2020 European Tour: Recapping the start of the season
By Matt Coles
Omega Dubai Desert Classic
The second event of the European Tour’s early-season ‘desert swing’ came just a couple of hours down the road from Abu Dhabi, with Emirates GC in Dubai playing host to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
There was another first-time winner on the European Tour in Dubai, with Australia’s Lucas Herbert taking his maiden victory, winning out in the second playoff of the season. It was made all the more special as he took the victory on Australia Day, with fellow countryman Marc Leishman winning on the PGA TOUR later that day.
The win also saw Australia becoming the only nation to have multiple European Tour victories in the 2020 season, with a third still to come…
Ahead of the final round in Dubai, Herbert sat six shots back from the overnight leader, and well outside the top ten, but a sparkling final round of 68 saw him move to -9, and it would be enough to move into a playoff with South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
The Aussie only needed two extra holes to take the victory, securing a maiden win on the European Tour, and he made the move up to 2nd on the Race to Dubai leaderboard, behind only Westwood at the top.
Omega Dubai Desert Classic Leaderboard:
1 (-9, PLAYOFF): Lucas Herbert (AUS)
2 (-9): Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)
T3 (-7): Adri Arnaus (ESP), Dean Burmester (RSA), Tom Lewis (ENG)
Race to Dubai Standings (after 6/46 events):
1: Lee Westwood (ENG) – 1,183.2
2: Lucas Herbert (AUS) – 731.3
3: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) – 592.0
4: Victor Perez (FRA) – 576.0
5: Branden Grace (RSA) – 565.3