Ryan Fox shares 4th place at Genesis Championship
Yuto Katsugarawa – image courtesy of Getty Images
Ryan Fox was perhaps a little disappointing in his closing nine of 1 over par 36 on day four of the Genesis Championship in Cheonan, South Korea, but his share of 4th place behind the winner, Yuto Katsugarawa of Japan (pictured courtesy of Getty Images), has kept the New Zealander in 6th place in the Race to Dubai rankings as the DP World Tour looks to the Abu Dhabi Championship beginning on Nov 5th, the first of its playoffs in Abu Dhabi.
Katsugarawa’s timely win allowed him to move from outside the top 100 to 28th in the Race to Dubai rankings, and for the young man whose only win on the Japan or DP World Tour came when winning the ISPS Handa Championship two years ago, the victory opens up a range of possibilities in Europe in the foreseeable future.
The leading 70 players in the Race to Dubai rankings will now advance to the Abu Dhabi Championship in ten days time, the first of two Playoff events, with Ryan Fox in 6th place, Daniel Hillier (7th) Min Woo Lee 47th and Adam Scott 49th all eligible to take their place in the field in Abu Dhabi.
Hillier’s last-round 66 today to finish in a share of 11th place, will improve him one position to 7th in the Race to Dubai ranking and he and Fox are assured of advancing to the top 50 to make the DP World Tour Championship in two weeks.
Fox began the final round four behind the leader, Katsugarawa, and two birdies in his first few holes had closed the gap to three, but Fox was unable to close the gap further on the way to the clubhouse, a bogey at the 17th costing him any chance of placing pressure on the eventual winner.
Fox will, however, retain a chance of closing the gap on the current Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra in Abu Dhabi ahead of the final event of the season in Dubai beginning on Nov 12th.
Footnote – Ryan Fox will not play in Abu Dhabi but will play the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai
