Three Sleepers To Watch At DP World Tour Championship In Dubai
By Les Bailey
Aug 11, 2013; Rochester, NY, USA; Stephen Gallacher tees off on the 16th hole during the final round of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Based on what I saw in the Greatest Shots video circulating around the internet yesterday, I would be crazy not to pick Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, or Justin Rose to win the 2014 DP World Tours Championship this week. Rory has already wrapped up the Race To Dubai Championship for the season, but there are a couple of sleepers the favorites need to keep an eye on at the Jumeriah Estates Earth Golf Course.
Stephen Gallacher
The 40 year-old Scot, and the only Scot on the 2014 Ryder Cup team has not played well since the drubbing Team Europe gave the Americans at Gleneagles, but played very well early in the season, and in particular, during the desert swing last spring.
Gallacher out-battled Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods through three rounds at the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi to earn a T8 finish, and went on to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic two weeks later. He finished T28 at the Qatar Masters between the two stops.
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Gallacher can bomb his tee shots with the big boys, and has an excellent short game to bail him out when he misses a green. He picked up top 10 finishes at the WGC-Cadillac, the BMW PGA Championship, Nordea Masters, and the Scottish Open in Aberdeen.
Playing in 25 events around the globe, it’s possible Gallacher may have been worn out by the time he got into the Race To Dubai playoffs. He has four career wins on the European Tour, is 38th in World Rankings, and 15th in Race To Dubai points.
Mikko Ilonen
If there were any doubts that Mikko Ilonen could play at this level, they were miffed when the 34 year-old Fin beat Henrik Stenson at the Volvo Match Play Championship last month. Ilonen did not play in the Ryder Cup, but has played well since finishing T7 at Valhalla in August. He won the Irish Open back in June, and last, but not least, finished solo second at the Qatar Masters during the Desert Swing.
He also finished T5 at the Omega Dessert Classic back in February.
Mikko Ilonen has five European Tour victories in his career, with two coming this year. He is ranked 42nd in World Rankings, and 16th in Race To Dubai points.
Alexander Levy
With top 15 finishes in two of the three Race To Dubai playoff events, and a T2 at the BMW Masters, the 24 year-old American-born Frenchman is possibly the hottest player on the European Tour at this point of the season.
It took the youngster most of the 2014 season to get going, and learn how to win, but has been a big money player since his win in Portugal. The T14 at the WGC-HSBC Champions solidified his position as part of the new French invasion that includes 2013 Turkish Airlines Open Champ, Victor Dubuisson, and fellow countryman, Romain Wattel.
It will be a tough lineup to crack in Dubai this week with Rory getting back to work, and Henrik playing well again, but if anyone can come out of the pack and win this thing, it’s Alexander Levy.
Levy has two wins on the European Tour, both coming this year, ranked 58th in World Rankings, and is seventh in Race To Dubai points.