The European Tour winds down for the 12 months this week on the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with an in depth battle over who will win the Race to Dubai and be topped the No. 1 golfer in Europe.
After 42 tournaments in 23 international locations, the winner walks away with a portion of the file $9 million in prize cash.
Listed below are 5 gamers to look at.
Will Zalatoris
He’s one among this 12 months’s breakout stars. Zalatoris, 25, of the US, tied for sixth at the US Open, eighth on the PGA Championship and received the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Yr. Most notably, Zalatoris crashed onto golf’s heart stage when he took second on the Masters, shedding to Hideki Matsuyama of Japan by one stroke
“This previous 12 months has been fairly loopy,” Zalatoris mentioned in an interview. “However it’s all great things. It’s been numerous enjoyable. Augusta is the one I’m most happy with, although. Simply figuring out that I can put myself in that place and be in rivalry and deal with it. It’s good to know that you are able to do stuff like that. It’s motivating.”
Zalatoris, who’s No. 11 within the Race to Dubai, has been engaged on distance management, however mentioned there is no such thing as a secret to his success. “The nice is de facto good,” he mentioned. “We simply have to make the dangerous just a little bit higher.”
Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick, 27, of England is the defending champion and involves Dubai contemporary off a win on the Andalucia Masters in Spain, making for a complete of seven wins on the European Tour.
“I actually suppose my recreation is trending in the best course,” he instructed reporters not too long ago. “Enjoying properly within the subsequent few weeks, I’ll hopefully have some good outcomes.”
Fitzpatrick, No. 6 within the Race to Dubai, mentioned it was necessary to handle the quantity of strain he places on himself and to be affected person.
“I believe for me it’s nearly attempting to have consistency all through the entire 4 features of my recreation,” he mentioned. “This 12 months it’s been driving and placing, however my strategy play’s been off, so hopefully I’ll get that to a greater stage and hold going with that.”
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa, 24, of the US, made his Dubai debut final 12 months and is main the Race to Dubai this 12 months.
“I’ve put myself in a reasonably sturdy place to win,” he mentioned in a cellphone interview. “Now, I’m attempting to get prepped, identical to some other occasion. I’m popping out attempting to win. It’s going to be a terrific discipline of gamers. I’ve seen this course, and I do know what to anticipate.”
Morikawa is engaged on “a number of small issues,” he mentioned. “Some issues are bodily, and a few issues are psychological. It’s nearly getting just a little sharper. It’s the top of the season, and typically you get just a little too relaxed. So it’s nearly staying sharp whenever you’re on the market.”
Morikawa, who has received two majors and 5 tournaments on the PGA Tour, is attempting to pare his strategy to the sport.
“You attempt to suppose again to whenever you performed properly and attempt to put your self in that scenario and understand what you probably did. You attempt to be constant and hold a routine. It’s about being easy and pondering easy issues whenever you’re out on the golf course. Typically that’s not really easy. I can’t take into consideration defending my lead. I simply have to exit and hit the goal.”
Richard Bland
Bland, of England, made headlines in Could when he took his first European Tour win on the British Masters at 48 years outdated.
After grinding his method by way of 478 tournaments over greater than 20 years, Bland lastly received. He’s been on a scorching streak ever since, with six top-10 finishes that place him at No. 8 within the Race to Dubai.
What did Bland change in his recreation to attain the latest outcomes?
“I haven’t achieved something completely different,” he mentioned in a cellphone interview. “I believe it was simply my time. It’s onerous to clarify why a win didn’t occur earlier. I simply carried on enjoying properly for the reason that win. I haven’t modified the way in which I follow. I’m not attempting to do something completely different. Every little thing simply clicked into place, and then you definitely get the arrogance of profitable. It simply snowballed from there.”
Consolation, consistency and a transparent head work for Bland. “I’m not a giant tinkerer, or changer of issues,” he mentioned. “If it ain’t broke, then don’t attempt to repair it. In case your recreation is in good condition, then simply go play. I don’t need too many ideas going round in my head.”
Min Woo Lee
Lee, 23 of Australia, is the newest to crack the Race to Dubai prime 10 after three latest performances on the European Tour. He tied for second on the Andalucia Masters, tied for eighth on the Portugal Masters and tied for fourth final week on the AVIV Dubai Championship. The outcomes place him at No. 5 on the Race to Dubai.
“I used to be going to take this week off, however I believed my type was fairly stable and it might be one other problem in entrance of me and I may overcome it,” Lee mentioned in an announcement. “It’s powerful, I haven’t been house in six months, however I’m trying ahead to going house and enjoyable.”
Earlier this season, Lee notched his first two wins on the tour, narrowly edging out Fitzpatrick on the Scottish Open and ending two photographs forward of Ryan Fox of New Zealand on the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Supply: NY Times
