Scotland’s Grant Forrest looks to have earned himself a spot in next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship thanks to a European Tour career low 63 on the final day of the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship.
Forrest birdied his closing three holes to snare a share of sixth place on 21-under par and with the former Crail Battle Trophy winner’s lowest round in 60 events on the European Tour.
The Haddington golfer’s prior best low has been five rounds of 65 and the last being a 65 on day three of last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Forrest finished the leading Scot on the Sergio Garcia designed Fire course at Jumeirah Estates and four shots behind the European Tour’s newest winner in Frenchman Antoine Rozner who won by two shots with a round of 64 for a 25-under par victory tally.
Scotland’s Grant Forrest on his way to a European Tour career low 63. (Photo – European Tour/Getty)
Forrest’s effort has brilliantly seen him also jump nine places to a Tour career high of 66th on the Race to Dubai standings and hopefully a first start in this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
A number of US-based players, including four-time major winning Rory McIlroy, will not be travelling to Dubai so the entry list for the $8m Rolex Series event could go as low as the high 70s on the Race to Dubai money list.
He said: “It’s massive. It’s been the goal for the whole year. I got off to a good start before all this kicked off then I’ve not really played my best since we started playing again.
“Coming into this week, I knew I needed at least a top five and I set myself a target of 20-under. I was a bit disappointed with yesterday’s round as I left a few shots out there coming in.
“Today was one of those days where everything went for me. I putted really well, as you have to shoot nine-under, and I got away with a couple of bad shots, too, at the end.”
Fellow Scot Marc Warren was two shots back, signing off with a 67 and sharing sixth on 18-under par.
And top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre has let slip edging closer to a maiden Masters invitation sliding a dozen spots down the board, and one of only two players inside the top-22 not to break par on the last day.
MacIntyre was one-over until a final hole birdie in a 72 to share 22nd place at a distant 16-under par.
The Scot is lying 61st on the World Rankings and is now needing to finish top-4 in Dubai to be assured of breaking into the top-50 and receive that envelope stamped ‘Augusta, GA’ being delivered to his Oban letter box.
