The Race To Dubai began at the HSBC Champions tournament in China on November 8th 2008 before winding its way through Australia, South Africa, South East Asia, Dubai, mainland Europe and the UK Via the Majors and World Golf Championships in America.
The Dubai World Championship at The Earth Course
2009 is a landmark year for the European tour with all roads leading to Dubai as players from around the world aim to get into the top sixty and a chance to play for golf’s biggest prize fund – $10,000,000.00 in the seasons final tournament, The Dubai World Championship, beginning on November 19th at The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. The top 15 players leading The Race To Dubai after this tournament will also split a prize fund of a further $10,000,000.00.
The initiative has attracted some new, top class names to enter. For the best in the world, the top 50, they will rack up seven of the 13 tournaments they need to play in to qualify via the four Majors and the three World Golf Championships.
This means players like Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim only need play a further six events to be eligible. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson decided not to incorporate it into this years schedule but have not ruled it out for the future.
Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai
The commercial nous behind the idea comes from a partnership between The European Tour and Leisurecorp who are behind the development of The Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. The agreement initially lasts for five years. The Race To Dubai will take in 51 tournaments in 26 separate locations culminating in a potentially thrilling finale at The Dubai World Championship at the Greg Norman designed Earth course.
Colin Montgomerie and The Harry Vardon Trophy
The Race To Dubai replaces The European Tour Order of Merit as the measure of players on the tour. The top 60 in the prize money list will win a place at The Dubai World Championship and a chance to win the top prize of $1,666,000.00 out of a total fund of $10,000,000.00.
The winner in the overall Race To Dubai standings will win the Harry Vardon Trophy, previously won by the leader of the Order of Merit including seven times in a row between 1993 and 1999 by Colin Montgomerie.
After The Scottish Open and just before the third major of the year, The Open from Turnberry, Paul Casey leads the way after a win at the lucrative PGA Championship and The Abu Dhabi Gold Championship. Martin Kaymer is closing fast after back to back wins at The French and Scottish Opens recently.
Other players in the top ten include Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy and Rory McIlroy. The extra prize money and the possibility of entering the final tournament in Dubai gives all players in the top 200 at this stage of the season even more incentive to do as well as they can.
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