With the Race to Dubai victory tape in sight, Austrian powerhouse golfer Bernd Wiesberger is determined to end his most successful season at European No. 1.

The 34-year old Vienna-born Wiesberger had to sit out much of 2018 through injury but he’s returned to the Tour in barnstorming manner with an impressive 2019 campaign, winning three times, including Rolex Series titles at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the Italian Open.

After a tied third place finish at last week’s Rolex Series event, the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, Wiesberger holds a 722 point advantage over Tommy Fleetwood, the champion in South Africa last Sunday, in the Race to Dubai.

Bernd Wiesberger hoping to be smiling all the way to the Race to Dubai victory tape on Sunday here in Dubai. (Photo -European Tour/Getty)

With 2,000 Race to Dubai points on offer to the winner of the DP World Tour Championship, along with the richest first prize in tournament golf of $3million, Spaniard Jon Rahm, Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick can also win the coveted title of Europe’s Number One on Sunday.

Wiesberger is the man in pole position and should he either win or finish second alone in the tournament at Jumeriah Golf Estates, he will be crowned Race to Dubai champion.

With his closest rivals needing to either win or finish second to stand any chance of overhauling him, Wiesberger could also benefit from strong performances from those outside the top five on the Race to Dubai, including World Number Two Rory McIlroy, who has twice won the DP World Tour Championship alongside four other top ten finishes in his nine appearances.

“It would be a first off, obviously. Unfortunately, we haven’t had an Austrian winner of the Race to Dubai or the overall rankings at any point,” said the very affable Wiesberger.

“Personally it would be a huge achievement for me, something that, you know, growing up watching European Tour golf and watching legends like Seve, Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, who himself has won so many times in a row at the time when I started getting into golf; something that looked a long distance away, but obviously much closer now.

“We are looking forward to the next four days and going to give it everything we have, and hopefully if we count up all the points at the end of Sunday, we’re still up there and it would be amazing. I’m very, very lucky right now in Austria with not only myself playing well this year but also Matthias (Schwab) doing a great job, and almost catching a couple titles this year.”