2014 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai: Preview And TV Coverage

Sep 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after making a putt on the eighteenth green during the second round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It’s finally here! The European Tour’s Race To Dubai finale’ gets underway this weekend at the DP World Tour Championship on the Jumeriah Estates Golf Course in Dubai. The championship has already been decided at the Turkish Airlines Open last week, but we still need to play the tournament.

Rory McIlroy will tee it up this week, after a much-needed break, and will be wanting to show the world that four wins during the 2014 season was no fluke.

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The 25 year-old World Number One player has been inactive since the Ryder Cup in an attempt to get ready for his legal issues involving his former management company, but has assured everyone that he has stayed sharp while continuing to work on his game.

MCIlroy secured the Race To Dubai Championship without playing during the playoff events, and his fate was sealed when the three front-runners failed to win at the Turkish Airlines Open last week.

Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia, and Marcel Siem all had a chance down the stretch, but all three needed victories, both in Turkey, and in Dubai this week. That was a tall order, and none were able to get the job done at Montgomerie Maxx last weekend.

Marcel Siem won the first playoff event in Shanghai at the BMW Championship, but couldn’t extend the magic through the remainder of the playoff.

This will be Rory’s second Race To Dubai Championship in three years, and he will not need to make five birdies in the final five holes like he did during the 2012 tournament. This year he just needs to show up to get his big check, and trophy.

"“I’m very proud to have won The Race to Dubai again, the second time in three years, and not having to do anything this week I guess is an added bonus,” said McIlroy"

McIlroy is not taking this tournament lightly. He indicated he has worked on his golf game during his down-time, and wants to be competitive on the finale’.

"“I still want to play really well this week and try and win this tournament, because there would be no point in me showing up if I thought that I had already won something and was just here for a good time. (It would) make it an even better time if I won.“It would be nice to cap off the season with another win here and I feel like I’m probably a little fresher than most of the guys as well. I think there’s a few jaded minds and bodies getting off that plane from Turkey the other night. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage and put in a good performance this week.”"

Henrik Stenson is you’re defending champion at Jumeriah Estates this week, and after a solid second place finish at the Turkish Airlines Open last week, looks to be ready to make McIlroy earn that second trophy on Sunday afternoon.

Stenson capped off a great 2013 season last year when he won both, the FedEx Cup Championship, and the Race to Dubai. Stenson dismantled the field at this event last year. The 38 year-old Swede has looked tired all year, but came on very strong in Turkey last week.

Jumeriah Estates is a private club in the U.A.E. and was established in 2009. It is a Greg Norman design and features two completely different courses with names that feature environmental concerns. Earth and Fire.

The DP World Tour Championship is played on the Earth course, which is a 7672 yard monster that plays to a par of 72 for the pros. Justin Rose fired a 62 here in 2012 to set the 18-hole record.

Action will be televised on The Golf Channel starting at 3 A.M. Eastern time on Thursday morning, with more viewings through the day

Source: EuropeanTour.com

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