Min Woo Lee’s Scottish Open win the catalyst for his brilliant season to date – photo Getty Images
The European Tour’s final event of the season, the DP World Tour Championship is played this week at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Estates in Dubai, bringing to an end the Race to Dubai for 2021.
53 players from the Race to Dubai points race will tee it up in the US$9 million event, three of them Australians with Perth’s Min Woo Lee heading that group following an outstanding season which has seen him finish 5th on the Race to Dubai list although with Jon Rahm not in this week’s field, Lee is the 4th highest player from that list in the event.
Rahm is choosing instead to recharge his batteries after a long season, a decision which could well prove a costly one given he was in the running for not only a portion of the US$9 million purse but in 3rd place in the Race to Dubai standings he was in line to potentially win the Race to Dubai and significant bonus money. Not that money is a major concern for Rahm.
Lee’s win in this year’s abrdn Scottish Open contributed the largest portion of his €1.725 million ($A2.675) earnings in Europe this year but so too did his recent runner-up finish in Spain and he enters this week’s event as some sort of chance to complete and even better season.
A win this week by Lee opens the door to the bonus riches of the Race to Dubai but he would need a little help from the likes of Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel in order to do so.
Whatever the outcome for Lee it has been an outstanding year for the 23-year-old and augurs well for an outstanding career ahead.
Lee’s fellow West Australian, Jason Scrivener, finished in 15th place in the Race to Dubai, he too completing his best year in professional golf including a runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi early in the season.
Scrivener recently attempted to earn full playing rights on the PGA Tour’s feeder tour the Korn Ferry Tour but finished well back at final qualifying and while he is still entitled to attempt to gain starts in events in the USA it might well be that his great from in Europe can be consolidated in 2022.
Victoria’s Lucas Herbert now has full membership of both the European and PGA Tour’s, his recent win in Bermuda confirming the standing he earned on the USPGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour finals two months ago and his win in Ireland this year leaving him with numerous options for his playing future.
Herbert finds himself in 21st place in the Race to Dubai rankings but his last European Tour event was at the Open Championship as he focused his attention on earning a PGA Tour card.
Lee plays the event for the first occasion while Scrivener and Herbert will make their second appearance.
Rory McIlroy will likely start the favourite this week, given his last start win on the PGA Tour and that he has won this event on two previous occasions and finished close up on several other occasions.
