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Henrik Stenson With Best Chance To Claim Race to Dubai Title

By Kathlene Bissell

Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Henrik Stenson of Sweden plays his shot from the 12th tee during the morning foursome matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Henrik Stenson of Sweden plays his shot from the 12th tee during the morning foursome matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the Race to Dubai has only two weeks remaining before a winner is crowned, Henrik Stenson holds his fate in his own hands.

Henrik Stenson is leading the Race to Dubai with only two events to go.

“It would be nice to go into the last one knowing that if you win in Dubai, you win the overall.” Henrik Stenson said after finishing second at the WGC HSBC.

That finish vaulted him into first place in the Race to Dubai standings and puts him in the driver’s seat for the Race To Dubai.   There are only two tournaments that remain, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the DP World Tour Championship. Stenson is playing in both.

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After the WGC event, he said his plan was to return to Orlando to work on his game before going to South Africa.

“Hopefully I can just carry on for the final two weeks,” he added.

Whether Stenson can win it all and take home his second Race to Dubai title, depends on the numbers and points plus the rest of the field’s in the next two weeks.

With Rory McIlroy pulling out of the Turkish Airlines Open and not playing Nedbank, he has nearly taken himself out of contention for winning the Race to Dubai.  McIlroy is currently a million points behind Stenson and could not catch him with a victory in Dubai so long as Stenson has a top four finish in South Africa. Even last place at Nedbank is worth 11,200 points, and Stenson, typically, is not a last place finisher.

With Danny Willett’s 75th place finish at the WGC event, he put himself in difficulty to pull off the Race to Dubai victory. However, at this week’s Nedbank, he is the only one who could pass Stenson with a victory, even if Stenson finished last there. The two of them would then be pitted against each other in Dubai for the final tournament.

No one else in the top ten can pass Stenson with a win this week. That includes Tyrrell Hatton, Alex Noren, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Louis Oosthuizen, Chris Wood, Thorbjorn Oleson and Branden Grace, who cannot pass Stenson this week with a victory in South Africa.

“It’s going to be tight all the way to the end, and that’s the way we like it,” Stenson added, obviously feeling that his game was up to it.

Last year, there were four tournaments in the finals for the Race to Dubai. This year, there are three, the Turkish Airlines Open, the Nedbank Challenge and the DP World Tour Champion.

Here are the current points and projected points for the top ten if they finish in places 1-5 this week:

With WIN at Nedbank Current Available ProjectedPoints Behind
STENSON Henrik3,843,2841,166,6605,009,944
WILLETT Danny3,591,1201,166,6604,757,780252,000
MCILROY Rory2,824,1491,333,0001,019,135
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,3761,166,6603,529,0361,480,908
NOREN Alex2,318,6041,166,6603,485,2641,524,680
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,1071,166,6603,135,7671,874,177
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,8931,166,6602,927,5532,082,391
WOOD Chris1,756,3311,166,6602,922,9912,086,953
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,5891,166,6602,918,2492,091,695
GRACE Branden1,749,8951,166,6602,916,5552,093,389
With 2nd at Nedbank
STENSON Henrik3,843,284777,7704,621,054
WILLETT Danny3,591,120777,7704,368,890
MCILROY Rory2,824,149777,7703,601,919
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,376777,7703,140,146
NOREN Alex2,318,604777,7703,096,374
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,107777,7702,746,877
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,893777,7702,538,663
WOOD Chris1,756,331777,7702,534,101
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,589777,7702,529,359
GRACE Branden1,749,895777,7702,527,665
With 3rd at Nedbank
STENSON Henrik3,843,284483,2004,326,484
WILLETT Danny3,591,120483,2004,074,320
MCILROY Rory2,824,149483,2003,307,349
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,376483,2002,845,576
NOREN Alex2,318,604483,2002,801,804
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,107483,2002,452,307
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,893483,2002,244,093
WOOD Chris1,756,331483,2002,239,531
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,589483,2002,234,789
GRACE Branden1,749,895483,2002,233,095
With 4th at Nedbank
STENSON Henrik3,843,2843500004,193,284
WILLETT Danny3,591,1203500003,941,120
MCILROY Rory2,824,1493500003,174,149
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,3763500002,712,376
NOREN Alex2,318,6043500002,668,604
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,1073500002,319,107
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,8933500002,110,893
WOOD Chris1,756,3313500002,106,331
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,5893500002,101,589
GRACE Branden1,749,8953500002,099,895
With 5th at Nedbank
STENSON Henrik3,843,284296,8004,140,084
WILLETT Danny3,591,120296,8003,887,920
MCILROY Rory2,824,149296,8003,120,949
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,376296,8002,659,176
NOREN Alex2,318,604296,8002,615,404
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,107296,8002,265,907
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,893296,8002,057,693
WOOD Chris1,756,331296,8002,053,131
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,589296,8002,048,389
GRACE Branden1,749,895296,8002,046,695
With last at Nedbank
STENSON Henrik3,843,28451,1003,894,384
WILLETT Danny3,591,12051,1003,642,220
MCILROY Rory2,824,14951,1002,875,249
HATTON,Tyrrell2,362,37651,1002,413,476
NOREN Alex2,318,60451,1002,369,704
CABRERA BELLO Rafa1,969,10751,1002,020,207
OOSTHUIZEN Louis1,760,89351,1001,811,993
WOOD Chris1,756,33151,1001,807,431
OLESEN Thorbjørn1,751,58951,1001,802,689
GRACE Branden1,749,89551,1001,800,995

Next: What’s In The Bag: Rod Pampling (Week Of Nov. 6)

Who will pick up the win at the Nedbank and how will that leave things in the race overall? Check back with us during the week when our European Tour coverage will provide the answers.

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