Henrik Stenson is expecting the Race To Dubai to come right down to the wire after he grabbed the initiative with a share of second place at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
The Swede was no match for runaway winner Hideki Matsuyama at Sheshan International, but a closing 65 helped him overtake Danny Willett in the Race To Dubai standings.
Stenson rolled in a birdie putt on the 72nd hold in China and the fist-pumping celebration revealed how important finishing top of the European Order of Merit is for the 40-year-old, as it ensured he shared second spot, one stroke clear of Rory McIlroy – who is third in the Race To Dubai.
“I’m chasing Danny on the Race to Dubai and so is Rory, so I could see Rory was going at it,” he said. “So I just tried to keep up and it was nice to sneak that one in the last to go one ahead of him. “It was a sweet putt to make on the last.”
Masters champion Willett endured a frustrating week in Shanghai, finishing down the field on 14-over-par. Stenson, who like Willett earned his Major breakthrough this season, with Claret Jug success in the Open Championship, expects a tense finale at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month.
“It’s going to be tight all the way to the end and that’s the way we like it. It would be nice to go into the last one knowing that if you win in Dubai, you win the overall,” he added.
“I’m going to try and put some more good golf out there and some more birdies.” McIlroy is seeking to win the Race To Dubai for the third year running, but the Northern Irishman admits it will be tough to overhaul two players with Major wins in 2016.
Stenson can be backed at 26.00 to win the 2017 Masters, while McIlroy is 9.00 and Willett is 41.00 to defend the Green Jacket.
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