2014 Race To Dubai: Preview Turkish Airlines Open

Aug 9, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; PGA golfer Victor Dubuisson tees off on the first hole during the third round of the 2014 PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

American golf fans remember seeing Frenchman Victor Dubuisson for the first time, as he battled Jason Day on Dove Mountain for the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. But it was at The Turkish Airlines Open where the 24 year-old from Cannes won his first, and only European Tour Championship. Dubuisson beat Welshman, Jamie Donaldson by two at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal Golf Course last year in Antaly, Turkey, and rode the victory all the way to his first Ryder Cup appearance.

Victor Dubuisson is the defending champion this week in Turkey, but the four names that lead the storylines at the Turkish Airlines Open are Rory McIlroy, Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia, and German, Marcel Siem. Although the four-time major champion will not be in Turkey this week, he is the lead story.

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Since two of the four Race To Dubai playoff events are in the history books, McIlroy still holds nearly a 3 Million point lead in the race, and hasn’t struck a shot since the World Series of Golf in Bermuda last month. Donaldson, Garcia and Siem have a chance if one of them can win this week in Turkey, and next week at the finale’ in Dubai.

One player would need to win both events in the next two weeks, and Rory would need to finish 17th or worse on a golf course he loves, at Jumeriah Estates, and the place where he won his first Race To Dubai title in 2012. Henrik Stenson won in 2013, but is in sixth place, and will not be a factor in 2014.

Sergio Garcia is currently ranked third in RTD points, but thinks he still has a chance to win it all, starting in Turkey. Garcia has played well in 2014, wining in Qatar earlier in the season, and finished as the runner-up to McIlroy in the Open Championship, and the WGC Bridgestone earlier this year.

"“I’m a big believer that if you have done something extraordinary to be able to achieve that, to win [The Race to Dubai] before the last tournament happens, why shouldn’t you be the winner,” said Garcia, who along with Jamie Donaldson and Marcel Siem is one of only three players with a chance to stop McIlroy heading into the penultimate event of The Final Series.“I think Rory did something quite extraordinary this season and this summer more than anything, and maybe he deserves to be The Race to Dubai Champion, even before we play the Dubai World Championship next week."

Most European Tour fans wonder why the 34 year-old Spaniard played at the CIMB Classic two weeks ago, and not in the BMW Masters. Garcia would have been able to amass more points in the Race To Dubai if he had played at Lake Malaren instead of taking on the PGA Tour guys in Kuala Lumpur.

Garcia finished in a tie for second place in Malaysia, picked up some 2015 FedEx Cup points, but let Jamie Donaldson, who played in the BMW Masters, leap-frog him into second place. Sergio was only able to pick up a T28 in the star-studded field at Sheshan last weekend.

One has to question his decision to play at the CIMB Classic, instead of at the BMW Masters in Shanghai if he indeed wanted a chance to catch McIrloy in the Race.

I think this race is over, and Sergio Garcia will finish the Race To Dubai just like he finished the Open Championship, and WGC Bridgestone. Runner Up to the world’s number one player, Rory McIlroy.

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