TOM MCKIBBIN TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
- THIRSTON LAWRENCE TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Wallace Can Ensure A Strong Finish
Rory McIlroy is the favourite to win at the Earth Course for third time, but the most recent of his previous successes came in 2015 and the four-time Major winner has been experimenting with some swing changes, so this may not be the week to lump on the Northern Ireland star.
McIlroy has also posted eight top-fives at the venue and looks set for a sixth Race to Dubai title, but preference is for Matt Wallace to steal his thunder in Dubai this week.
The Englishman finished with a 63 to claim third spot at last week’s Abu Dhabi Championship and posted a third-round 60 here last year that was enough to earn him second spot.
He was also runner-up on his course debut in 2018 and looks in a strong position to make a big challenge for what could be a sixth DP World Tour success.
MATT WALLACE TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Huge Prize Beckons For Mckibbin
The top-ten players in the final Race to Dubai rankings who have yet to qualify will earn a card for next year’s PGA Tour and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin has one of those places firmly in his sights.
He is just one place below England’s Jordan Smith, who occupies the final spot heading into this week’s showdown, and although McKibbin has not posted a Tour win this year, he has been one of the DPWT’s most consistent performers.
McKibbin lost an Italian Open play-off to Marcel Siem and registered his seventh top-ten finish of the campaign last week when he was 10th at Abu Dhabi.
He was also fourth at the Qatar Masters earlier this year so another strong desert performance is expected.
TOM MCKIBBIN TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Lawrence Should Go To The End
Thriston Lawrence can still claim the Race to Dubai if he wins and McIlroy has a poor week, so there is a strong likelihood that the South African will not leave anything to chance.
A sole victory on his home Sunshine Tour is all Lawrence has to show for 2024 in terms of trophies, but he was tied for sixth in Abu Dhabi last week and will not be taking this assignment lightly, after finishing four shots off the pace last year.
His second spot in January’s Dubai International was one of five runner-up finishes this year, including at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and he is unlikely to see his big chance go out with a whimper.
THIRSTON LAWRENCE TO WIN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
